Oxford United 2 Accrington Stanley 0

James Constable kept his lucky Cup streak going to set up a third round home tie with Sheffield United.

Constable headed in his third FA Cup goal in as many games in the 66th minute.

Leeds loanee keeper Paul Rachubka did superbly to turn a low Constable shot past the post, but the striker then buried Peter Leven's corner from eight yards.

In the 79th minute Constable returned the favour.

Stanley failed to clear their lines and Constable teed up former MK Dons midfielder Leven to volley in his third of the season from the edge of the box.

Democratic Republic of Congo full back Aristote Nsiala had kept the scores level in an otherwise poor game with two excellent goal line clearances in the space of one minute.

Nsiala stretched to block Constable's low shot in the 19th minute and then nodded Michael Raynes header clear from the resulting corner.

Oxford assistant manager Mickey Lewis was pleased with the result, but admitted:

"Both teams are known to play football, but the pitch didn't help either of us.

The lads are a good bunch of professionals though and we wore them down eventually.

The important thing was to get through to the next round which we did."

Stanley boss Leam Richardson said:

"Both teams were tying to earn the right to play, but the goals eventually took their toll on us. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but my players gave it all they had.

We went in at half time quite confident, but we lost both central defenders to injury and had to reshuffle against a good Oxford side." 

My piece from the morning paper

Cheltenham Town 1 Port Vale 1

Louis Dodds is ready to step out of Tom Pope's shadow to drive Vale's promotion push.

Co-striker Pope has already raced to twenty-one goals this season, but Dodds made sure of a draw against fellow contenders Cheltenham and joked:

"He's had too much glory so far - now it's my turn."

Dodds, 26, pounced to level with his fifth of the season in the 67th minute after Robins keeper Scott Brown had blocked Pope's header and revealed:

"It's great playing alongside him. He's an unselfish player and a good guy, but it's my job to pick up the pieces.

"I hadn't scored since September and so I think, subconsciously, it was starting to get to me. It wouldn't have mattered if it had come off my backside, I just needed to get back on the scoresheet.

"As a striker though you are always going to go through patches when you don't score and so you just have to keep plugging away."

Midfielder Darren Carter,28, opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season five minutes earlier.

Striker Chris Zebroski's low shot was blocked by full back Richard Duffy, but Carter pounced to drill home from ten yards.

Carter is hoping to play a part in taking the Robins up this season even though his six month deal ends in January. He said:

"I'll be speaking with the gaffer. I've loved it here. We're on a roll and when you're on a roll you want to stay to be part of it and finish the job."

Vale substitute Chris Shuker made sure of the draw in injury time by clearing off the line twice in a matter of seconds from Darryl Duffy and Jeff Goulding.

Cheltenham should have sealed the win before Dodds's equaliser.

Three minutes after the break, full back Billy Jones saw his angled shot hit the inside of the post before being cleared.

And keeper Chris Neal palmed away a header at full stretch from midfielder Jake Taylor in the 58th minute.

Brown saved twice in three first half minutes keep the scores level.

In the 19th minute Brown turned central defender John McCombe's volley from two yards past the post and then beat away a fierce 25 yard drive from former Cheltenham team mate Ashley Vincent.

Cheltenham manager Mark Yates said:

"I'm delighted with the performance and the number of chances we created. We kept going right to the 93rd minute. We're just a bit shell-shocked we didn't win the game to be honest. I thought we were excellent and deserved it, but you don't always get what you deserve. Everyone to a man had a decent game and we were really good value."

Manager Micky Adams was pleased with the point, but said:

"We'll know how good it is at he end of the season. It feels like a decent result because Cheltenham are a good side. We could have won it and we could have lost it. It's a point on the board."

My piece from Sunday's paper ...

... and Monday's

Oxford United 2 Northampton Town 1

Jon-Paul Pittman won't skip past his blooper when he watches the DVD of his starring role.

Substitute Pittman got Oxford back to winning ways with a 79th minute winner and then joked:

"If I hadn't scuffed a shot just after coming on the lads wouldn't have had to work so hard late on, so I'll punish myself by watching it again. Then I'll watch the goal a few times as well - and really enjoy it."

And the busy striker was impressed with the attitude of his team mates when Northampton cancelled out James Constable's fifteenth minute opener three minutes before his winner. He said:

"I looked around me and didn't see anyone's head dropping. Quote the opposite, you could see a determination to win in their eyes. I knew then that our season was still very much alive."

Pittman's stop-start season has been dogged by several injuries and Constable said:

"It's great to see him back on the scoresheet. He's an excellent player and a nice lad as well."

And Constable is also confident Oxford can turn their season around. He explained:

"We haven't had a great time recently, but when you look at the table, we're not out of it by any means. We need to put together a run now and with our fans behind us, especially at home, there's no reason why we can't push on."

