Boston United 4 - 1 Macclesfield Town
Boston United kept alive their League Two survival hopes with an emphatic 4-1 home destruction of a Macclesfield side whose defensive frailties were glaringly exposed.
Victory keeps the Pilgrims in with a chance of escaping the drop but dragged the Silkmen back towards the relegation places.
The first action of note came on two minutes, when Boston's Francis Green received a flick-on by Drewe Broughton, but saw his 20-yard shot on the run pushed over by Tommy Lee.
Macclesfield responded with a spell of pressure culminating in an 11th minute blocked shot by John Murphy and a wayward 18-yard effort from Kevin McIntyre.
Then, back at the other end, David Galbraith got clear for Boston, but Lee raced from goal to push the home midfielder's shot wide.
Boston went ahead in the 22nd minute when, following a deep free-kick by Colin Cryan, the ball broke loose for Galbraith to bury a low 25-yarder past a stranded Lee.
Moments later, Boston again threatened but once more Lee rescued his defence by dashing out to block Broughton's shot.
The visitors almost equalised on 33 minutes when, from the scraps of a partially cleared free-kick, Murphy rose well but saw his header drop inches wide of the target.
Boston missed a glaring chance in the 35th minute when Green broke clear down the left and squared for unmarked team-mate Broughton. But with the goal completely at his mercy he shot over from just six yards.
But Broughton made amends on 44 minutes, when rising to meet a Jamie Clarke free-kick to send a looping header beyond Lee for a 2-0 lead.
Macclesfield started far brighter in the second-half and went close when Dave Morley's far-post header from a McIntyre corner hit the top of the home bar. Then, on 62 minutes, a rising shot by John Miles, from 18 yards, met the same fate.
However, Boston went 3-0 up on 65 minutes, when Mark Greaves bundled in a Galbraith corner.
Macclesfield pulled a goal back in the 77th minute, when substitute, Ashan Holgate stooped to head-in a McIntyre free-kick. But the reprieve was only temporary as Clarke fired in a penalty for Boston after Jordan Hadfield had handled in the area
Bristol Rovers 2 - 0 Bury
Ricky Lambert scored in each half to keep Bristol Rovers' play-off hopes alive with a 2-0 home win against lowly Bury.
It was their third double of the season and it left coach Paul Trollope predicting his side can still be in there with a shout if they win their last five games.
The odds are long but a positive approach showed their self-belief is high as they got the better of Bury.
Before they hit their stride, though, Rovers were twice close to being hurt. The game was only two minutes old when John Fitzgerald thundered a shot against the middle of the bar and then his co-central defender Dave Challinor drew a hurried dive from Steve Phillips with the follow-up shot.
The burst of action followed a needless corner given away by Craig Hinton and then some uncertain defending gave Bury another chance when William Mocquet volleyed a long Challinor throw-in a fraction too high.
Rovers gradually got on top, pushed their by the pace of Lewis Haldane down the right, and with a good supporting service coming from full-back Aaron Lescott.
They passed up chances when Hinton failed to make proper contact with a free header followed by an angled shot from Richard Walker which grazed the far post on its way out.
Walker quickly redeemed himself with a sharp inside pass which put Lambert in for his opening goal as the half hour came up. The big striker, a £200,000 signing from Rochdale in the autumn, had time to turn and steady himself before delivering a low shot comfortably inside the far post.
Bury were deflated by the goal and were clearly rattled as Challinor rebuked his keeper Andy Warrington.
They rallied briefly when Andy Bishop saw his effort fly just wide of the near post at the start of the second half, but were dealt a hammer blow on the hour.Colin Woodthorpe brought Haldane down to the right of goal earning a long lecture from referee Andy D'Urso. Haldane's resulting kick bobbled awkwardly on its 10-yard journey, but Lambert hooked his right leg well over it to send a not very convincing volley past the keeper's left hand
Darlington 1 - 1 Lincoln City
With both of these sides chasing a play-off place Lincoln would be happier with a share of the spoils than hosts Darlington, who now find themselves in 12th position and four points off a top-seven spot.
After the first half-hour of this dour game it felt more like an end-of-season contest between two sides with nothing left to play for, but Darlington should have taken the lead long before the deadlock was eventually broken in the 38th minute.
