Nationwide Review

Cartwright stems Preston's losing run

Nottingham Forest spurned the chance to open up a gap on the other sides chasing the Nationwide First Division's top three when they failed to build on David Johnson's early goal against Preston North End at Deepdale and were held to a 1-1 draw.

Forest, without a win in six games, took the lead after 19 minutes when Johnson fired in right-footed for his 20th League goal of the season. But Preston avoided a seventh consecutive defeat when Lee Cartwright headed in from a Simon Lynch cross.

Paul Hart, the Forest manager, blamed profligate finishing. "On another day you would probably say we would have had as many as five."

A moment of madness by the Grimsby Town striker Steve Livingstone in the First Division's only other fixture presented fellow strugglers Bradford City with three points at Blundell Park from a 2-1 win. Bradford had begun the livelier but Grimsby took the lead after 15 minutes when Michael Boulding, put through by Terry Cooke, calmly beat Aidan Davison.

But on the stroke of half-time, Livingstone tussled with Robert Molenaar to earn a straight red card. "I saw the ref and he said there was a fair challenge to Livingstone which led to the Grimsby player having the cut on his nose," the Bradford manager Nicky Law said. "[Livingstone] then put his forearm into Bob's face. It was a definite sending-off."

Andy Gray levelled for the Bantams 12 minutes into the second half and Claus Jorgensen fired in the 25-yard winner in injury time before Bradford's Simon Francis dismissal for a second booking. "It was crucial that we won," Law admitted. "We now have a six-point cushion between ourselves and Grimsby."

Crewe were the only winners in the top six of the Second Division. They beat Oldham Athletic 3-1, Rob Hulse scoring twice to take his season's total in the League to 18, and replaced the Latics in second spot. The leaders, Wigan Athletic, lost 2-1 at Swindon Town.

Hartlepool, the Third Division leaders, drew 0-0 at Cambridge United while second-placed Rushden & Diamonds lost 3-1 at Oxford United. Scunthorpe United took over the third automatic promotion place when they beat Southend 4-1 and Bury lost 3-2 at Kidderminster.