RESULT! Laing-range cracker blunts Blades’ edge
LEADERS Sheffield United blew a two-goal lead as they were pegged back in a 3-3 thriller at Rochdale.
Mark Duffy’s free-kick and Dan Lafferty’s 25-yard drive put the Blades in control after 11 minutes.
But Steven Davies pulled one back and Matty Lund equalised. Billy Sharp put United back in front with his 24th goal of the season but Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (below) levelled it up with a left-foot cracker.
Fleetwood won the battle of second versus third at Scunthorpe to rack up a fourth win in a row. Goals from Devante Cole and Bobby Grant took them above their hosts.
Fourth-placed Bolton drew 1-1 with AFC Wimbledon after Gary Madine’s opener was cancelled out by Tom Elliott’s header.
Bradford maintained their unbeaten home record, a 24th-minute Alex Jones goal sinking Peterborough 1-0.
Millwall let in a first goal in 10 matches but still beat MK Dons 2-1. Ben Reeves breached the Lions’ defence but Lee Gregory scored twice including second a stoppage-time penalty.
Chris Eagles grabbed his first goal for struggling Port Vale in a 1-1 draw with Southend, Anthony Wordsworth equalising.
Bristol Rovers ended a run of six draws with a 2-0 win at Oxford, Ollie Clarke and Stuart Sinclair scoring.
Charlton’s difficult season continued with a 2-1 loss at Northampton.
Michael Smith’s opener was cancelled out by Jordan Botaka but John-Joe O’Toole hit the winner. Bradley Dack and Cody MacDonald earned Gillingham a 2-1 win at Bury, James Vaughan replying. Erhun Oztumer’s 79th-minute penalty and Amadou Bakayoko’s stoppage-time effort gave Walsall a 2-0 win against nine-man Oldham, who had Lee Croft and Brian Wilson sent off
Chesterfield won 1-0 win at Swindon thanks to Reece Mitchell’s stoppage-time goal.
Coventry midfielder Andy Rose needed almost 20 minutes of treatment after a clash of heads at Shrewsbury. Sky Blues keeper Lee Burge saved a Tyler Roberts penalty in a goalless draw.
The Scotland hitman scored twice and Ross Wallace, Morgan Fox and Fernando Forestieri also got in on the act as the Owls smashed five past their shell-shocked visitors.
I t was a g reat response from Carlos Carvalhal’s side, after back-to-back defeats had threatened to derail their play-offs push.
The result kept Wednesday in sixth, five points clear of rivals Fulham – and it left the Canaries without a win in four games.
Owls boss Carvalhal called the win his side’s best of the season.
He said: “My players did fantastic and they did exactly what they must do. It was probably the best performance of the season.
“When we are like this, playing good football, we can achieve more goals and a better performance.
“I had a very good expectation about the game. We had one week to prepare the team and they were more fresh.
“We played some very good football and put our opponents under pressure for long periods – and the fans were amazing.”
Jack Hunt tried to pick out Rhodes with a cross from the right in the first attack of the game. And the Owls did not have