Darlington striker Greg Blundell had the first chance of the game after only six minutes and, although Lincoln responded with a header from striker Mark Stallard in the 17th minute, it was the home side who continued to dominate.
Blundell fired straight at Lincoln keeper Alan Marriott in the 25th minute and defender Mark Phillips also went close in the 32nd minute. And then seconds later Blundell set Julian Joachim on his way and he looked certain to score, but somehow dragged his shot wide of Marriott's goal.
Joachim opened the scoring, however, in the 38th minute when he headed in a Blundell cross from close range for his tenth goal of the season.
The home side almost doubled their advantage a minute into the second period when Rory Prendergast found Neil Wainwright free at the far post, but the winger failed to hit the target with a shot from ten yards.
Lincoln dragged themselves back into the game as Darlington keeper Sam Russell saved from Ryan Amoo in the 54th minute before the visitors grabbed an equaliser in the 76th minute. Evan Horwood needlessly conceded a corner and Lee Beevers headed in his sixth goal of the campaign from Jeff Hughes' flag kick.
As the game went into four minutes of time added on the visitors were denied victory when, firstly, substitute Jamie Forrester saw Russell fingertip his effort over the crossbar and then Darlington defender Patrick Collins hacked the ball off the goal-line after Beevers had headed against the post.
Seconds later, substitute Junior Mendes fired what appeared to be the winner for Lincoln, but the ball failed to cross the line according to referee Nick Jones.
Grimsby Town 2 - 2 Wycome Wanderers
Grimsby fought back from two goals behind at the break to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against Wycombe at Blundell Park.
Grimsby's tactics of playing just one man up front did not work and when striker Gary Jones went on after 27 minutes, with the home side already trailing 2-0, it turned the game Grimsby's way.
Some crazy defending which let in strikers Scott McGleish on 22 minutes and Jermaine Easter two minutes later looked to have put play-off hopefuls Wycombe on track for three much needed points.
Grimsby tried to pull things round before the break but to no effect and there were just 19 minutes left when the fight-back started.
Jones wiggled through down the right and, from what looked like an impossible angle, his shot left keeper Ricardo Batista with no chance.
This instantly lifted the crowd, who could have been forgiven for dozing off in the spring sunshine.
Two minutes later striker Danny North raced clear and, with an equaliser looking on the cards, he was denied by a Batista save.
But with an extra man up front striker Peter Bore, having joined the fray, Grimsby were not to be denied. A corner came in from the right and midfielder Paul Bolland swivelled and fired in a terrific volley to make it 2-2.
The goal capped a man-of-the-match performance from Bolland, who admits he does not do tap-ins in front of goal.
With a draw doing little for Wycombe's play-off hopes they stormed forward in the remaining 12-or-so minutes, including added-on time, in which either side could have snatched a winner.
However there was no further scoring, but Grimsby undoubtedly finished the happier of the sides with the point seeming more like three after coming back from the dead. For Wycombe it was two points dropped, but it could have been even worse.
Hartlepool United 1 - 0 Accrington Stanley
A controversial penalty midway through the second half gave Hartlepool the win they needed to virtually ensure promotion, while Accrington are still battling for their League One lives.
Pool are 12 points ahead of MK Dons with only four games left, and their superior goal difference should clinch a quick return to League One after last season's relegation.
Hartlepool dominated the first half, but couldn't find a way to turn their superiority into goals, missing a penalty and hitting the woodwork twice.
The penalty miss came on 34 minutes, Richie Barker sending his shot inches wide of the left-hand post after Jay Harris chopped down Andy Monkhouse on the fringe of the area.
Either side of that, the home team hit the bar twice through James Brown.
First, on 29 minutes, he turned well in a packed penalty area and from near the spot his shot rebounded back into play before being cleared.
And on 37 minutes, Brown tried his luck from just outside the area, but his shot hit almost the exact same spot on the bar before Stanley again scrambled the ball away.
Accrington's only real, chance in the first half was a close-range shot from Sean Doherty that home keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos saved without too much trouble.
The goal that won the game came on 64 minutes when Godwin Antwi, who had a brilliant game at the back for Stanley, was judged to have fouled Barker and after the protests died down, Barker blasted in his spot-kick.
