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."

Swindon Town 3 Burnley 1

Paolo Di Canio's classy underdogs swept Burnley aside to keep his cup dream going.

Swindon boss Di Canio's League One Swindon knocked out Championship leaders Brighton in the first round and followed that up with a shock win at Premier League team Stoke. 

Di Canio has said he hopes to lead his team out at Old Trafford and they had definitely had no problem dealing with Championship side Burnley.

Paul Benson grabbed the first in the 19th minute.

Defender Jay McEveley whipped in a cross from the left and Benson pounced at the far post to bury his third of the season from eight yards.

Swindon doubled the lead three minutes before the break.

Canada international central defender David Edgar lost the ball to Tommy Miller forty yards out and the midfielder fed striker Andy Williams who raced into the box and slotted in his third goal in three games from twelve yards.

Central defender Troy Archibald-Henville sealed the win with his first goal for the club in the 83rd minute when he nodded in a McEveley right wing free kick at the far post.

Former Swindon hitman Charlie Austin had pulled one back for Burnley in the 74th minute.

Austin scored 37 goals in 58 games at the County Ground and looked Burnley's only real threat.

Substitute Sam Vokes played the ball into the box and Austin rounded keeper to tap in his tenth of the season from three yards.

Danish keeper Brian Jensen spared Burnley's blushes with two excellent second half saves.

In the 59th minute Jensen saved with his feet from midfielder Alan Navarro and seven minutes later palmed away an eight yard header from Williams.

Burnley's best spell came in the first nine minutes and Austin was in the thick of it.

Brian Stock stepped over fellow midfielder Ross Wallace's corner in the third minute and Austin fired a low shot just wide.

Four minutes later McEveley stretched to clear off the line after Austin got his head to another Wallace corner. 

In the ninth minute Austin flicked the ball on to Chris McCann, but the midfielder was ruled offside after putting the ball in the net.

Di Canio was delighted to knock out a team from a higher league for the eighth time since taking over at the County Ground and said:

"If we play our football we don't need to worry about any club in the country. The team did well. My football is expensive in terms of energy and today they ran at the right time and in the right way.

We are fit and train hard. I told the players to keep going. With hard work, energy and desire we'll have lots of smiles this year and maybe a big laugh.

I'll take Manchester United away next. We might lose 6-0, but if there is one chance in a million, I'd like to make history for this club."

Burnley boss Eddie Howe said:

"We wanted to win and we're hugely disappointed not to be in the hat.

We're so inconsistent at the moment. The ability of the squad isn't in doubt, but we've got to use it.

Their first goal knocked our confidence and then they were in the ascendency."

My piece from the morning paper

Bristol Rovers 0 Fleetwood Town 0

Neil Etheridge can finally add a league debut to his THIRTY-SEVEN international caps.

Enfield-born keeper Etheridge, 22, has signed a one month loan deal from Fulham and kept a clean sheet in his first Rovers appearance, but he has already notched up a good deal of experience playing for the Phillipines.

Former Chelsea youth prospect Etheridge explained:

"My mum is Filipino which allows me to qualify and I've played in some pretty big fixtures for them since I was eighteen.

We played two semi finals of the South East Asian Cup in Jakarta against Indonesia in 2010 because we didn't have the facilities in the Phillipines at that time. There were 85,000 at the first leg and 100,000 in the second leg. Our support was just family and friends - about ten people!

There aren't many stadiums anywhere that can hold those numbers. It was frightening, but a great experience."

Etheridge was supported in his debut by best pal, injured Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling, but Etheridge said:

"People take different paths in life, this is mine and I'll take it. I was on the bench for the majority of last season with Fulham. The season before I had slight knock backs with injuries. Now is the time to go out on loan to gain experience and I'll grab it with both hands to help Bristol Rovers as much as I can."

Opposite number Scott Davies shut out Rovers with three great second half saves as Fleetwood continued their good form following promotion from the Conference last term.

