A promotion party? Hatters are mad for it
LUTON sealed promotion from Sky Bet League Two and put the brakes on Accrington’s title party after coming from behind to draw at Carlisle.
After an hour’s play Stanley were on course to go up as champions, well on the way to a handsome 4-0 win at third-placed Wycombe while the Hatters trailed to Danny Grainger’s first-half penalty.
But Oliver Lee hit back with the all-important equaliser, sending Luton into League One for the first time in a decade.
Accrington still boast a six-point lead with a game in hand and goals from Kayden Jackson (right) Scott Brown, Sean McConville and Offrande Zanzala suggested they will finish the job.
At the other end of the table, bottom club Chesterfield slipped to within a whisker of a second successive relegation.
The Spireites were trounced 4-1 by fellow strugglers Forest Green, who went six points clear of the drop zone.
That left Chesterfield nine adrift of Morecambe with three to play and a highly unfavourable goal difference.
Relegation would have been certain had the Shrimps held on to a point at Crewe but they went down 1-0 after Shaun Miller’s 88th-minute strike.
Second bottom Barnet gave themselves more hope, beating Newport
2-0 with one apiece from Shaquile Coulthirst and Ricardo Santos, but remain in trouble.
Lincoln stayed in the play-off places with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Colchester. Elliott Whitehouse and Courtney Senior exchanged goals in five second-half minutes, leaving Luke Waterfall to clinch the points in the closing seconds.
Exeter and Notts County remain fourth and fifth respectively.
The Grecians were held
2-2 by Crawley, despite a double either side of half-time from Jayden Stockley, while the Magpies eased past Yeovil 4-1.
Cambridge edged Cheltenham 4-3 in a mid-table thriller, Mohamed Eisa netting twice for the Robins only for Barry Corr to win it.
Mansfield drew 1-1 with Port Vale and Grimsby bested Swindon 1-0.
MICHAEL KEANE admits it would be tough to watch the World Cup from his sofa after a disappointing debut season with Everton.
The £25million defender will line up against Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle at Goodison Park tomorrow night hoping to persuade Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate he is worthy of a boarding pass to Russia.
Keane was full of hope that his career was about to lift off with both club and country when he joined the Toffees from Burnley last summer.
But the Merseyside club have struggled to live up to pre-season expectations despite £150m worth of signings.
So Keane’s centre-back spot at the upcoming World Cup is not yet confirmed, with a worrying silence from the Three Lions camp.
However, the defender is determined to bow out of this Premier League season on a high and see his name scribbled in Southgate’s notebook before rolling up his sleeves next season when the former Manchester United ace believes his career will really kick on.
But first he wants to secure a place on the plane to Russia.
Keane, 25, said: “It would be tough to watch the World Cup. There’s no hiding that. If I’m not there then obviously I will be disappointed.
“I will support the lads and I’ll be willing them to do well but it would be hard to watch the World Cup because it is something I have always strived to play in.
“When I signed for Everton part of my reasoning was that I would be joining a club which would help me play for England. It hasn’t quite worked out like that but I still think I am in with a chance.
“We will have to wait to see what happens but I’ll be disappointed if I don’t make it. I’ve not spoken to Gareth. I’ve not heard from him in a while but I still think I’ve got a chance. “I’ve got to play well in these last four games, show what I can do on the ball and defensively as well and give him something to think about. My performances, though, in general are getting much better.
“I need to continue that to the end of the season and keep improving. I know there’s a lot more to come from me and I hope I can show that.
“If not this season – because there’s not long left – then next season.”
It is ironic in Keane’s eyes that Burnley, the club he left behind to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, have had such a successful season with a Europa League spot Dec 2017: Newcastle 0 Everton 1 Feb 2016: Everton 3 Newcastle 0 Dec 2015: Newcastle 0 Everton 1 Mar 2015: Everton 3 Newcastle 0 Dec 2014: Newcastle 3 Everton 2 a distinct possibility. And to say that his Everton spell has been a learning curve is a massive understatement.
Keane added: “I think I’ve just experienced things that I’ve not been through before, such as the manager being sacked. But it’s a bigger club than Burnley and there’s a lot more expectation.
“I’ve learned how to cope with the downs more and not dwell on things and not let things affect me so much.
“Life’s a lot easier when things are going well and everyone’s positive and you are confident. It’s when things are going bad that you learn things about yourself and your team-mates.
“These are experiences I don’t want to go through again. Yes, it’s been a disappointing season but it has been a massive learning curve and I think in the future it can only make me a better player.” Michael Keane is an Everton in the Community Ambassador for Sports Development and he was taking part in a Super Movers session at St
Aloysius Catholic
Primary School in Roby.