But Stanley weren't beaten yet, and they threw everybody forward looking for an equaliser they felt they deserved, though their cause wasn't helped when sub Andy Mangan was sent off on 70 minutes for kicking out at Michael Nelson.
Home keeper Konstantopoulos made a couple of vital late saves, while at the other end, David Martin pulled off a brilliant late stop from Barker after he was set up by sub Joel Porter.
Peterborough United 2 - 0 Mansfield Town
A dramatic late transformation made sure Peterborough preserved their slim hopes of gate-crashing the League Two play-off zone thanks to a 2-0 win against Mansfield.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Darren Ferguson's men as they huffed and puffed through 87 minutes of this dour Bank Holiday battle without threatening a breakthrough.
But all that changed as hot-shot striker Craig Mackail-Smith and veteran defender Alan White were responsible for two goals in the final three minutes at London Road which made sure Posh won for the first time in three matches.
Mackail-Smith broke the deadlock when benefiting from a goalkeeping howler from Mansfield number one Jason White, who allowed the former Dagenham man's low shot to squirm under his body at the near post.
The Stags stopper partly made amends with a smashing save to thwart Posh skipper Adam Newton seconds later, but he was powerless to stop his namesake Alan clinching the points in the 89th minute.
Alan White rose above the Mansfield defence to powerfully head home a cross from substitute Jamie Day and make sure the frowns turned to smiles on the faces of the home fans.
Posh had earlier squandered a series of good openings in the second half as Mansfield bravely battled to hang on to a point.
Stags defender Alex John-Baptiste bravely blocked a Newton drive before substitute Danny Crow failed to pull the trigger in time.
Newton wildly volleyed over from close range in the 65th minute and, when Posh finally did manage an effort on target, keeper White charged out to smother a Boyd shot soon after.
For Mansfield it was a third match in a row without finding the net and they scarcely looked like testing a strong Posh rearguard.
Big striker Barry Conlon looped a first half effort over the bar before substitute Nathan Arnold dragged a decent chance wide in the second period.
Rochdale 0 - 2 Barnet
Any lingering hopes that Rochdale had of making a late run for the play-offs were extinguished by a near perfect away performance from Paul Fairclough's Barnet side at Spotland.
Full of energy and creativity the visitors absorbed what pressure Rochdale could muster and then broke consistently at pace to create a hatful of chances before running out 2-0 winners.
The in-form Rochdale started the brighter and were denied after just two minutes when midfielder David Perkins saw his deflected effort superbly saved by Bees' keeper Lee Harrison.
As the visitors got the measure of the lacklustre home side they began to create chances of their own and, after 25 minutes they opened the scoring. Adam Birchall broke down the left and produced a hard low cross that was comfortably converted by Barry Cogan.
Nine minutes later Cogan turned provider when, after Adam Rundle had been dispossessed, Cogan's cross was met by a diving header from the on-rushing Dean Sinclair.
In the latter stages of the half Barnet could have extended their lead, but twice home keeper Matthew Gilks did well to deny Birchall.
Though Rochdale boss Keith Hill made two changes at half time the story continued after the break with his side being cut open almost at will. And, in the early stages of the half, Liam Hatch missed when it seemed easier to score and Gilks produced another fine save to keep out Jason Puncheon.
Rochdale rallied midway through the second half with Perkins going close and substitute Danny Reet missing the target on two occasions, but they never really looked like breaking down a resolute Barnet rearguard.
Dale might have produced a grandstand finish but Harrison produced a great save to keep out Glenn Murray and from the resulting corner Ismail Yakubu hooked a Simon Ramsden header off the line
Shrewsbury Town 2 - 1 Milton Keynes Dons
Neil Ashton chose a timely moment to score a first goal of the season as his 75th minute effort gave Shrewsbury a crucial 2-1 home win over Milton Keynes Dons to put them back into the League Two play-off frame.
Fourth in the table MK Dons, who led through an early Clive Platt header, paid dearly for their second-half indiscipline and ended the match with ten men following the 56th-minute dismissal of Jude Stirling - with seven players also finding their way into the notebook of referee Miller.
After Platt put the visitors ahead, MK Dons went on to dominate the remainder of an often scrappy first-half during which Martin Allen's side had a number of chances to settle the issue.
