Mills delighted with Minstermen

Mills delighted with Minstermen

Published Dec. 16, 2012 6:15 a.m. ET

Athletic Bilbao and Malaga won in the Primera Liga on Saturday, while Getafe salvaged a point against Osasuna and Granada drew with Real Sociedad.

Malaga cemented their fourth position in the table with a 2-0 win at 10-men Sevilla in the late kick-off.

Martin Demichelis put the visitors ahead four minutes after the re-start and Sevilla's night then got worse when Federico Fazio was sent-off - and conceded a penalty - for a professional foul.

Eliseu converted the subsequent spot-kick in the 70th minute to seal the points for Malaga.

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Aritz Aduriz's 11th-minute header consigned Real Mallorca to their ninth defeat in 11 league games, but Athletic Bilbao were just as thankful to goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz for the three points as they moved nine points clear of the relegation zone.

The visitors went in front with their first serious attack as Andoni Iraola's searching cross found Aduriz free at the back post to head home his 11th goal of the campaign.

Mallorca then created countless opportunities to get back in the game but Iraizoz was equal to efforts from Giovani Dos Santos, Tomer Hemed and Victor Casadesus before the break, whilst Victor also fired wide with an open goal after the interval.

Another defeat means that Mallorca's winless streak extends to 14 games in all competitions.

Diego Castro's penalty deep into stoppage time salvaged a point for Getafe against Osasuna in a game desperately lacking in quality at the Alfonso Perez Coliseum.

Both sides had one great opportunity to take the lead in the first half but neither Nino nor Alvaro Vazquez could convert when clean through on goal, and the game only came to life after Emiliano Armenteros had been sent off for the visitors 12 minutes from time for a wild lunge on Juan Valera.

However, despite losing a man, Jose Mendilibar's men seemed set for all three points when Kike Sola weaved a way through the Getafe defence to slot home six minutes from time.

However, Osasuna were cruelly denied a second away win of the campaign in the final minute of added time as Oier was harshly adjudged to have handled inside the area and Castro stroked home his fourth goal of the season.

Granada claimed a share of the spoils at home to Real Sociedad but failed to score for the fifth successive league game.

In a match of precious few chances at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenas, the hosts bounced back from shipping four against Malaga last weekend and moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference after the stalemate.

The Pirates, who suffered a fifth defeat in six matches to leave them languishing in the League Two relegation zone, were stunned by three City goals in five minutes.

Garry Kenneth put through his own net to hand the hosts the advantage and although Tom Eaves hit back a minute later, the Minstermen soon responded through Ashley Chambers and Jason Walker.

Chambers' struck again 12 minutes before the break to seal the win and McGhee's fate. His 11-month spell at the club was brought to an end soon after the post-match press conference.

"I'm one down from embarrassed, I'm humiliated and that maybe is the right word to describe the first half," McGhee said, speaking before the decision to dismiss him was announced.

"I always question myself first and I will do that first, but I also have to question the teamwork in a sense and that comes back to me ultimately. Once the players cross that line they have to be prepared to give us more in the first half.

"The shape in the early parts of the game gave us problems but it came down to individual situations such as stopping a cross and these things kill you.

"It gave us far too much to do. You can talk all you want about the chances we had before they scored and after and they were terrific chances.

"Second half was much, much better. It wasn't about them dropping off, it was about us stepping up from the start and giving us much more to get at them and create chances.

"Some of the defending in the first half was terrible but we improved second half."

Midfielder Matthew Saunders' 17th-minute strike proved enough to condemn the Bees to defeat and keep them bottom of the table.

Robson said: "We didn't create enough chances unfortunately, but at 1-0 we always thought we could get something.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game because Dagenham have been doing well and of course there was extra spice with it being a derby.

"We're just disappointed that we've not taken anything from the game. We played well in patches but didn't give ourselves enough chances to score.

"Their goal was a good one but we could have done better to prevent it.

"It's no secret it's tough being at the bottom, but we've got enough quality in this squad to get out of trouble."

The 23-year-old, signed from Yeovil in the summer, made an immediate impact after coming on for Michael O'Connor in the 70th minute, converting Courtney Cameron's pinpoint cross for the winner.

