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1 Stevenage ... 35 22 9 4 65 23 42 75
2 Oxford Uni... 35 20 10 5 56 26 30 70
3 Luton Town 36 21 7 8 57 35 22 70
4 Rushden & ... 36 18 10 8 65 33 32 64
5 York City 36 18 10 8 45 28 17 64
6 Kettering ... 37 17 8 12 43 32 11 59
7 AFC Wimble... 35 16 9 10 55 31 24 57
8 Mansfield ... 37 16 9 12 59 46 13 57
9 Crawley To... 36 16 7 13 43 47 -4 55
10 Altrincham 36 12 14 10 45 35 10 50
News Article
Saturday`s Blue Square Premier Review....
20 March 2010 18:54:00

Luton Town cruised to a fifth consecutive win and moved to within two points of Blue Square Premier leaders Stevenage Borough on Saturday.

Claude Gnapka grabbed a hat trick for the in-form Hatters, who trailed when a Janos Kovacs backpass trickled in but Gnapka levelled with a powerful header.

Kevin Gallen scored a second after good work by Gnapka and Tom Craddock's close-range effort made it 3-1.

Gnapka headed a second and slotted his third before Matthew Barnes-Homer's strike sealed the win in injury time.

Luton's victory lifts them above Oxford United - who play Tamworth on Sunday - and into second place.

A stoppage-time equaliser denied Rushden & Diamonds as they came within a minute of another away win at Altrincham to boost their play-off bid.

Alty went ahead with their first attempt on target but Max Porter provided the equaliser just 6 minutes later – although it was initially credited as an own-goal while Paul Terry also claimed the final touch.

There was no doubt that Terry made it 2-1 but substitute Chris Denham levelled in the 4th minute of time added on.

The Diamonds began brightly with Jefferson Louis being the centre of attention.

Lee Tomlin had an early effort parried before Louis hit the outside of the post and the on-loan Crawley Town striker came close with two more shots.

Diamonds fell behind as Peter Doran fed Shaun Densmore whose drive deflected off Kurt Robinson and beat Dale Roberts at his near post.

However, Porter's cross went in to make it 1-1 and on the stroke of half-time Farrell flashed a free-kick fractionally off target.

Diamonds continued to dominate at the start of the second half as Farrell wasted a golden chance, Louis missed a sitter and Mark Byrne blasted over.

Farrell was again off target with a free kick and then a far-post header bounced off the bar from Tomlin's cross.

But Diamonds went in front as Terry played a one-two with substitute Aaron O'Connor before a left-foot shot deflected into the far corner.

But Denham nipped in to break the visitors' hearts with a deft chip with just a minute of added time remaining.

Forest Green Rovers picked up a crucial win in their quest for survival as Kettering Town's play-off hopes took another home blow.

The Poppies were dreadful for long periods and second half goals from Tomi Ameobi and new loan signing Lee Morris sealed the visitors' deserved win.

The game was pretty much a non-event for the first half-hour as both sides lacked quality in possession.

It was the hosts who showed the first sign of breaking the deadlock when Forest Green keeper Danny Ireland was forced to tip James Dance's cross over the bar as it drifted towards the far post. And from the resulting corner, Greg Taylor flicked the ball on and John Dempster saw his header hacked off the line by Paul Stonehouse.

Rovers had more than matched their hosts and they should have been in front at the break.

Conal Platt's free kick struck the arm of Taylor and the referee pointed to the spot.

Platt stepped up and hit it true but the ball crashed off the left-hand upright and was scrambled clear.

Kettering had a decent shout for a penalty turned down early in the second half when Dance was bundled over in the area by Craig Armstrong. But it was the visitors who always looked the more likely and they duly opened the scoring on 68 minutes.

David Brown picked up possession just outside the area and floated the ball into the path of Ameobi. Everyone else stopped and waited for an offside flag but the big striker made no mistake by burying the ball in the corner.

The visitors almost made it 2-0 when Armstrong glanced a free header wide.

The Poppies never really looked like getting back into it, although Kwesi Appiah had a sight of goal but fluffed his lines completely.

And Forest Green made them pay 4 minutes from time when Isaiah Rankin got in on the left of the area and squared for substitute Morris to seal a valuable win.

Mansfield Town turned on the style to crush Histon at the Glassworld Stadium and get their faltering play-off bid back on track.

The Stags dominated the first period but only had Scott Garner's close-range strike to show for their efforts.

Louis Briscoe made it 2-0 from a tight angle after the break and Blair Sturrock added a third after a terrible error from keeper David Knight.

Briscoe teed up Andy Burgess who fired in the fourth and Jake Speight's acrobatic finish completed the misery for the Stutes.

A resurgent Cambridge United staged a late fightback to earn a 2-2 draw at Wrexham to stretch their unbeaten run to eight games.

Andy Mangan gave the Welsh side lead after 9 minutes when the former Bury striker was picked out by Christian Smith in the penalty area and fired his shot into the bottom left corner from 12 yards out.

Smith got himself on the scoresheet 5 minutes later to double the home side's advantage as the midfielder rose highest to head Luke Holden's corner past Simon Brown.

Cambridge grabbed what seemed like nothing more than a consolation goal after 82 minutes when Danny Crow converted a spot-kick following a handball by Mike Williams. But in the 2nd minute of 5 minutes of injury-time the visitors grabbed an unlikely point as Adam Marriott hit a hopeful 25-yard effort which flew into the bottom corner of the goal.

Grays Athletic overcame a two-goal deficit to claim a 2-2 draw with fellow strugglers Eastbourne Borough at Priory Lane.

The hosts made the perfect start when Jamie Taylor latched onto a Simon Johnson pass and buried his shot past Glyn Garner in the 2nd minute.

Taylor had the opportunity to double Boro`s lead 4 minutes later with a penalty when Richard Graham fouled debutant Luke Rooney in the box, but Taylor's spot-kick went wide.

Nevertheless, the hosts continued to push forward and Gary Elphick hit the post before Rooney's volley from Matt Crabb's corner found the top corner in the 28th minute.

Grays narrowed the deficit in the 63rd minute when Harlee Dean crossed to Wayne Gray and the striker buried his shot past Danny Knowles.

The Gravelmen then snatched the equaliser 10 minutes from time when Jamie Guy crossed to Dean and he fired home from close range, but the goalscorer's game finished prematurely when he was dismissed for foul and abusive language in injury-time.

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