Leyton Orient and Portsmouth were among the teams to crash out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy this evening in another action-packed round of matches.
Oldham Athletic recorded the biggest win of the evening, reaching the Northern Area semi-finals with a 5-1 win over Notts County in a match that saw both teams have a man sent off.
Stevenage were also reduced to 10 men in the game of the night, but they still managed to beat Leyton Orient 3-2 after a first half that included five goals, two penalties and a red card.
Overall there were 24 goals in the night's seven matches as well as four reds and three penalties, and you can read how they all unfolded with Sports Mole's live coverage of the quarter-finals below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what promises to be another action-packed night of Johnstone's Paint Trophy football. This competition is synonymous with goals and major incidents, so let's hope we have plenty more of them tonight!
We have seven matches to bring you tonight, with the eighth and final tie from the quarters taking place between Fleetwood Town and Carlisle tomorrow night. No less than 14 teams will be bidding for a place in the Area semi-finals tonight, so let's look at what we have in store.
NORTHERN AREA QUARTER-FINALS: Hartlepool vs. Rotherham; Oldham vs. Notts County; Chesterfield vs. Rochdale.
SOUTHERN AREA QUARTER-FINALS: Peterborough vs. Dagenham & Redbridge; Swindon vs. Wycombe; Newport vs. Portsmouth; Stevenage vs. Leyton Orient.
The first game to begin tonight will be Hartlepool's tie against Rotherham, which kicks off at 7pm. Then Peterborough and Dagenham & Redbridge will follow at 7.30pm before the rest get underway 15 minutes later.
The tournament is wide open right now, with holders Crewe out of the running and favourites Wolves also falling at the last hurdle. Leyton Orient will probably be the side that fancy their chances most as they sit top of League One, but the beauty of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy is that it is so unpredictable.
So, having just said how unpredictable this competition is, it is time for me to make my predictions for the evening. Here we go, with some mini-previews for each match...
HARTLEPOOL VS. ROTHERHAM: This is my pick of the night for a potential upset. Hartlepool began the season poorly but have hit a good vein of form recently and will go into the game on a high. Rotherham, on the other hand, are not in good form in League One and could well put a priority on that form rather than cup competitions.
The hosts sit 13th in the League Two table having won seven of their last eight games. It is unlikely that they will be able to keep such an impressive run up for much longer, but they couldn't have picked a better time to face Rotherham tonight. Speaking of Rotherham, they are now 10th in League One with just one win from their last six games, although that did come in their last outing.
Both sides come into this match on the back of a win in the FA Cup on Saturday. The omens are good for Hartlepool after they beat League One's Notts County 3-2, while Rotherham also pulled off an impressive 3-0 victory over Bradford.
VERDICT: Something about this one tells me that there will be an upset. I'm going to go for 2-1 to the home side.
PETERBOROUGH VS. DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE: On paper, this one looks like a pretty straightforward match for the hosts. They aren't in particularly great form over their last five games, winning two, losing two and drawing one, but they are still flying high in the tier above Dagenham.
Peterborough are currently third in League One, while Dagenham sit 32 places below them, 11th in League Two. While Peterborough's form has dropped recently, their overall record this season is very impressive. They have won eight of their last 12 matches. Dagenham have a similar record over five games to their opponents tonight, but they have lost their last two going into this one.
The two sides had contrasting fortunes in the FA Cup on Saturday, with Peterborough progressing at the expense of Exeter while Dagenham crashed out 3-0 to Bristol City.
VERDICT: It should be a comfortable home win, barring a major shock. I'll go for 3-0 to Peterborough.
OLDHAM VS. NOTTS COUNTY: This match is an intriguing one between two sides struggling at the wrong end of League One. Oldham currently sit 17th in the table, five points above Notts County, who prop up the rest of the division in 24th.
Both sides are short of form going into this match with just one win apiece in their last five games. Oldham have managed to come away from their last two with draws, however, while Notts County have only won three points from a possible 18, courtesy of a 3-2 victory against (you guessed it) Oldham last month.
Neither side were able to book their places in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday, although Oldham will get another chance having held Wolves to a 1-1 draw. For Notts County, their season went from bad to worse when they were dumped out of the competition by League Two's Hartlepool.