Oxford assistant manager Mickey Lewis said:

"We’re heading the right way. A couple of results and it’s amazing how it can change."

Cobblers central defender Clarke Carlisle was dismissed with a second booking in the 90th minute.

Boss Aidy Boothroyd shrugged of the defeat and said:

"We've grown as a team over the last few weeks and there were lots of positives. We will learn from this and keep improving."

My piece from this morning's paper ...

... and yesterday's edition

Swindon Town 4 Yeovil Town 1

Darren Ward's crisp finish reminded Paolo Di Canio of former England striker Gary Lineker.

But it was Ward's marshalling of the Swindon defence that really caught the eye - despite manager Di Canio's tongue in cheek comparison to the Match of the Day and potato snack front man.

Former Millwall central defender Ward, 34, poached a 43rd minute third goal from two yards as the Robins moved to third in the table and sees the County Ground as the base for a promotion push.  

Midfielder Simon Ferry sent over a deep cross from the left and Devera's header was parried by keeper Marek Stech into the path of Darren Ward who tapped in his first goal this term and said :

"The lads have been working really hard and personally I have been working as hard as I ever have in my career. The target is to make this place a fortress and we have everything we need to make that happen."

James Collins's brace kept Paolo Di Canio's Swindon in the promotion hunt.

Former Shrewsbury hit man Collins took his tally to eight for the season and scored his first in the 28th minute.

Central defender Joe Devera crossed the ball from the left and Collins judged his run perfectly to tap in from two yards.

But Collins had to wait until the 94th minute for his second.

New Charlton loan signing Danny Hollands pumped a long ball forward and Collins collected it one the left before cutting in and curling home his shot from just inside the area.

Former Yeovil striker Andy Williams had opened with his fourth of the campaign in the 24th minute.

Williams flicked the ball past Byron Webster on half way and then outpaced the central defender before drilling his shot home from sixteen yards.

Yeovil hit back four minutes before the break when striker James Hayter nodded in substitute Keanu Marsh-Brown's right wing cross off the underside of the bar for his sixth league goal.

The goal sparked protests from the Swindon players who felt the ball had not crossed the line, but the home side's two goal margin was restored two minutes later.

Collins, 21, revealed:

"The gaffer told us after the game that if we keep going with the spirit we have and our determination and quality, we're definitely contenders to be there at the end of the season."

But Di Canio still felt his team could have done more and said:

"I should be happy with four goals and three points from a good home win but I am not completely satisfied. We dominated everything and put them into trouble but we have to learn to kill off opponents.We still have to become more greedy and nasty. We have to do a better job of killing the game off earlier when we are in control. But it was a very good win and I'm very happy and very pleased."

Striker James Hayter headed a goal back for Yeovil four minutes before the break, but manager Gary Johnson admitted:

"Some of our players go missing when we go to the bigger places, but we cannot change anything until January. We will get there in the end.They had more experience than us, but we have to start learning fast."

My piece from this morning's paper ...

and from Sunday's edition

Walsall 2 Lincoln City 3

My piece from this morning's paper

Vadaine Oliver came off the bench to grab a brace and leave Walsall red-faced.

Former Sheffield Wednesday youth striker Oliver nodded in Alan Power's 102nd minute corner at the far post to stun Walsall and then nipped in to prod home James Chamber's weak back header with four minutes left.

Midfielder Power had fired the Conference outfit ahead in the 50th minute from fourteen yards.

Walsall midfielder Richard Taundry forced extra time when he drilled in his first goal of the season through a crowded box in the 80th minute.

Jamie Paterson scored a deflected injury time consolation for the Saddlers.

Walsall manager Dean Smith was disappointed after seeing his team dumped out of the Cup and said:

"I've told the players not to feel sorry for themselves. They raised expectations with some good early season results and with that comes added pressure. We've got to get back to those levels.

We looked very nervous in the first half and had a lot of possession, but not a lot of clear cut chances for my liking. We need to turn it round and regroup."

Delighted Imps manager David Holdsworth said:

"I'm very proud of my players and the way they acquitted themselves. I couldn't have asked any more of them. Throughout the game the stood up to the task.

We were at Barrow the other day and they played at Swindon and so there's a big gap, but we closed it." 

Fronting Up

I can't imagine the pressure Bristol City boss Derek McInnes is under at the moment. Seven straight defeats, his team propping up the Championship, injuries to key players and Ashton Gate reverberating to the sound of jeering at half time and, again, as the final whistle blows. It must be tough for the guy and I can honestly say I wouldn't fancy it.

