Bristol City 1 Hull City 2

Cole Skuse was left feeling sick - and it had nothing to do with a bug sweeping Ashton Gate.

Skuse was the unfortunate fall guy after deflecting Hull striker Stephen Quinn's into his own net in the 65th minute as City dropped into the relegation zone. He then revealed a stomach virus is also leaving the squad feeling queasy.

Officials will close the ground for business today (Monday) in an effort to contain the problem that has infected several players and backroom staff. Combative midfielder Skuse, 26, explained:

"It never rains, but it pours. On top of the injury list we already had, it doesn't help. A few people have it. Stephen McManus had it before the game, but he stepped up because we were already short of central defenders and Steven Davies was throwing up at half time. We'll come through it stronger though, like we have before.

"I couldn't do much about the goal. It went in off my chest, but if it hadn't hit me one of their players would have put it away. At least scoring goals at the other end isn't a problem - we've scored more than most teams. When the manager is given the chance to name a settled side our luck will change."

Sone Aluko, 23, opened the scoring for Hull in the eighth minute with his fourth of the season and revealed that boss Steve Bruce had little work to do when it came to team spirit. He said:

"From day one everyone got on well and there's no need for any team building exercise as it seems to come naturally. There are some real clowns in the squad and even the players who don't start games make sure the atmosphere is good around the place in in the changing room.

I must admit I can't remember too much about the goal, but everyone is telling me it was a good one and so I can't wait to see it."

Davies pulled the Robins back into the game in the 25th minute with his sixth goal in six games, but City have notched up only one win in ten and boss Derek McInnes groaned:

"It wasn't the start we envisaged, but the players worked hard to get back into it. I don't see us being where we are now at the end of the season. We have to keep our shoulders to the wheel and work hard. It's not a position we haven't been in before.

"We are on a bad run and the only remedy is hard work. But I have 100 per cent faith in the players here and I know we are capable of digging ourselves out of trouble. It won't happen overnight, but there is no shortage of commitment from players or staff."

Bruce was delighted with the win that moved Hull up to sixth in the table, but said:

"If I'm going to be critical, the chances we missed have been typical of us.

"In a few games this year we should have been out of sight, but overall I have to be very pleased indeed with the way we performed."

My piece from today's paper

... and yesterday's (a bit harsh of Cole, but the confusion around the goal and the deadline on the whistle didn't help :-) )

Wycombe Wanderers 0 Barnet 0

Edgar Davids now knows what life is really like in League Two after this scrappy, dull tussle.

Former Dutch international Davids, 39, remains unbeaten since becoming Barnet's joint Head Coach with Mark Robson, but his side had lost the spark that brought about a 4-0 drubbing of Northampton in his debut last Friday.

But rock bottom Barnet did come closest to scoring when John Oster's 30 yard shot needed to be tipped over the bar by keeper Nikki Bull.

Wycombe's best chance fell in the 94th minute, but Bees' keeper Graham Stack managed to beat away Sam Wood's 20 yard shot.

Robson was pleased with the point and said:

"I felt we looked good and solid. The biggest thing is we got another clean sheet. That's two in a row and very important.

We looked more threatening from set pieces, but our final ball let us down. We perhaps made the wrong decisions at the wrong time."

Wycombe's caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth remained upbeat and said:

"I think we restricted Barnet to one shot in the game, but it didn't happen for our front players. We'll hope they are back on Saturday, but I thought our defenders were excellent. We must have had nine or ten chances, but couldn't find the target." 

My clipping from this morning's paper

Bristol Rovers 3 Torquay United 2

Matt Lund ignored boss Mark McGhee's orders - and made him a very happy man.

Lund, 21, set Rovers on the road to victory by teeing up striker Tom Eaves for the opener before drilling home a 20 yard free kick himself.

But McGhee had banned him from taking free kicks after a howler in a recent game.

Lund revealed:

"I was on the other side of the pitch so the manager couldn't say anything! I'm always practicing free kicks well after training, but I'm never down to take them. Hopefully I've proved a point that I should be."

McGhee joked:

"I told him not to take free kicks. That was my contribution."

Midfielder Lund is on loan from Stoke until Christmas, but is playing as a full back to help ease Rovers injury problems. He said:

"I'm enjoying it and I'll play anywhere I'm needed. Stoke are watching me and so hopefully I'll do a good job, work hard, make the right impression and go back in the new year and take it from there."

Bolton loanee striker Eaves grabbed the winner in the 76th minute when he tapped in a pass by substitute Wayne Brown from one yard out for his third goal since joining Rovers on a three month loan deal last month. 