But nine minutes after the re-start, man-of-the-match Derek Asamoah levelled in bizarre circumstances and, from that point, MK Dons fell into disarray.
Stirling was ordered off for an elbow offence involving Shrewsbury midfielder Stewart Drummond - with their misery completed when Ashton netted with a quarter of an hour remaining to secure the points for the Gay Meadow side.
Shrewsbury, unchanged from the side that picked up a precious point at Wycombe on Saturday, were quickly forced on to the defensive by a combative and highly competitive Milton Keynes outfit - who went ahead on 12 minutes when Platt rose to glance home a long throw, hoisted into the Shrewsbury box by Stirling.
Stirling and skipper Keith Andrews then wasted fine opportunities to put the visitors further ahead - chances they would regret not taking as the second-half unfolded.
In the 54th minute there appeared no apparent danger when centre-back Sean O'Hanlon and goalkeeper Lee Harper closed in on a through ball - but they paid dearly for a moment's hesitancy and in a moment of panic Harper lashed the ball against the shins of Asamoah - from where it rebounded into an empty net, giving the Shrews striker his 10th goal of the season.
The afternoon steadily became worse for the Dons and, after Stirling was sent off, their defence came under heavy pressure - with the visitors' resistance finally broken when Ashton was on hand to convert a Ben Davies cross
Stockport County 2 - 0 Chester City
Promotion hopefuls Stockport gave themselves a welcome boost with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Chester.
Having won a record nine consecutive matches earlier this season without conceding a goal, Jim Gannon's side have struggled of late with four defeats and two draws in their last six outings.
But a first-half strike from youngster Anthony Pilkington and sweet volley from midfielder Tony Dinning early in the second half did the damage as the Hatters deservedly collected three points.
And with just four games left in League Two, the Edgeley Park hopefuls remain on course for a place in this year's play-off semi-finals and possibly a trip to the new Wembley Stadium if results go their way in what promises to be an exciting finish to the season.
County were dealt a blow before kick-off with star loan goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey recalled by Wolves because of a late injury to their squad. Earlier this season Hennessey became the first keeper to have nine consecutive clean sheets in professional football.
But thankfully new signing Joe Lewis, who has joined the club on loan from Norwich City, was never called on.
Chester were never at the races and Stockport's dominance shone through in the early exchanges. It was no surprise when Pilkington broke the deadlock for the home side after a period of sustained pressure. It was his fourth goal of the season.
Having beaten two defenders on the edge of the Chester area, Pilkington unleashed a right-foot shot which, having hit the left-hand post, then unluckily hit goalkeeper John Danby on the back of the head and dropped over the line for the first goal of the game.
From there Stockport continued to dominate and, if it had not been for Danby, they could have quite easily have had the game won before half-time.
Winger David Poole, a former Manchester United youngster, had a powerful shot charged down in the 25th minute, before goalscorer Pilkington went close to doubling his tally.
In the 29th minute the midfielder had a right-foot shot brilliantly saved one-handed by Danby who, diving low to his right, somehow managed to turn the ball around the post.
Ten minutes before half-time, Stockport's leading scorer Anthony Elding went agonisingly close to grabbing his tenth goal of the season. However, Danby produced another fine save, this time tipping the striker's curling shot over the crossbar.
Moments later Elding hooked a close-range shot over the bar as Gannon's men nearly doubled their advantage.
County's continual pressure brought rewards three minutes after the interval when former Wigan Athletic ace Dinning volleyed home, unmarked at the back post. A pinpoint free-kick from Adam Griffin found Dinning in acres of space and, with time to compose himself, he fired a left-foot shot past Danby for only his second goal of the season.
Poole tried his luck from distance on the hour mark, but his right-foot shot flew wide of the right-hand post.
Chester then had their first chance of the match, but midfielder Jamie Hand wasted the opportunity, blasting a left-foot shot high over the bar.
Elding went desperately close to getting on the scoresheet in the 79th minute, but his 30-yard drive was inches wide of the left upright
Swindon Town 2 - 1 Torquay United
Lukas Jutkiewicz smashed home the winning goal for Swindon seven minutes from time to leave Torquay staring relegation to the Conference in the face after this 2-1 defeat at the County Ground.