However, sending his assistant - Tony Docherty -  in to face the media after yesterday's home defeat to Charlton was a big mistake. Don't get me wrong, Docherty handled himself well, but the punters want to hear from the main man ... especially at times like this.

And whether you work for the papers, radio or television, your job is merely to try and ask the questions the fans themselves want answered. Sometimes we can ask them bluntly or even in a clumsy way, but by blanking the media, McInnes is merely snubbing the club's own fans (or customers as the board room would have it).

Some people in football (and public life generally) are a little paranoid and think the media are out to get them. They can take the questions personally. They shouldn't. Rather they should spend some time reading blogs or scanning Twitter or Facebook and read some of the things supporters are saying about them ... and then thank their lucky stars that the media present their questions in a measured way and with a little less emotion and vitriol.

I didn't hear anyone in the media room calling for McInnes's head yesterday afternoon, but I lost count of the number of supporters wanting to see various other parts of his anatomy removed!

Docherty made a big deal of telling us how hard McInnes is working and I'm sure he is. I suspect that he is having sleepless nights trying to work out ways of re-building confidence in a squad that is so obviously lacking it, but part of the job entails speaking to the fans ... and the great unwashed in the media.

McInnes isn't in a great situation at the moment and I for one would love to see him turn it around, but in the meantime I think it's important he fronts up.

Bristol City 0 Charlton Athletic 2

My piece from this morning's paper

Danny Haynes made it a Remembrance Day to forget for City boss Derek McInnes.

Haynes helped pile the pressure on under-fire boss McInnes and dish out City's seventh straight defeat. The poor performance triggered jeers from the Ashton Gate faithful at both half time and at the final whistle.

Striker Haynes set Charlton on the way to their second win on the bounce in the 20th minute to leave his former club four points from safety and rooted to the foot of the table.

Midfielder Dale Stephens rifled in a low shot from the edge of the box that hit the inside of BOTH posts before rebounding to Haynes to stroke in his second goal in two starts from fourteen yards.

Central defender Michael Morrison doubled the lead in the 57th minute to ease the Addicks' own relegation worries.

Midfielder Bradley Pritchard lobbed the ball into the crowded box and Morrison was first to react to slot home his first goal of the season from eight yards as the City defence dithered.

McInnes made five changes to the team that lost to Birmingham last Tuesday, but confidence levels now seem to have dipped to a new low for the season no matter who pulls on the red shirt.

Haynes could have scored a hatrick.

Only two minutes after his opener he managed to drill the ball into the ground and off the wrong side of the post from five yards.

And in three minutes into the second half he beat City's sloppy offside trap to latch on to winger Salim Kerkar's superb 40 yard pass, but then sent his snatched shot high and wide with only keeper Tom Heaton to beat.

Both teams had chances to score before Haynes opener, but defender Chris Solly slid into block winger Martyn Woolford's ten yard shot in the tenth minute and Heaton palmed an angled effort from Kerkar past his far post two minutes later.

McInnes dodged the media after the game, but assistant Tony Docherty remained positive and said: "We must take heart that we created a lot of chances. There's a long, long way to go this season and no-one is working harder than the manager to turn things around. We know that when you're on a run like this, it's luck that changes it and we've got to work hard for that luck and change the trend."

Delighted Charlton manager Chris Powell said: "It was a complete performance from us and the first one this season. I thought my players were excellent. They gave it their all and it was heartening. It's a young team that's evolving and this win will do the the power f good. There was a real determination from the boys and it sets us up for the second third of the season."

Cheltenham Town 1 Burton Albion 0

Chris Zebroski grabbed a last gasp winner to keep Cheltenham in the promotion hunt.

Both teams looked to have run out of ideas when Zebroski struck his fourth of the campaign in the 85th minute.

Central defender Alan Bennett had a low shot cleared off the line, but keeper Mark Oxley fumbled the looping rebound and Zebroski pounced to score from two yards.

In the last minute, Cheltenham stopper Scott Brown was forced to beat away a header from striker Calvin Zola to seal the win.

Brown was also called into action twice in ten minutes to save a near post shot from striker Zola in the 62nd minute and then tip over a 20 yard curler from winger Chris Palmer.

Cheltenham dominated the first half and full back Billy Jones did all he could to put them ahead.

In the seventh minute Jones's free kick was nodded against the bar by skipper Bennett.

Ten minutes later Sido Jombati met another Jones cross, but the Portuguese full back saw his point blank header from eight yards cleared off the line.

And in the 28th minute Jones teed up Steve Elliott, but the central defender's header flew just high of the woodwork.

Zola squandered Burton's best chance in the first half when he hit the side-netting on the turn from six yards in the 41st minute.

