PETER THORNE ended Bradford's alarming goal drought in the nick of time.

The striker's 91st-minute leveller was only misfiring Bantams' second goal in six games. But it stole a draw against leaders Brentford - and kept Stuart McCall's side within a point of the play-offs.

Thorne slotted home at the second attempt after Bees' stopper Ben Hamer could only parry his first effort from four yards out.

McCall said: "This could be the turning point of our season. It will give the players a spring in their step and it is all still to play for.

"Thorne is one of those players who might not have the greatest games but he will score when the chips are down."

Bradford missed the best chances of the first-half with Chris Brandon and Thorne both guilty. Thorne could not get his shot away before Hamer closed him down. And Brandon failed to find a way past the former Reading stopper after being set up by Thorne just before half-time.

At the other end Damian Spencer - on loan from Cheltenham - missed two great chances to put the leaders ahead with a couple of close-range headers.

Bees began to turn the screw in the second-half and caused havoc in the Bradford defence from set-plays.

And they were rewarded when on loan Ipswich striker Clarke nodded them in front, meeting Sam Wood's cross from six yards.

McCall shuffled the pack and went to a 4-3-3 formation with the introduction of Michael Boulding.

But it did not pay off until the dying seconds when top-scorer Thorne netted his 15th goal of the season.

EXETER 2, DAGENHAM 1

EXETER boss Paul Tisdale has slapped a ban on his players talking about promotion.

Stuart Fleetwood's dazzling double leapfrogged Grecians into second spot.

But Tisdale said: "I have banned my players from mentioning it. We have five games to go and if we lose them, then we are not going to be in second.

"If I am going to ban them from talking about it, then that means I am not going to talk about it as well. It is all about where we finish at the end of the season and not where we are with a month to go."

Fleetwood gave Exeter a 16th-minute lead, curling a 20-yarder into the bottom corner.

Plucky Daggers hit back nine minutes before half-time when Ben Strevens pounced on a howler by Grecians keeper Paul Jones to slot into an empty net.

But Fleetwood, on loan from Charlton, bagged the winner three minutes after the break with a volley into the top corner.

Tisdale added: "If we hadn't won we would have felt cheated, they were sublime goals."

Dagenham boss John Still has not given up hope of gatecrashing the play-offs.

He said: "We need four more wins. We have still got a chance."

ACCRINGTON 0, LINCOLN 2

SCOTT KERR kept Lincoln's faint play-off hopes alive as Accrington slipped to their first defeat in six games.

Kerr scored his first goals of the season, one in each half, although keeper Robert Burch was the hero with a host of superb saves.

Peter Jackson's side went ahead in the fourth minute when skipper Kerr cut in from the left to shoot across Kenny Arthur.

Burch then saved brilliantly from Craig Lindfield, John Miles, Lindfield again and James Ryan.

And midfielder Kerr made the game safe five minutes into the second half as he fired home into the bottom right corner.

ALDERSHOT 0, ROTHERHAM 1

REUBEN REID finally ended Rotherham's Aldershot hoodoo with an 11th-minute winner at the Recreation Ground.

Mark Robins' side had not beaten Shots in three league and cup meetings this term - until Reid cashed in on John Grant's defensive blunder to fire a long-range effort which keeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz could only palm into the net.

Shots' Anthony Sandell had a good chance with a header, but Andy Warrington pulled off a fine save.

And Warrington came to the visitors' rescue again late on with a fine double-save to deny Jake Robinson and Anthony Charles.

BOURNEMOUTH 4, ROCHDALE 0

BRETT PITMAN hit a hat-trick to ease Bournemouth's relegation fears - and rock Rochdale's automatic promotion bid.

Pitman grabbed an early opener and fired two more cracking goals in the second half to take his tally to 14 this season and keep Eddie Howe's side a handy four points clear of the drop zone.

Liam Feeney - signed from Salisbury earlier this season - hit his first league goal to make it 2-0 before the break.

Rochdale, with only one win in five games, were seldom a threat as they dropped from third to fifth and boss Keith Hill admitted: "I take no positives at all from this performance."

DARLINGTON 0, MORECAMBE 0

STRIKER Rene Howe could not find a way past Darlington's rookie goalkeeper Przemyslaw Kazimierczak.