VERDICT: Notts County knocked favourites Wolves out of this competition in the last round, so they should be taken seriously tonight. I think this one will be a close one, but Oldham should just about have enough. I'll go for 1-1, Oldham on penalties.
KICKOFF: The first match of the night is underway as Hartlepool host Rotherham. Can the home side pull off a shock? I'll be keeping you up to date with all of the major events there.
CHESTERFIELD VS. ROCHDALE: This is perhaps the most mouth-watering of the matches tonight. These two are separated by just goal difference in League Two at the moment, with Chesterfield sitting the right side of the automatic promotion line in third and Rochdale one spot below them.
Despite their proximity in the table, however, there is a difference in their recent form. Chesterfield have won just one of their last six matches, drawing four and losing the remaining one. Rochdale, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven games.
Chesterfield safely negotiated a potential banana skin in the FA Cup on Saturday, overcoming non-league Daventry Town 2-0 in the first round. Rochdale will also be in the hat for the second round having beaten Torquay by the same scoreline.
VERDICT: Perhaps the hardest one of the night to call as I could see it going either way, perhaps via penalties. Despite that, I'm here to make a prediction so I will say 3-1 to the home side!
Over at Victoria Park there has been limited goalmouth action in the opening stages of the first match of the evening. Poole has flashed a shot just past the post for the hosts, while Tubbs has sent one into the stands at the other end. Still goalless between Hartlepool and Rotherham.
GOAL! Hartlepool 0-1 Rotherham
I think that is known as the commentator's curse! Rotherham take the lead inside the first 10 minutes against Hartlepool as Tom Eaves nods Michael Tider's inswinging corner past Scott Flinders.
SWINDON VS. WYCOMBE: Another tie that looks easy enough one paper for the home side as League One's Swindon take on League Two's Wycombe. The hosts are on the brink of the playoff places while the visitors are slap bang in mid-table at the moment.
Swindon have won five and lost three of their last eight matches, while Wycombe have only been beaten once in their last six outings. The visitors beat Bristol City in the last round, while Swindon overcame Plymouth.
Wycombe still have their FA Cup dreams alive after Saturday's first-round draw with Crewe, but Swindon had their smashed to pieces, losing 4-0 to Macclesfield. No doubt the hosts will be looking to bounce back from that embarrassing defeat this evening.
VERDICT: Again, everything is pointing towards a home win here. Swindon had a disappointing result last time out and tonight's match will depend on how they react to that. I think it will be 2-0 to Swindon.
NEWPORT COUNTY VS. PORTSMOUTH: An all-League Two clash between Newport and Portsmouth represents one of the most even ties of the night. Both come into the game in similar form and with just six positions separating them in the league, so both sides will fancy their chances of progressing past this fixture tonight.
Just three points separate 10th Newport from 16th Portsmouth in League Two at the moment, and both sides have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games. Portsmouth's good form does go back a little further, however, having won four of their last seven games compared to Newport's three wins in that time.
Neither side had morale-boosting wins at the weekend, however. Newport drew 1-1 with non-league Braintree Town to set up a replay, while Portsmouth won't even get that chance having lost 2-1 to Stevenage.
VERDICT: It could go either way, but I will give the edge to Portsmouth tonight. I can't see it being any more than a single goal that separates the two sides, however, so I will go for a 1-0 win to the visitors.
GOAL! Hartlepool 1-1 Rotherham
Hartlepool level things up at Victoria Park, and it is a former Rotherham player who has done the damage. Andy Monkhouse charged into the box before applying a cool finish to restore parity against his former club.
Hartlepool had been threatening for a while before that goal, seeing a header cleared off the line by Lee Frecklington and also being denied by a fine Adam Collin save from James Poole's effort.
KICKOFF: The second match of the evening gets underway at London Road where Peterborough are playing Dagenham & Redbridge.
Meanwhile, Hartlepool are really knocking on the door against Rotherham having equalised. Collin has twice saved from Monkhouse since then, while Poole has also missed a couple of good opportunities.
At the other end there is a scary moment for Flinders as he spills a 30-yard drive from Frecklington, but the keeper manages to collect at the second attempt before anyone could take advantage.
STEVENAGE VS. LEYTON ORIENT: Leyton Orient will go into this match as favourites to win the whole tournament, but that counts for little in the Football League Trophy. This is an all-League One clash and Stevenage's home advantage will make it a tricky tie for Orient. This one has the potential to be an upset.