One minute after the break Davies blocked striker David Clarkson's powerful twelve yard drive with his feet and five minutes later pushed away midfielder Oliver Norburn's shot at the near post.

In the 64th minute Clarkson was denied again.

German-born winger Fabian Broghammer teed up the former Bristol City hitman from the left, but Davies produced the pick of the bunch when he palmed away Clarkson's shot from  just inside the box.

Fleetwood were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute when midfielder Matt Gill seemed to handle, but referee waved away protests after discussing the claims with his assistant.

Striker Andy Mangan had the first effort of the game in the fifth minute, but his 25 yard shot  just cleared the Rovers bar.

And Broghammer came close to breaking the deadlock twice in one first half minute.

Broghammer nodded a cross from fellow winger one yard wide of the far post in the 16th minute and then curled a shot onto the roof of the Fleetwood net from the edge of the box. 

Rovers chief Mark McGhee was delighted with his team's defensive performance, but said:

“That's the first bit of luck we've had this season and Gilly was delighted. It was a strange one because the linesman had has flag up and we assumed there must have been a push or something, but the referee eventually gave a throw in.

If there is any criticism it will be in the forward department where we were not able to score a goal. We will try and do business before next week and try and get someone who will help us put the ball in the back of the net."

Fleetwood manager Micky Mellon was happy with Davies's role in the draw and said:

"He's developing into one of the best keepers in the league.

If you said to me before the game that we'd take a point off Bristol Rovers, I'd have taken it."

A tale of two keepers ...

My piece from yesterday's paper

My clipping from this morning's paper

Cheltenham Town 1 Southend United 3

Sean Clohessy is laying foundations for a promotion push - and planning to build a life after football.

Southend full back Clohessy, 25, drilled home an equaliser just before the break and said:

"We shot ourselves in the foot last season when we should have gone up, but that experience has motivated us all to do it this time."

Clohessy started out in Arsenal's youth team before drifting into non-league with Salisbury City and he revealed:

"My girlfriend has a good job and at one point I thought she'd end up having to keep me! I seriously wondered if I'd make it in the game.

Fortunately I got another chance with Southend a couple of years ago, but it does make you think and I'm now considering getting some building qualifications so I have something to fall back on in the future."

Cheltenham winger Jermaine McGlashan opened the scoring in the 15th minute, but striker Britt Assombalonga nodded the Shrimpers ahead four minutes after the break.

Central defender Mark Phillips, 30, headed home Kevan Hurst's 52nd minute free kick to seal the win and then said:

"I was good to get off the mark. I got eight last season and I'm looking to beat that this season, but the real aim has to be promotion. No-one's talked about us as promotion favourites, but we fancy our chances."

Paul Sturrock had to change tactics to cope with Cheltenham and said:

"These days you need to move players about like you're playing Subbuteo. Once we got the the equaliser we got ourselves into decent positions on the pitch and I thought the boy Hurst was outstanding."

Cheltenham manager Mark Yates said:

"We unhappy with the start we've made and the reality is we've conceded three goals at home again, but it's up to me to put that right and I will."   

My piece from this morning's paper

My clipping from yesterday's paper

Wycombe Wanderers 1 Cheltenham Town 1

Shaun Harrad spared the blushes of team mate Keith Lowe as Cheltenham claimed a deserved point.

Striker Harrad pulled the Robins level from the spot in the 38th minute.

Stuart Lewis tripped fellow midfielder Marlon Pack in the box and Harrad netted his fourth goal in five league games since joining the club on loan from Bury in the summer. Harrad then revealed:

"Marlon fancied it, but I've just had my best ever start to the season and now got four in five games. I wouldn't let go of the ball and so he just gave me a friendly shove and told me not to miss. I wasn't going to."

And Harrad admitted that since joining the Robins on a season long loan from Bury His confidence has returned. He said:

"I'm the sort of player who needs a run of games to feel good and show what I can do. The gaffer is giving me those games"

But the unfortunate Lowe had gifted Wycombe the lead in only the third minute with soft own goal.