Howe - who hit the winner in Morecambe's 1-0 home win over Darlo back in December - had four good chances to get Sammy McIlroy's men a double.

Shrimps' 11-goal top-scorer hit the bar with a brilliant overhead kick, then had shouts for a penalty waved away when he tumbled over the Polish keeper.

Kazimierczak pulled off a stunning 39th-minute save from Howe, and the on-loan Peterborough hitman also had a goal-bound shot deflected wide in the 55th minute.

Darlo's best chance fell to Pawel Abbott, but his volley was superbly tipped away by keeper Barry Roche in the 71st minute.

GILLINGHAM 0, BARNET 2

AGE caught up with Gillingham's promotion bid as Paul Furlong inspired Barnet to a shock win.

Furlong, 40, headed the opener before winning the penalty for John O'Flynn to make it 2-0.

And with 35-year-old Gary Breen leading the Bees' back line, Gills were powerless to stop three precious points slipping away.

Gills were appalling in the first-half and slipped behind on 24 minutes when Furlong nodded home O'Flynn's right-wing cross.

And nine minutes after the restart Mark Bentley dragged Furlong down in the box and O'Flynn gave keeper Simon Royce no chance.

Barnet boss Ian Hendon said: "Furlong put in a proper centre- forward's display. He's been brilliant for me and if I'm still here next season I'd love him to stay."

MACC'FIELD 1, CHEST'FIELD 1

MACCLESFIELD came from behind to earn their first point in six games - and dent Chesterfield's play-off hopes.

Keith Alexander's side looked on their way to another defeat when Martin Gritton fired the visitors ahead on eight minutes.

The former Macc striker turned and hammered a shot in off the post from 12 yards.

But Silkmen levelled seven minutes later when John Rooney, 18, capped a great run with a pass to Ahmed Deen, who crossed for Darren Evans to head home.

Rooney rattled with bar with a 25-yard cracker just before the break, while Jamie Tolley and Emile Sinclair also went close for Macc after the break.

And Aaron Downes rescued Chesterfield late on when he cleared Deen's effort off the line.

NOTTS COUNTY 1, CHESTER 2

CHESTER stayed in the bottom two despite County handing them a League Two lifeline.

City's opener came on 14 minutes when County midfielder Richard Butcher flicked on Laurence Wilson's corner for Dave Mannix to nod in.

And Mark Wright's side sealed their first win since Boxing Day thanks to another act of generosity four minutes after the break.

Jamie Clapham left his back-pass short, Paul Rutherford nipped in to send the ball goalwards and Ryan Lowe knocked home his 16th of the season.

Lowe then took over in goal for the final eight minutes after keeper John Danby went off with a damaged shoulder.

He was beaten by Mike Edwards as County piled on the pressure, but Chester held on.

PORT VALE 1, BURY 1

ELLIOTT BENNETT scored to save Bury's long unbeaten run.

Shakers were heading for their first defeat in six when Vale's James Lawrie cashed in on Wayne Brown's 57th-minute blunder.

Brown charged out and attempted to head clear but only found Lawrie 30 yards from goal and he lobbed into the empty net.

But on-loan Wolves midfielder Bennett headed the visitors level from David Buchanan's cross 10 minutes later.

Bury boss Alan Knill said: "We went behind to a great finish but we showed great commitment and I'll take a point on the road."

Under-fire Vale boss Dean Glover said: "I can't fault the lads for their effort. I think the fans appreciated how hard they have worked and, at times, we did make Bury look ordinary."

SHREWSBURY 1, GRIMSBY 1

GUTSY Grimsby collected a vital point in their relegation fight - but squandered the chance to take all three.

Barry Conlon's close-range finish from a Peter Sweeney cross gave the Mariners the lead early in the second-half.

But Shrewsbury were quickly level.

Ben Davies picked up a pass from sub Steve Leslie and squeezed a shot in from a tight angle for his 13th goal of the season.

But Mariners, driven on by the excellent Sweeney, threw away the chance to really boost their survival push.

Conlon had an effort scrambled off the line by Graham Coughlan before Chris Llewellyn somehow headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

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