Agard got lucky with the ball going in off Dons keeper Neil Sullivan's head via the post to extend AFC Wimbledon's winless run to six games and Evans, while refusing to get carried away, believes Agard is fast becoming the perfect footballing role model.

"It was a fantastic header from Kieran and I think the keeper thought it was going wide. Kieran made 70 yards to just be in that box," said Evans.

"The whole dressing room is delighted for that young man; he is everything a professional should be. Any other day [Daniel] Nardiello would get us three or four goals.

"But that happens doesn't it; he missed a chance and always got in a position to have another, that's the sign of a good striker.

"It's not about what happens in December. We're not going to get carried away. We all believe that last week we deserved a point. There was nothing in the first half but I think we absolutely dominated the second half. Arguably we could have scored five or six.

"We can play the best teams in the Football League and we can go toe to toe with them with the players we've got."

Midfielder Matthew Saunders' 17th-minute strike, his second goal in three games, did the trick for the hosts as they leap-frogged Rochdale to go 12th in the table and just three points away from breaking into the play-off positions.

"It was a hard-fought win, but we knew it was going to be," praised Still.

"I said on Friday at training that I believed this would one of our toughest games of the season - and it was.

"It would have been nice to have moved up a few more places in the table, but if we keep on winning we'll get up there.

"Local derbies are always tough. You have to make sure you do everything you can to win the game, that's the most important thing.

"We had a lot of corners and created pressure, but early season we scored a lot of goals from corners.

"They didn't come off for us, but those sorts of chances ebb and flow.

"We'll keep working on those moves on the training pitch and they'll come right for us.

"But overall I was delighted wit the victory. It would have been great to have got that second goal to make sure of the victory earlier, but we've got the three points."

Goals from Bruno Andrade and Matt McClure secured them a comfortable 2-0 victory at Accrington despite McClure being sent off for two bookable offences in the 55th minute.

Stanley conjured up little and stuttered to their third successive league loss.

"I am so proud," said the 39-year-old player-boss. "It was a fantastic performance. I have grown up in the north west, I know it's tough coming here and we were incredible.

"Our two centre halves had a combined age of 36 - not as old as me! - and yet they were key for us. I am really proud of all the players and the table looks a little bit rosier.

"Not so long ago we were at the bottom and that was a bad day but I have never let the spirit get low and we have stuck together and our league form has been great.

"When I first took over it was about being resilient and we have worked on defending and set plays, we have good midfielders and we have attackers that I can't coach, they are natural finishers who can open up defences and have been doing well. Now we have just got to keep it going."

Having been beaten 3-2 by York and then Exeter Dale went down 4-2 to Aldershot at the EBB Stadium thanks to goals from Dani Lopez, Peter Vincenti, Danny Rose and Craig Reid.

And Coleman, who saw Ashley Grimes net twice for his side, who held his hands up after another defensive display to forget.

"I'm devastated," he said. "It's the third week in a row that we've conceded three in the first half and the team that's scored three hasn't had to do much.

"We scored a wonderful goal to get back in the game, but the first goal was horrendous defending.

"The buck has got to stop with me. I'm the one who signed these players and we've proved over the last four games that defensively we're nowhere near good enough, so I've got to take responsibility for signing those players and playing those players.

"In hindsight, I'd have used more of the budget on a more experienced centre-half.

"The initial signs were that they were going to be good enough, but it might be that exposure to this amount of games has caught up with them."

Garry Kenneth put through his own net to hand Bristol Rovers the advantage and although Tom Eaves hit back a minute later, the Minstermen soon responded through Ashley Chambers and Jason Walker.

Chambers' struck again 12 minutes before the break to seal the win and Mills is now hoping his side can follow up the destructive performance at home to league leaders Gillingham next weekend.

"It was great from the word go," he said.

"We've talked all week about getting on the front foot and making it difficult for teams so we're in areas where we can kill teams off and it worked superbly for us.

"I'm delighted. Last three games we've taken six points and scored seven goals.

"The players deserved that. They've worked very, very hard and going into next Saturday against the league leaders [Gillingham] it's a boost for us.

"I thought Ash was superb today and that's Ashley Chambers at his best, on the front foot putting defenders under pressure and wanting to score goals.

"At times he's unstoppable when he's like that. Everybody's seen today what a good player he is.

"They couldn't live with us when we got going and it was a deserved win for us."

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