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Around The Grounds With The Exes

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Not many ex players scoring goals of late throughout the divisions, gives me a chance to look at some ex defenders and keepers for you that normally receive less exposure.

Jon McLaughlin probably had the best weekend of all ex Bantams on Sunday as the custodian kept a clean sheet in a result where Hearts won 4-0 at home to Celtic and dishing the Bhoys their first loss in the Scottish Premier League of the season, in fact, their first loss in domestic football in 69 games. The win has Hearts 5th in the table.

Brad Jones was another ex City keeper to keep a clean sheet on Sunday as Feyenoord won 0-7 away at Sparta Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. The current Dutch champions find themselves in 7th, although with a game in hand are 14 points off first placed PSV Eindhoven.

Simon Eastwood also achieved a clean sheet as Oxford United drew 0-0 away to Rochdale. Wes Thomas and Rochdale’s Steve Davies failed to find the net which leaves the Us in 8th, 4 points of the League 1 play off spots, but Rochdale are in the mire, 21st and occupy the final relegation spot, 1 point from safety.

Chris Dagnall scored a brace in a big 3 points as Crewe Alexandra won 3-0 at home to Crawley Town. Dagnall has now found the net 6 times this season and puts Alex in 19th in League 2, 2 points above 22nd, 23rd and the bottom of the table.

Marc McNulty scored the winner in the 75th minute, his 8th of the season as Coventry City won 2-1 at home against Cheltenham Town in League 2. City are teetering on the play off positions, 7th in the table due to a superior goal difference.

James Meredith received his 4th yellow of the season in the 90th minutes and now 1 away from an automatic suspension as he helped Millwall win 2-1 at home to Middlesbrough in the Championship. The result now sees the Lions climb 9 points above the relegation zone and sit in 17th.

Ricky Ravenhill captained Buxton Town to a 0-1 win away at promotion chasing Grantham Town. Buxton are now 8th in the Evo-Stik Premier League which leaves Grantham in 3rd and 3 points off first place.

Alan Sheehan put Luton Town 0-1 up on the stroke of half time as the Hatters went on to win 0-2 away at Forest Green Rovers although they found themselves a man down. Town now sit at top of the League 2 pile, 2 points clear of Notts Co.

Nathan Clarke helped Grimsby Town to a 0-0 draw away to Notts County in League 2. Jon Stead failed to add to his 5 goals of the season. Town are in 11th and 2 points off the play off places, whilst County have fallen 2 points behind Luton Town at the summit of the table, but still remain in 2nd place, 4 points clear of the play offs.

Tom Naylor helped Burton Albion keep it tight at the back as they went on to win 0-1 away to Phil Parkinson’s Bolton Wanderers in the Championship. Naylor wasn’t the only ex defender playing in the match as Stephen Darby was involved on the losing side. In what is appearing a very tight season at the bottom of the table, especially for clubs beginning with the letter ‘B’, Burton are 22nd and Bolton 23rd in the table. Filipe Morais and Aaron Wilbraham came on in the 2nd half for the home team whilst Reece Burke and Josh Cullen were both unused subs for Wanderers with Cullen now not playing in the first team since the 14th October, 2 months ago.

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