Burton boss Gary Rowett  remained upbeat despite the result and claimed :

"I still thought we were excellent and I've told the players I'm very proud of them. I am proud of the performance and I think it shows a lot about us as a team. We had one or two opportunities and with more composure we could have taken them."

Cheltenham chief Mark Yates  was delighted his team kept plugging away for the win and said :

"I think everyone deserves a pat on the back after a difficult week in which we've picked up four points against two very good sides. We threw strikers on and bodies in the box and it turned out right in the end.

You've always got to keep believing. You think maybe it's not your day when we had plenty of chances. We've got good players and we tried different things.
It was a very hard fought and thoroughly deserved win."

And Jermaine Cheltenham winger McGlashan is happy to take the knocks if it lets his team mates do the damage.

McGlashan, 24, was a constant threat to the Burton defence before Chris Zebroski's late, late winner and then explained:

"I'm getting cuts and bruises all the time,but I'm becoming immune to it. I'm going to get kicked, but it's bitter-sweet when you get the three points. I'll just keep my head down and try to do a professional job.

It's frustrating that teams seem to be doubling up on me because you want to play one on one. I'm getting it a lot now, but it's a back-handed compliment and it gives more space to the other lads. We're capable of scoring goals from all over."

Striker Zebroski, 26, said :

"The back four were magnificent and the deserve credit because they gave us the base to go out and get three points.

We need to make our place a fortress now. Our away form has been good and to keep our home form going will give us a good chance of promotion."

My piece from today's paper ...

and from yesterday's edition

Walsall 1 Scunthorpe United 4

Niall Canavan's brace eased ten-man Scunny to victory in Brian Laws first league game as boss.

Central defender Canavan scored his first of the season by leaving woeful Walsall flat-footed to nod in Mark Duffy's thirteenth minute corner at the far post from eight yards.

On the half hour striker Karl Hawley tame shot was pounced on by Duffy to finish off from close in for his first of the campaign.

One minute before the break Iron midfielder David Prutton was shown a red card for a bad midfield challenge on Adam Chambers.

But Canavan combined with winger Duffy again in the 50th minute to produce a carbon copy of his first goal and striker Leon Clarke sealed Scunthorpe's first win in nine games in the 75th minute by tapping in his eighth of the season.

Saddlers substitute Will Grigg scored a consolation goal in the 92nd minute from six yards.

Laws was delighted with the win and said:

"It's been a long time coming, but it's just one small step. No-one's getting carried away. The test will be if we can continue from here on Saturday.

I told the lads afterwards to smile as they'd just won and a couple of them chipped back that they'd forgotten how to smile."

Disappointed Walsall boss saw his team's winless run stretch to nine games and he groaned:

"We have three experienced players out, but that's no excuse. We didn't get to grips with the game at all.

That's as painful as it's been as a manager and I've told the lads that. There are two ways to go from here - we either sink or swim.

We're trying all the time to get people in and this result might force the point."

My piece from this morning's paper

Cheltenham Town 3 Yate Town 0

Scott Brown believes Cheltenham are developing the X Factor in their push for success.

Keeper Brown, 27, stopped Yate from getting back into the game by pushing Jake Cox's free kick onto the bar only four minutes after defender Scott Thomas had scored a third minute own goal. He said:

"We're becoming more professional. If it means sitting at home watching Match of the Day and the X Factor rather than going out and enjoying ourselves, then that's what we're going to do. Promotion is the main aim, but a bit of fun in the Cup always helps."
Scott Thomas was the unfortunate fall guy for Yate and was was lying helpless on the deck when team mate Tom Warren's attempted clearance ricocheted in off his back in the third minute.

Winger Kaid Mohamed added a second in the 65th minute when he nodded in Billy Jones corner from eight yards for his fourth goal of the season.

And Mohamed, 28, was not surprised by Yate's gutsy performance. He said:

"I come from non-league myself and so knew they would be up for it, but so was I. It's a job done."

Substitute Chris Zebroski saw off the round's lowest ranked side by firing in a low fourteen yard shot in the 92nd minute.

But little Yate had given their county neighbours a couple of big scares just after Thomas's opener when striker Tom Knighton and defender Jake Cox both hit the woodwork

At the other end, stopper Josh Dempsey kept the score down with a string of excellent saves to shut out defender Sido Jombati, Mohamed and strikers Shaun Harrad and Darryl Duffy.

Cheltenham boss Mark Yates was impressed with Yate and said:

"Credit to them, they did themselves proud, but I thought we were pretty comfortable. I always want more, but we'll take three goals."

Yate manager Rob Cousins said:

"It's been a long road to get here. We've played five rounds and been the underdogs each time, but the better side won this one.We could've let our heads drop, but bounced back to hit the woodwork twice."

My piece from this morning's paper ...

... and yesterday's