Manager Neil Warnock refused to be too downbeat after a surprise 4-1 defeat at Scunthorpe on Saturday.
Warnock told the club’s official website: “That's football. I think you've just got to understand that that's the way it goes sometimes. We should have been four or five up at half-time. That's what you get sometimes - you get kicked in the teeth. We've got absolutely no complaints at the end of the day. I knew today would be hard. A second goal would have killed them off and I thought we had three or four great chances to bury the game. Their keeper pulled off a couple of great saves at 1-0 and then we gave a silly free-kick away and they equalised. I felt quietly confident at half-time, but we gifted them a second goal. It was just one of those things. And for the third I thought there was a foul in the build-up, but we can't make excuses. That's the way it goes sometimes and in the end I was glad when the whistle went.
Alan Knill told the Scunthorpe official website: “It all went to plan really, but I have to say the reaction from the players in training this week to what we've introduced has been excellent. We came into it off a really poor performance at Norwich. I went to watch QPR beat Sheffield United on Monday and they are the best team in the league. What you have to do though is compete and I thought we did that really well. We set out our stall to really compete and we have some talented footballers here who can cause damage to other teams. I'm not going to single out any players, but I thought they all did really well for us. That's what it's going to take. It's not about individuals, it's about the team and the work ethic and I have to say, that's pretty much what my teams play like. We're still in a really precarious position but what this does is give everybody here some sort of belief and hope that we can turn it around.”
Elsewhere, following the announcement that the FA hearing into the Alejandro Faurlin transfer will be heard in the first week of May, midfielder Tommy Smith has praised the way the Argentinean has dealt with the situation. Smith told the Ealing Gazette: “I think initially, the transfer saga did affect him. He had a tough few days. You could tell it was troubling him. He’s such a bright bubbly guy and he wasn’t for two or three days and I can understand the pressure that comes with the situation he was in, even though it wasn’t his fault at all. When you’ve got that hanging over your head, you feel maybe you’re letting the team down, but it’s out of his hands completely and we said that to him and I think he’s fine now.
"He’s a great player for us. He does both sides of the game really well. They told me when he signed that he didn’t like the nitty-gritty side of football, but I can’t believe that, watching him now, because his all-round game has been fantastic this season. He’s popped up a few times with important goals for us this season and for a midfielder to do that - especially one that sits rather than pushes forward - is really valuable."
Cardiff manager Dave Jones has criticised the timing of the hearing, saying it makes it more difficult for his side to approach the final six games not knowing their fate. Jones told the BBC: “Maybe they are waiting to see where they are and how many points they're ahead to do what they've got to do. I can only go on what I read and if the charges are right then it looks like they are in a little bit of trouble. But that's down to the Football League to sort out. It just makes it more difficult. You've just got to look after yourself. Don't worry about anyone else and don't bank on anything. You can't have any thoughts or any sort of feelings for anybody else in this sport. You've got to do what's right for you."
Mikele Leigertwood remains unbeaten in 25 matches for Reading this season having played a key part in their 4-3 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday that further cemented their place in the play offs. The midfielder said after the game that he does not want to return to QPR at the end of the season, regardless of where the Royals end up.
Leigertwood said: “It’s 25 games now unbeaten but I don’t want to go on about it too much. I’m not rubbing it in anybody’s face. We’re on an amazing run and long may it continue. I could get promoted twice and that will be a bit strange. I’m not sure if it’s been done before. I wouldn’t feel comfortable about taking a medal with QPR anyway, I only played a few minutes here and there earlier in the season. When I spoke to Warnock about things he said it was pretty much over for me at QPR. I’ve had it before, Bryan Robson got rid of me at Sheffield United pretty quickly and these things happen. But this move has worked out very well for me. QPR have had a blip but I still think they will do it. If we did it here it would be ¬unbelievable. It’s been a long time since I was in the Premier League.”
Rowan Vine is also keen to make his current loan deal, at MK Dons, permanent at the end of the season. Vine, who played for an hour of their 3-2 win against Carlisle at the weekend, told Sky Sports: “It is a great club and I have been very impressed with everything since joining, with a great set of lads and the coaching staff are brilliant too. It is a great club with a lot of enthusiasm around the place and it would be a great place to come and play football on a permanent basis. Obviously, I've still got another year left at QPR after this one, so I'm not sure where my future lies to be honest. Only a few months ago I was training with other teams and I just needed to go out and get some games and I'm really pleased that MK Dons gave me that opportunity. I've been playing regularly for the past month or so now and back to the level where I was before the injury, which makes me very happy."
Angelo Balanta netted the Dons’ second goal as they recovered from 2-1 down to win.
Elsewhere Joe Oastler played 90 minutes for Torquay as they won 3-0 at Bradford in League Two, Lee Brown also played a full game for Hayes and Yeading as they beat Mansfield 4-0 in the Conference, Gavin Mahon was an unused substitute for Crystal Palace in a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich that leaves them still in deep relegation trouble, and Max Ehmer couldn’t prevent Yeovil slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Hartlepool.
Martin Allen has walked out on Barnet for a second time in his career to take charge at League One strugglers Notts County. Allen, who played more than 130 games for QPR in the 1980s, started his managerial career at Underhill but walked out on the Bees in 2004 to join Brentford. Supporters at Underhill seemed willing to let bygones be bygones when Allen returned three weeks ago and immediately led them to two wins and a draw in his first three games to close the gap on Burton Albion at the bottom of League Two. He was contracted for the final eight matches of the season but has today walked out on Barnet for a second time to become the third Notts County manager of the year after Craig Short and Paul Ince were both fired.
Notts County chairman Ray Trew said: “Martin knows what it means to be successful at this level and has been brought in with both short-term and long-term aims. The most obvious of which is to secure our League One survival this season. I would like to thank Carl Heggs for stepping in at an incredibly difficult time and giving his all to the role of caretaker manager. But when the opportunity to sign Martin became available, we had to act quickly. I must reiterate that this is not a short-term fix. I see Martin as the man to make this position his own and to bring some much-needed stability back to the Notts County backroom team.”
- Bristol City have opened talks with star striker Nicky Maynard in an attempt to tie him down to a long term deal at Ashton Gate and ward off potential suitors. Maynard has six goals in eight games to his name since returning from nine months out with a knee injury. Manager Keith Millen said: “I don't want to leave everything to the summer. We know what we want to do and that's what we're getting on with. Nicky's happy to be back playing again, fit and scoring goals and we're delighted to have him. There are discussions going on, like there is with a couple of players."
- Millwall have banned four fans for life for waving Turkish flags at Leeds fans during Saturday’s 3-2 win at the New Den. Two Leeds fans were murdered in Turkey in 2000 while attending a Champions League tie there. A club spokesman said: “The club deplore these actions, which were were totally unacceptable and detracted from what should have been a memorable game for both Millwall and Leeds United supporters. Following incidents during the match, four people were ejected from the ground on Saturday for waving Turkish flags and have been banned indefinitely by Millwall FC. Six Leeds United supporters were also arrested."
- Preston will keep Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner on loan for the rest of the season.
- Iceland midfielder Aron Gunnarsson says he does not know if he will get a contract extension at Coventry beyond the end of this season. He said: “I've not got a clue. I've not heard anything. I don't know if they're speaking to my agent.”