The visitors currently sit top of League One having picked up 38 points from their 15 matches so far. Stevenage, meanwhile, are 24 points behind and looking over their shoulders as they are just one point and two places above the relegation zone.
Stevenage's form going into this game is pretty good, having won five of their last seven matches, but Leyton Orient have picked up maximum points in 10 of their last 13 matches and only Premier League Hull and Coventry City have been able to beat them this season.
There has been a chance at London Road and it has fallen to the visitors as Chris Dickson beat the offside trap only to fire his shot straight at Olejnik.
Back to the Stevenage match, and both sides will be buoyed by their FA Cup results on Saturday. Stevenage moved into round two with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth, while Leyton Orient thrashed Southend 5-2 to join their opponents tonight in the hat.
VERDICT: Leyton Orient needed penalties to get through the last round, but they are so hard to beat at the moment that I can't see Stevenage progressing today, even if it goes all the way again. I'll say 2-1 to the visitors.
That brings us nicely to the end of the previews just before the remaining five matches get underway. That should be happening in the next couple of minutes, while Hartlepool and Rotherham are also edging towards half time still locked at 1-1.
GOAL! Hartlepool 1-2 Rotherham
KICKOFFS: The 7.45pm fixtures are all now underway as 10 more teams bid for a place in the Are semi-finals.
That is twice that Rotherham have taken advantage of the commentator's curse tonight! They have had their backs against the wall for much of the match and have Collin to thank for a string of fine saves, but it looks like they will go into half time with a 2-1 lead thanks to a lucky deflection. Frecklington's long-range strike hit Kieran Agard, wrong-footing Flinders and going into the Hartlepool net. Desperately unlucky for the hosts.
GOAL! Stevenage 1-0 Leyton Orient
It is a dream start for Stevenage as they take the lead against high-flying Leyton Orient inside a minute. It was Francois Zoko who got the goal that makes it 1-0 at the Lamex Stadium.
HALF-TIME: The night's early kickoff reaches the halfway stage with Rotherham leading Hartlepool 2-1 thanks to a late goal for the visitors.
GOAL! Newport County 1-0 Portsmouth
Newport take an early lead against Portsmouth after a terrible mix up in the Pompey defence allowed Conor Washington to tap the ball into an empty net.
Over in Stevenage there is a little confusion over who the ball came off last for that Zoko goal, but the striker was the man celebrating most when it went in so, for now, we'll give it to him. It was good play by Freeman to set up the chance.
Meanwhile, Peterborough have very nearly broken the deadlock against Dagenham & Redbridge at London Road Stadium. Ephraim's shot was cleared off the line by the visitors in the 14th minute there.
GOAL! Stevenage 2-0 Leyton Orient
Things get even better for Stevenage as they double their lead against the tournament favourites. This time it is Lukas Akins with the goal to put his side 2-0 up after just 10 minutes.
GOAL! Oldham 0-1 Notts County
GOAL! Stevenage 2-1 Leyton Orient
That is how you respond to going 2-0 down! Leyton Orient hit straight back against Stevenage to make it 2-1, Mooney grabbing the goal with a volley from inside the box. That match looks to be bubbling up nicely. Meanwhile Notts County have taken the lead against Oldham through Ronan Murray, who chased a long ball down before beating a defender and firing a low strike under the keeper.
GOAL! Stevenage 3-1 Leyton Orient
My word, I said there was always drama in this competition but it rarely comes along so early in a match! Moments after going 2-0 up and then being pulled back to 2-1, Stevenage regain their two-goal lead from the penalty spot. It was Morais who converted the spot kick after Omazusi was penalised for a handball.
GOAL! Newport County 2-0 Portsmouth
Portsmouth have really been under pressure from the opening whistle in their match against Newport, and it is no surprise that they now find themselves 2-0 down after less than 20 minutes. Adedeji Oshilaja got the goal, steering the ball into an empty net after Carson had saved the initial effort.
We are back underway in Hartlepool as they come out for the second half looking to overturn an unlucky 2-1 deficit against Rotherham. They had the better of the first half, so will be hoping that they turn their chances into goals in the next 45 minutes.
It's still goalless in Swindon's match with Wycombe, but the hosts have come closest so far. Luongo broke free of the defence before squaring the ball to Ajose, but he just could reach it to apply the finish.