Substitute Jutkiewicz, who is moving to Everton for £750,000 in the summer, was picked out by fellow substitute Aaron Brown and he blasted the ball home left-footed from the edge of the penalty area.
Torquay had only equalised a minute before with captain Lee Peacock stroking home the penalty after Peacock fouled midfielder Matt Hockley.
Swindon took the lead in only the second minute through manager Paul Sturrock's son Blair Sturrock. Torquay defender Lee Andrews' hapless back header let in striker Sturrock who calmly lobbed Simon Rayner in the Torquay goal from 16 yards.
Swindon should have doubled their lead on 63 minutes, but they missed a penalty.Dean Gordon brought down Swindon striker Barry Corr with a clumsy challenge in the box. Jack Smith stepped up to take the spot kick but saw his shot brilliantly pushed around the post by Canadian Rayner in the Torquay goal.
This was Torquay's 15th away loss this season and they now face a real battle to beat the drop after not winning away since September.
Torquay pushed forward desperately trying to get back in the game and substitute Chris McPhee missed a glorious chance to level. The former Swindon man was picked out from Lee Mansell's corner, but he put his free header high and wide over the Robins' goal.
Swindon missed a chance to wrap up the victory when Jutkiewicz played in Corr but his snapshot from 15 yards was well saved by man-of-the-match Rayner in the Torquay goal.
Walsall 1 - 0 Hereford United
Dean Keates' 12th goal of the season strengthened Walsall's grip on automatic promotion from League Two, but spare a thought for Hereford whose brave fight for a point only came to an end after a late sending-off.
The incident came in the 79th minute when defender Dean Beckwith was seen to hold Trevor Benjamin as the big Walsall striker strode towards goal.
Lincoln referee Gary Sutton had judged the foul to have been outside the box and Keates drove the resultant free kick over.
But the Saddlers threw everything into attack, and in the 83rd minute, substitute Darren Wrack had a low shot saved by keeper Wayne Brown but Keates rammed home the rebound from short range to earn Walsall all three points at the Bescot.
Yet it had been a match in which lowly Hereford had looked the more skilful side, especially in the first-half, with Danny Thomas tormenting Walsall down the left flank and both Ben Smith and Luke Webb controlling the centre of midfield.
There was plenty of action, with Benjamin forcing a 25th-minute save from Brown, Martin Butler seeing a shot blocked from the rebound and finally Michael Dobson shooting wide.
Butler missed a good 42nd-minute chance presented to him by a mistake from Hereford's Rob Purdie, but soon afterwards Alan Connell went close for the Bulls.
Most of the second-half chances fell to Richard Money's men, with Dobson having a shot blocked from Keates' 53rd-minute free kick and Brown saving Chris Westwood's follow-up shot.
Brown also saved a Butler header and Kevin Harper fired wide of the far post, but Graham Turner's team were never out of it and a fierce volley by Andy Williams was taken by Clayton Ince, who has now kept a Walsall record of 20 clean sheets this season.
Wrexham 0 - 1 Notts County
A sickening own goal two minutes from the end handed Notts County three points and plunged Wrexham into the bottom two to put more pressure on their fight for league survival.
The Red Dragons had twice hit the bar in a storming second half before Simon Spender turned the ball into his own net as he tried to keep out James Walker's right wing shot following good work by Jay Smith.
Neither side could gain an advantage in a fairly lifeless first half when a nervous home side failed to make any great impression on County's tough defence.
Wrexham were out of luck when Ryan Valentine's cross was headed on by Lee McEvilly and Chris Llewellyn's header hit the bar.
Another Wrexham chance went begging when Spender picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and Matt Somner blocked the shot.
Spender wasted another opening aiming a speculative long shot straight at keeper Kevin Pilkington.
Wrexham stepped up the pace after the interval when Matt Done skipped past Gary Silk and Smith only to give the goal keeper an easy save from a tame shot.
McEvilly was also out of luck when he curled a left wing shot beyond the far post. Llewellyn missed another opening, directing a low shot off target.
County went close to taking a lead when Myles Weston crossed and Valentine headed out over his own bar.
County went all out for goals, using four strikers, bringing on top scorer Jason Lee to help their cause.
A free kick from McEvilly went over the County cross bar and Jeff Whitley rattled the post with a drive from 20 yards but Wrexham could not get the goal they so badly needed.
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