Rawle's winner lifts Oxford to summit

Oxford United's 1-0 win at Southend took them to the top of the Third Division yesterday after Doncaster Rovers suffered a 3-1 defeat at Hull.

Doncaster were knocked off the top by a hat-trick from Hull's Jason Price, whose goals lifted the home side to third.

Leo Fortune-West cancelled out Price's third-minute opener but two further goals from the Hull midfielder in the second half settled the match.

Oxford capitalised to open up a two-point gap at the top thanks to Mark Rawle's 68th-minute winner at Southend. Rawle netted the only goal of the game at Roots Hall, where Southend ended up with 10 men after Drewe Broughton was sent off late on.

Mansfield, third at the start of play, lost ground as a late Macclesfield equaliser cost them two points at Moss Rose. Iyseden Christie's 71st-minute effort had put the Stags on course for a 1-0 win but Matthew Tipton rescued the home side in the last minute.

Sixth-placed Swansea cut the gap on Yeovil above them to four points with a 3-2 win over the Glovers at the Vetch Field. Kevin Gall looked to have saved a point for Yeovil with an 89th-minute equaliser but there was still time for Lee Trundle to win the game for the home side with his second goal of the match.

The battle between the League's bottom two, Carlisle United and Darlington, ended in a 1-1 draw at Brunton Park.

Brendan McGill gave Carlisle, 11 points adrift at the bottom, a 10th-minute lead but Lee Matthews responded half an hour later.