Eoin still going so strong
EOIN DOYLE scored twice as edged a 3-2 victory at to record a fourth win in a row and move top of League Two.
Adam Rooney broke the deadlock against his former club with a fourth-minute penalty.
But the league’s leading scorer Doyle equalised for Swindon six minutes later with his 15th goal of the campaign.
Doyle completed his double with a 54th-minute spot-kick and Jerry Yates extended the advantage with 12 minutes left before Rooney added a second from the penalty spot at the death.
Scott Wharton scored twice as moved up two places to seventh following a comfortable 4-1 victory at home to
Wharton put the hosts ahead with a close-range effort and doubled their score with a volley eight minutes later.
Sam Hoskins made it three midway through the first half with a penalty, while Chris Porter pulled one back for the visitors.
The Cobblers extended their lead through Andy Williams.
extended their unbeaten league run to five matches with a 2-1 comeback victory at home to
Ryan Loft put the away side ahead in the opening minute. David Worrall turned James Gibbons’ headed pass home on the hour to level matters and Mark Cullen’s header sealed the turnaround.
Cole Stockton claimed a vital late equaliser as struggling rescued a point from a 1-1 draw at and drew 0-0, won 2-1 at and saw off
2-1.
ANTONI SARCEVIC left Forest Green with plenty to envy as he scored the goal that knocked the world’s greenest football club off the top of League Two.
The Plymouth midfielder hit a superb long-range strike to settle the battle of the Green Armies in the first meeting between these clubs.
No one boasts greener credentials than owner Dale Vince and his vegan eco-friendly award winners but the one thing they cannot match is the size of away support that made this like a home game for Argyle.
Once Sarcevic hit a wickedly swerving shot that flew past Joe Wollacott in the 24th minute, the boisterous visiting Green Army drowned out the home brigade.
Forest Green had their opportunities in a frenetic finish but the Pilgrims deserved their first away win since September for their composure and control.
Argyle boss Ryan Lowe said: “I will enjoy tonight. My players put their bodies on the line and some are bruised and battered but it will taste nice when they have a glass of wine or a beer.
“We learnt from that 4-0 defeat to Exeter that it is not nice when you get beaten by your local rivals. But we’ve come to Forest Green and given a dogged performance to win 1-0, which is really pleasing.”
Argyle keeper Alex Palmer was forced into saves to deny Liam Kitching and Matty Stevens but Forest Green’s best opportunity fell to Jack Aitchison in the 66th minute.
Stevens teed-up the midfielder with an inviting header, but Aitchison blasted over from 15 yards and apart from a couple of last-ditch scrambles in added time, that was as near as the leaders came to avoiding their first home defeat since August.
Forest Green manager Mark Cooper claimed his side should have been given a couple of penalties and reckoned rookie referee Sam Purkiss should not have been awarded the fixture. “I did feel we should have had a couple of penalties – one of them was stonewall,” said Cooper.
“But I had a concern when I found out on Tuesday who the referee was. It was such a big game but he’s in his first season in the league and he has a record of booking a lot of players.
“I was worried – not for ourselves but for the game itself. I’m sure he may well go on to be a good referee but this was a little too much for him at that stage of his career.”
But Cooper admitted that a flurry of half-chances late on and some ragged passing for most of the game was not the kind of form that had taken his side to the top of the table with one defeat in 10 matches.
“I feel frustrated because we had a lot of territory, but we just didn’t have the quality we needed in the last third,” he added.
“We are usually pretty humble, but I didn’t feel we did a lot wrong today. We were just lacking in a bit of quality.”