Five talking points from the EFL weekend including Jamie Proctor's wonder-strike for Port Vale
- Gabriel Sutton
- 28 March 2022
EFL pundit Gab Sutton has his say on the action from the weekend including Jamie Proctor channelling his inner Paolo di Canio and more problems for AFC Wimbledon.
Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Cambridge means not only have Wimbledon lost their last five games, they have also gone 20 league games without a win.
The Dons' winless streak is the joint-longest at this level since Portsmouth's unwanted 22-game run in 2012/13, with only 2016/17 Bury matching the return in that timeframe.
Throw in the FA Cup defeat to Boreham Wood and the winless run is approaching half-a-season, but the club's board and the Dons Trust released a statement last week in support of manager Mark Robinson.
The Wombles boss has had his work cut out in many ways this season, operating with a bottom half League Two budget, the youngest squad in the division, injuries and little support with recruitment, but ultimately it's a results business and Robinson is not delivering them right now.
Wednesday continue home form
Sheffield Wednesday's home form has been a key part of the promotion push from Darren Moore's side, who have taken 44 points from 20 at Hillsborough, scoring 41 goals.
The Owls thrashed Cambridge 5-0 recently and were at it again against Cheltenham, overturning an early deficit to run out 4-1 winners.
The scoreline flattered the South Yorkshire outfit slightly, but the midfield blend of George Byers, Massimo Luongo and Barry Bannan is strong.
Byers brings excellent movement to the table, Luongo brings drive and verve while Bannan's touch and vision belongs well above League One.
Wednesday, who occupy the last play-off spot being two points better off than Sunderland, have a more favourable run-in than their immediate rivals and look well-placed to extend their season into May.
Gillingham's 14-point swing
When Neil Harris took charge of Gillingham in January, they were 10 points adrift of safety and supporters were resigned to the likelihood of relegation.
After 12 games, however, the Gills are now four points clear of the drop zone and look as though they will beat the drop.
This turnaround has much to do with the struggles at Wimbledon, Morecambe and Fleetwood, with Crewe and Doncaster looking all but relegated.
Harris, though, has drilled the Kent outfit into a formidable defensive unit, with six clean sheets recorded under his watch, thanks to sturdy showings from centre-backs like Conor Masterson and Max Ehmer.
Elsewhere, Stuart O'Keefe battles gallantly in midfield plus Vadaine Oliver has forged a strong partnership with Charlie Kelman, with the former's physical presence complementing the latter's nippy movement.
Gillingham look like they'll finish the job, so the relegation battle is a case of two from three: Wimbledon, Morecambe and Fleetwood.
Exeter on their way
Current PPG projections suggest the requirement for automatic promotion from League Two this season will be approximately 78 points.
Exeter are in a favourable position, then, currently sitting on 68 with eight to play: 10 points is more than achievable, given that they have accrued that exact figure from their previous four, although the run-in is tricky.
The Grecians have still got to travel to promotion rivals Newport, Tranmere and Northampton before hosting Port Vale on the final day.
Luckily for Matt Taylor's side, there is less pressure on the return of key midfielders now than there might have been a week ago, due to how well full-back by trade Callum Rowe has faired in midfield alongside Archie Collins.
With box-to-box battler Timothee Dieng to return shortly, Exeter should be able to tick off the points they need to secure a top three berth.
Proctor's Di Canio tribute
Remember Paolo di Canio's iconic scissor kick for West Ham against Wimbledon?
Twenty-two years to the day of that strike, Jamie Proctor scored a stunning scissor kick in Port Vale's 2-0 victory over Sutton.
The intelligent forward, so impressive in terms of link-up play all afternoon, jumped in the air when the ball rebounded to him, seemingly hovered momentarily and - with both feet off the ground - fired a pinpoint effort into the bottom corner.
At a time when some are doubting the quality in League Two, Proctor's sensational strike was a reminder of what's on offer: likewise an outstanding team performance from Vale, who look strong contenders for automatic promotion.
Bravo, Jamie!