Liddle has squandered a glorious chance to double Notts County's lead against Oldham having been found unmarked by Sheehan's delivery. He could only put his effort narrowly wide of the post.
Hartlepool are once again pushing for an equaliser in the night's early kickoff, but still the Rotherham defence holds firm. The hosts have flashed two crosses right across the box without managing to get a blue and white shirt on the end of either one.
GOAL! Oldham 1-1 Notts County
Oldham equalise against Notts County at Boundary Park. It was James Tarkowski to applied the final touch, tapping the ball home at the far post to make it 1-1.
Another great chance for Hartlepool to equalise goes begging as Baldwin nods Dolan's inch-perfect delivery wide of the target. The hosts can't afford to keep passing up these opportunities!
HALF-TIME: We've reached the halfway stage in the 7.30pm kickoff between Peterborough and Dagenham & Redbridge. It remains goalless in that match, but the hosts did clip the top of the bar with a free kick right on the stroke of half time.
Portsmouth survive another scare as a goalmouth scramble is eventually hacked away by the Pompey defence. You'd have to think that one more goal for Newport would be enough tonight, I can't see Portsmouth recovering from 3-0 down.
Pompey aren't exactly doing themselves many favours either! Carson and East both make a right mess of their attempted clearances to give Newport a chance before the visitors finally scramble the ball away. Things aren't looking good for Portsmouth right now.
RED CARD! Roarie Deacon (Stevenage)
Things have just got even more interesting at the Lamex Stadium as Stevenage, who lead Leyton Orient 3-1, are reduced to 10 men. Deacon is the man sent off after hauling Batt down as the last defender. There is some debate about whether that was a clear goal-scoring opportunity for Batt, but the referee clearly thought so and showed Deacon the red card.
So we're not even at half time in that match yet and already we have seen four goal, a penalty and a red card. It can only be the Johnstone's Paint Trophy!
Swindon have come within inches of breaking the deadlock against Wycombe! Luongo found Pritchard with the pass and the winger got the ball out of his feet before firing an effort against the post. So close for the League One side.
GOAL! Swindon 0-1 Wycombe
GOAL! Oldham 2-1 Notts County
Moments after Swindon hit the post, Wycombe have the lead. Matt McClure was given time and space inside the box to take a touch before driving his effort past Belford. Oldham have also got the lead against Notts County courtesy of a Philliskirk penalty after Arquin had committed the foul.
GOAL! Chesterfield 1-0 Rochdale
GOAL! Stevenage 3-2 Leyton Orient
The goals are raining in just before half time! First, Chesterfield take the lead against Rochdale thanks to a Banks header from Roberts's cross, then Leyton Orient pull a goal back against 10-man Stevenage. It was another penalty, the second of the game, that gave Orient their second goal.
HALF-TIMES: The 7.45pm kickoffs have all gone into half time now, with plenty of late drama just before the break in a couple of the matches. Peterborough's match against Dagenham & Redbridge, meanwhile, has restarted for the second half.
Lloyd James got that penalty for Stevenage, by the way. Chris Day got a hand to the spot kick but couldn't keep it out as Stevenage reduced the deficit to one goal just before the break. What a second half we have in store there. Five goals, two penalties and a red card in the first half, what will the next 45 minutes hold?
Meanwhile, we are just about to enter the final 10 minutes at Victoria Park, where Hartlepool still trail Rotherham United 2-1. The hosts have had enough chances to win this game, so they will be kicking themselves if it finishes like this.
Hartlepool are still pushing for that elusive equaliser, but time is running out for them. Walton has sent a dangerous free kick skimming just wide in the last few minutes.
HALF-TIME SCORES: Chesterfield 1-0 Rochdale; Newport County 2-0 Portsmouth; Oldham 2-1 Notts County; Stevenage 3-2 Leyton Orient; Swindon 0-1 Wycombe.
GOAL! Peterborough 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Peterborough break the deadlock against Dagenham & Redbridge and it is a goal that has been coming. Britt Assombalonga is the man who got it, finishing a ball from Nathanial Mendez-Laing.
Meanwhile, the ball is in the net at Victoria Park, but the good news for Hartlepool is that Revell's effort is ruled out for offside. The Rotherham sub seems to have picked up a knock in the process of scoring as well and, with the visitors having made all three changes, they could be forced to finish this one with 10 men.