Winger Joel Grant sent in a low cross from the right and central defender Lowe put the ball into his own net from eight yards when he should have cleared the danger easily.

Lowe's clanger stirred the Robins into life and Nikki Bull was the busier keeper in the first half.

In the eleventh minute Bull shut out a glanced header from Harrad and less than one minute later blocked winger Jermaine McGlashan with his feet.

One minute a before half time Lowe had a chance to make amends, but deflected a shot from team mate Darren Carter high over the bar - something he'll wish  he'd done at the other end!.

Harrad came close to netting a brace four minutes after the break when he fired over from 20 yards after being teed up by Kaid Mohamed.

And substitute Jeff Goulding should have won the game for Cheltenham in injury time, but he volleyed Billy Jones corner high from ten yards. 

Delighted Cheltenham boss Mark Yates said:

"We gifted a calamitous goal, but we got there action we wanted. We knocked it about superbly."

Wycombe's squad has been hit by injuries, but new striker Jo Kuffour, 30, was more than happy to play through the pain barrier and said:

"I spent the summer keeping fit in my local gym in the park hoping for a new club. It was about ten days ago that I trained with the lads for the first time and I started cramping up after only 35 minutes. There was no way I was coming off. I just love playing football and so when you get the chance, you take it." 

Manager Gary Waddock was missing six first team players and said:

"I'm sure if any other manager was missing that many, they'd find it difficult as well. The players deserve a lot of credit for digging in against a very good side."

My piece from this morning's paper

My clipping from Sunday's edition

Walsall 2 Brentford 2

Clayton Donaldson knocked the stuffing out of Walsall - and the wind out of a snapper.

Moroccan Farid El Alagui headed the ball across the face of goal in the 90th minute and co-striker Donaldson nodded in his fourth goal in five games at the far post.

Bees striker Donaldson, 28, revealed:

"Our local paper's photographer has been asking me to run towards him when I score, but I didn't see him and I ran straight over him. He'll have got a good close up!"

Midfielder Jonathan Douglas pulled one back when he controlled the ball with his chest in the edge of the box before volleying in his first of the season in the 86th minute and Donaldson, 28, admitted:

"We'd both missed a few chances and so when I scored the first thing I did was look to the linesman to make sure he had his flag down. I thought I was bound to be offside the way things were going.

I'm pleased the way the season has started though. I usually start slowly, but that's four goals in four games so far and so things are looking good."

George Bowerman had taken just a minute to help put Walsall two goals ahead.

In the 28th minute Bowerman raced onto a pass from defender Andy Taylor before cutting in from the left wing to feed winger Jamie Paterson who drilled in his first of the campaign from close to the penalty spot.

Bowerman then helped himself to his second of the season in the 29th minute.

Local lad Bowerman out-muscled central defender Tony Craig and left him on his backside before hitting a low shot past helpless keeper Simon Moore from 14 yards and said:

"The experts tipped us for relegation, but that's just motivated us to prove them wrong."

But the Bees had dominated before Peterson's opener.

Douglas glanced a header over from the edge of the box in the eighteenth minute and Donaldson blew a gilt-edged chance when he failed to connect properly from fourteen yards one minute later.

El Alagui came close in the 70th minute, but the summer signing from Falkirk saw his shot hit the bar from twelve yards.

Brentford boss Uwe Rosler said:

"I'm happy with the fight back. We showed character, but overall I'm not happy with the point. We gifted them two goals. Credit to them for the fightback but overall I am not happy with a point. I didn’t say much at half time. I just told them all to go out and turn it round. Sometimes players have to take responsibility themselves."

Saddlers manager Dean Smith admitted:

"When we went two goals up it looked as though we would run away with the game. We didn't want half time to come. It allowed our visitors to regroup. I'm disappointed because we've let a two goal lead slip, but we have to take positives from the game. We're a young team still and maybe that played a part."

My piece from yesterday's paper

My clipping from this morning's paper