CONN MAN REAL HER0

Ripley is penalty prize guy

CONNOR RIPLEY credited his two penalty saves in stoppage time to pre-match homework on MILLWALL striker Lee Gregory.

The OLDHAM goalkeeper guessed right twice after a foul and a handball gifted the play-off chasing Lions a golden chance to snatch the points.

Ripley, who is on loan from Middlesbrough, said: “We do our research on penalty-takers and I knew where he was going for the first one (above).

“The second one was down to me and gambling.

“I’ve done it before. I saved two at Academy level against Patrick Bamford when he was at Nottingham Forest. It’s nice to do it again when there’s big points at stake.”

Billy Sharp’s brace for SHEFFIELD UNITED left promotion rivals BOLTON feeling pig sick. Bolton’s ex-Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine called Sharp “a fat little pig” in the build up.

Sharp had the last laugh and Blades boss Chris Wilder said: “We did our talking on the pitch.”

Conor McAleny’s hat-trick kept in-form OXFORD in the play-off hunt.

Rob Hall opened the scoring at relegationthreatened CHESTERFIELD before on-loan Everton striker McAleny took over in the 4-0 romp. McAleny said: “I’m delighted but we should have had more. And that’s not being greedy.”

COVENTRY look doomed after crashing 3-1 at home to SWINDON and even boss Russell Slade appeared to wave the white flag. The Sky Blues are now 11 points from safety and Slade said: “It doesn’t look good. This was a big kick in the teeth.”