No, it looks like Revell will be able to continue for the final few minutes, although I'm sure he'll be happy that any equaliser for Hartlepool would send the match straight to penalties rather than extra time.
We are also starting to get back underway in the later kickoffs this evening. Newport vs. Portsmouth and Swindon vs. Wycombe lead the way in restarting for the second half.
...and we now have the full complement of matches underway once more.
Incredible scenes in the closing stages of Hartlepool's match against Rotherham as Collin, who has been the hero today, makes another fine save to deny Monkhouse late on. Moments later, Collins - the Hartlepool defender - rattles the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner. So close for the hosts deep into injury time.
Sweeney has just spurned another glorious chance to level the sides at Victoria Park! He found himself behind the Rotherham defence but volleyed over the crossbar. Hartlepool can't say that they haven't had the chances to win this one, they simply have not been clinical enough.
FULL-TIME: Hartlepool 1-2 Rotherham
GOAL! Chesterfield 1-1 Rochdale
CORRECTION: Chesterfield 1-0 Rochdale
Hartlepool go crashing out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy due to a mixture of bad luck, poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping. The winning goal was drastically unlucky for the hosts after Frecklington's effort took a huge deflection, but they should have still won the match given the amount of chances they created. Still, it is Rotherham who are the first name in the draw for the semi-finals, not least thanks to keeper Adam Collin.
We haven't had a goal or a penalty in Stevenage for a few minutes, which is strange. The hosts have made a bright start to the second half but are likely to have a tough time holding onto their 3-2 lead with just 10 men.
Just to clear up that Chesterfield confusion earlier, the referee had initially given a goal after Ian Henderson have found the back of the net, but he then changed his mind after seeing that the linesman has flagged for offside.
RED CARD! Dean Leacock (Notts County)
Notts County's chances of fighting back from 2-1 down against Oldham have just taken a massive blow as Dean Leacock is shown a red card for an off-the-ball incident. The referee took his time to make the decision, but eventually brandished reduced the visitors to 10 men.
At Chesterfield, Ian Henderson has just zipped an effort across the goal and off the outside of the post for the hosts. He had that goal disallowed a few moments ago and has now struck the woodwork.
The referee is at the centre of another controversial moment in Oldham's match against Notts County, turning down what looked like a clear penalty for a foul by Smith on Clarke-Harris, only awarding the hosts a corner. Andy Haines is the man in the middle for that match.
Swindon have almost levelled the scores against Wycombe at the County Ground. Ajose helped the ball back into the box, only for Ingram to stop the ball on the line.
We're into the final 10 minutes of Peterborough's match against Dagenham & Redbridge now. The League One side have been on top for the majority of the match, but a one goal lead is never safe.
GOAL! Oldham 3-1 Notts County
Surely that is now game over at Boundary Park. James Dayton makes it 3-1 to Oldham against 10-man Notts County with a cool finish under Spiess.
RED CARD! David Pipe (Newport County)
A glimmer of hope for Portsmouth, perhaps? They still trail Newport County 2-0 but the hosts have now been reduced to 10 men after Pipe was shown a straight red for a terrible tackle on Ricky Holmes. Around 20 minutes to go in that one.
Scott Hogan, hang you head in shame. The Rochdale man has just missed a glorious chance to equalise for his side when it would have been easier to score.
GOAL! Chesterfield 2-0 Rochdale
Isn't that just football? Moments after Hogan spurned that wonderful chance to equalise Chesterfield go and score what will surely be the goal that clinches their spot in the semi-finals. It was good play from Roberts down the wing to fire a low cross in to Armand Gnanduillet, who made no mistake with his finish.
Time is running out rapidly for Dagenham & Redbridge to find an equaliser against Peterborough. They have just entered into four minutes of stoppage time at London Road Stadium.
GOAL! Swindon 1-1 Wycombe
Swindon have the equaliser against Wycombe with under 15 minutes left on the clock. Ryan Harley's free kick took a deflection on its way into the net, with Nicky Ajose looking like he got the final touch to it.
FULL-TIME: Peterborough 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
GOAL! Chesterfield 3-0 Rochdale
GOAL! Newport County 3-0 Portsmouth
Peterborough become the first side through to the Southern Area semi-finals after holding on to their 1-0 lead against Dagenham & Redbridge. It wasn't quite as straightforward as expected for the high-flying League One side, but they got there in the end.
