Carlisle United 1 Doncaster Rovers 3: Away run continues for Rovers as Abbott feels strain

The former Bradford City midfielder was hoping his players would bounce back after conceding four goals at home for the third time this season on Saturday, but they found themselves trailing by two goals after just 18 minutes last night – a position from which they never recovered.

Iain Hume thought he had opened the scoring with a 14th-minute cross-shot but goalkeeper Adam Collin managed to tip the ball over before Rob Jones was able to power in a bullet-like 12-yard header from David Cotterill’s corner.

Hume has four goals to his name in this loan spell and he was unlucky not to add to it.

The Canadian international hit the foot of the post and had a shot saved before Cotterill doubled Rovers lead four minutes later with a 20-yard curler past the helpless Collin.

Cotterill was next to test the Carlisle goalkeeper, but Collin was well-positioned to smother his 25-yard free-kick.

Gary Woods was almost caught napping by David Symington’s speculative long-range effort but he back-peddled to tip the ball over.

On-loan Watford striker Joe Garner came close to making the breakthrough for Carlisle, but he whipped his shot from Beck’s knockdown just wide with goalkeeper Woods beaten.

But there was nothing the Rovers goalkeeper could do but watch as Symington’s ferocious free-kick evaded the wall to settle in the top corner as Doncaster conceded a goal for only the sixth time on their travels this season.

Doncaster restored their two-goal advantage and sealed the points in the 77th minute when Tommy Spurr’s glancing header crept inside the post.

Carlisle United: Collin, Simek, Livesey, Edwards, Chantler, Robson, Potts. Symington, Berrett, Garner , Beck. Unused subsitutes: Gillespie, McGovern, Welsh, Noble, Todd, McGinty, Higginbotham.

Doncaster Rovers: G Woods, Husband, R Jones ( 46 -Martis), Griffin, Spurr, Cotterill, Harper, Keegan, Ma Woods, Paynter (76 -Syres), Hume (69 - Brown). Unused subsitutes: Blake, Mi Woods, Maxted, Ball.

Referee: M Brown (East Yorkshire)

Port Vale are out of administration after Paul Wildes’s takeover of the League Two club was finalised.

Supported by his business partner Norman Smurthwaite, Wildes’s Alchemy Investment Group’s £1.25m bid was approved by administrators Begbies Traynor last night.

The deal, which has also been approved by the Football League, sees the Valiants come out of administration after eight months.

In a statement on the club’s website, a delighted Wildes, said: “I would like to thank the Port Vale supporters, once again, for their ongoing patience and support.”