Eaves had started the goal rush in the 15th minute by beating the Torquay defence to a lofted pass from full back Lund before chipping keeper Michael Poke.

Two minutes later Lund buried his low free kick after midfielder Craig Easton had handled just outside the area.for a first goal since joining on a loan deal until Christmas from Stoke.

Torquay then found themselves up against it after half an hour when former QPR defender Joe Oastler picked up his second booking and was sent off by referee Scott Mathieson. The first caution was picked up for a body-check on young winger Fabian Broghammer, 22, and resulted in the German leaving the field with what looked like a neck injury, a few minutes later. 

Oastler's next 'victim' was Broghammer's replacement Wayne Brown who was taken out on the touchline. It was a soft booking, but I suspect that the ref decided he needed to get the lad off the field before he killed someone. He appeared to have lost the plot a little at that point as Torquay fruitlessly chased the game.

But in the 53rd minute former Rovers loanee Rene Howe curled in his seventh goal in successive games from the left edge of the box to leave the home side stunned - and equal Torquay's 58-year scoring record.

And six minutes later central defender Aaron Downes nodded in a cross from full back Kevin Nicholson at the far post for his third of the season to pull Torquay level.

Former Rovers loan player Howe, 25, told me afterwards:

"I'd like to go on now and make the record my own by getting one against Gillingham on Tuesday."

Aussie central defender Aaron Downes, 27, nodded in to give the Gulls hope level six minutes later, but boss Martin Ling said:

"I always say you can carry three bad players, but in the first half we were carrying ten.  We look like a good mid-table team at the moment, but I think we've got a squad to be better than that. We haven't won back to back games since March and so consistency is a worry."

McGhee admitted:

"There's a wee bit of frustration. To produce the performance we did in the first half was what I'd been hoping for. What I hadn't been expecting was the sloppy start to the second half. We didn't bottle it though and kept working for that winning goal."

My clipping from this morning's paper

... and yesterday's 'effort'

Oxford United 0 Gillingham 0

Ryan Clarke produced a goalkeeping master class to turn his season around and expects Oxford to follow suit.

Clarke, 30, was dumped on the bench for a couple of games following a run of four defeats, but bounced back to pull off a string of superb saves and shut out league leaders Gillingham.

But stopper Clarke claimed the experience had just motivated him to do better. He revealed:

"I was disappointed. It's the first time it's happened to me. The gaffer made a decision, but I didn't spit my dummy out. I just told him I'd be working hard so that, if and when he wanted to put me back in, I'd be ready to go. As one of the senior pros it's up to me to set a good example as we've got quite a young team."

And Clarke pointed to last season's Champions Swindon as an example of what the club can still achieve. He said:

"If we want to look at any team to copy, it's probably them, even if they are our rivals. They were in all sorts of trouble at the start, losing five out of five, but they came good and that could happen with us."

Stuart Nelson, 31, also made a great finger tip save to deny winger Alfie Potter as the Gills remained unbeaten away from home in six games, but he still praised his opposite number. He said:

"He made some great saves and kept them in it because we were all over them in the first half."

Oxford boss Chris Wilder was delighted with his team and said:

"They showed heart and desire to get something. The goalkeeper was outstanding and he's definitely back to his best."

Gillingham Chairman Paul Scally has promised the players a trip to Spain if they achieve promotion and manager Martin Allen joked:

"It’s another point on our total towards Benidorm. We’ve gone away from home and dominated possession. We’ve had chances, but not taken them."

My clipping from today's paper

... and from Sunday's edition

Wycombe Wanderers 1 Plymouth Argyle 1

Guy Madjo rescued a point for Plymouth - and dented Gareth Ainsworth's job prospects.

Striker Madjo scored his first goal for the club five minutes after the break.

Winger Alex MacDonald crossed from the right and Aldershot loanee Madjo buried the equaliser from eight yards at the far post.

Caretaker player-boss Ainsworth, 39, played himself from the start and set up the twelfth minute opener with a teasing right wing cross that was nodded in from six yards by former trainee Matt McClure.

Plymouth keeper Jake Cole made sure of the point with great saves from Stuart Lewis, Gary Doherty and Joel Grant.

Plymouth boss Carl Fletcher said:

"It must've been a great game to watch the way it ebbed and flowed. We knew it was going to be tough with their players trying to impress Gareth Ainsworth, but once we conceded I was pleased with the response."

Ainsworth said:

"To say there was emotion in my voice when I told the players what I thought of the in the huddle at the end would be an understatement. That's the best performance I've seen at Adams Park for many a day. It was a real warriors' performance."