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Matt Bloomfield was lost for words after his Luton side enjoyed a 90th-minute 1-0 victory against Coventry that kept their hopes of staying in the Championship alive.
It looked as if the Hatters were going to be held to a frustrating stalemate, as they had initially been playing against 10 men when Jay Dasilva was sent off on 12 minutes. The Town midfielder Liam Walsh was also shown red midway through the second period, though, but as the clock was about to tick into 90, Shandon Baptiste’s effort somehow got past Luis Binks on the line to ensure Town will be out of the bottom three going into the final game of the season next weekend.
Bloomfield said: “If you’re asking me to sum it up I’m going to struggle, it was a whole range of emotions and a lovely moment for Shandon. It’s tough when the game changes so early, it’s a completely different game to the one we expected.”
League Two roundup: Doncaster and Port Vale promoted
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Doncaster's 2-1 victory against Bradford and Port Vale's 2-0 win at Wimbledon mean both sides have been promoted with a game to spare.
Rob Street put Doncaster ahead just after the half-hour and then Bradford had Aden Baldwin for foul and abusive language as the teams walked off at half-time. Billy Sharp scored Rovers' second in the 90th minute. Romoney Crichlow-Noble pulled a goal back for Bradford in added time but they now need to hope Walsall lose at home against struggling Accrington to keep City in the top three.
Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Headley scored the goals for Port Vale at Wimbledon.
This roundup will be updated shortly
Photograph: Ian Hodgson/PA
Dasilva was shown a straight red by the referee, Oliver Langford, when he clipped the heels of Millenic Alli who was latching on to Thelo Aasgaard’s ball over the top. The numbers were evened up in the 68th minute when Walsh, having just been booked, shoved Luis Binks who went down theatrically. The Luton midfielder was shown a straight red by Langford.
In the last minute of the 90, Bradley Collins in Coventry’s goal needlessly came for a long ball forward only to collide with his own defender Liam Kitching. That allowed Baptiste to sidefoot goalwards, where the covering Binks appeared to have it under control, until he somehow diverted the ball into his own net.
Frank Lampard said of his Coventry players: “I’m disappointed for them as they absolutely gave everything and they deserved something out of the game for sure. There were some circumstances in the game that affected it, of course the big circumstances, but the players make mistakes at this level and late in games, and they’re crucial.
“I can’t argue with the red card as I think when a player’s running through. It probably was the right decision.”
Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento both scored twice as Burnley emphatically maintained their title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0. Josh Cullen also netted in a one-sided game as Scott Parker’s side, already promoted along with Leeds, won with ease to move to the top of the table, three points ahead of the Yorkshire side.
However, Leeds, who are at home to Bristol City on Monday evening, have a superior goal difference and know winning their final two matches will almost certainly seal the title. Both teams could finish the campaign with 100 points.
Scott Parker’s side are now unbeaten in 32 league games, have lost just twice this season and only conceded 15 goals. They have 30 clean sheets, equalling Port Vale’s record from 1953-54 in Third Division North. James Stafford has 29 of those, equalling the record of Port Vale’s Ray King and Jim Stannard of Gillingham in 1995-96. Stafford and his team will try to break the records at home to Millwall next Saturday.
Parker said: “I thought we were incredible. It was arguably one of our best performances. One left now. We’ll go into that game in front of our home fans and try to replicate this performance.”
This story will be updated later on Saturday