Meanwhile, two sides have all but booked their places in the semi-finals draws with late goals. First, Chesterfield went 3-0 up against Rochdale when Roberts broke from midfield before finding Oliver Banks, who composed himself before firing home. Shortly after that, Portsmouth were undone by another defensive mishap, with Washington again the lucky recipient as he coolly slotted the ball home to give 10-man Newport a commanding lead.
We're moving into the closing stages of the remaining five games now,with three of them looking like they're sewn up already. There is still all to play for in the Stevenage vs. Leyton Orient match, where the visitors trail by a goal but have a man advantages, and in the Swindon vs. Wycombe match, where it remains 1-1.
GOAL! Oldham 4-1 Notts County
There is the icing on the cake for Oldham as they seal their place in the semi-finals with a fourth goal against 10-man Notts County. It was Philliskirk who bagged his second of the night, smashing an effort past Spiess having been found by a fine Schmeltz pass
Surely we won't have a goalless second half at the Lamex Stadium after such an action-packed first 45 minutes, will we? Stevenage and Leyton Orient have five minutes to change things.
Bradley thinks that he has pulled a consolation goal back for Pompey, but the referee had already blown for a handball against the defender before he lashed the ball past the Newport keeper. It remains 3-0 in that match.
There will be six minutes of added time in that match, and Newport are not taking anything for granted - Jackson has just been booked for time wasting despite his side having a 3-0 lead in second half stoppage time! Needless yellow card.
GOAL! Swindon 2-1 Wycombe
RED CARD! Jordan Bove (Oldham)
FULL-TIME: Chesterfield 3-0 Rochdale
There is only one place to start and that is at the County Ground, where Swindon have nicked a late goal that will surely prove to be the winner. It is Ajose who has scored his second of the game, turning the ball in from close range to completed Swindon's comeback.
GOAL! Oldham 5-1 Notts County
FULL-TIME: Newport County 3-0 Portsmouth
FULL-TIME: Oldham 5-1 Notts County
FULL-TIME: Stevenage 3-2 Leyton Orient
FULL-TIME: Swindon 2-1 Wycombe
Let's get to Boundary Park where there was plenty of late drama in Oldham's match against Notts County. Bove was shown a red card for a horror challenge on Freeman in the closing stages, and there was still time for Clarke-Harris to smash in a fifth for his side after Spiess had saved an initial effort.
Elsewhere, Stevenage manage to hold on to make it five home wins in a row and book their spot in the semi-finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. The second half didn't quite have the same level of drama at the first, but the hosts won't care one bit as they eliminate the tournament favourites despite being reduced to 10 men in the first half.
Chesterfield cruise into the Northern Area semis with a 3-0 win over Rochdale. I was expecting that one to be a close one given the proximity of the two teams in the league table, but the hosts eased to the win in the end thanks to a brace from Banks and one from Gnanduillet.
Newport matched that scoreline in their game against Portsmouth, but they managed to do it with just 10 men. Some poor defending by Pompey gifted Conor Washington a brace, while Adedeji Oshilaia also found a goal sandwiched in between those two. David Pipe was the men who saw red for Newport.
So, the lucky teams to progress into the area semi-finals are Rotherham, Peterborough, Chesterfield, Newport County, Oldham, Stevenage and Swindon. Here are the results in full from tonight's matches...
NORTHERN AREA QUARTER-FINALS: Hartlepool 1-2 Rotherham; Oldham 5-1 Notts County; Chesterfield 3-0 Rochdale.
SOUTHERN AREA QUARTER-FINALS: Peterborough 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge; Swindon 2-1 Wycombe; Newport 3-0 Portsmouth; Stevenage 3-2 Leyton Orient.
The game of the day has to go to Stevenage's 3-2 win over Leyton Orient, if only for that opening 45 minutes. That first half brought us five goals, a red card and two penalties, while the second half had a separate storyline of the tournament favourites being unable to get past the 10 men of Stevenage.
This tournament just never disappoints, does it? It may not have the glamour and big names of the elite competitions, but what it lacks in that it makes up for in drama. Tonight alone we saw 24 goals, four red cards and three penalties in just seven matches - incredible stuff!
Right, that's all we have time for tonight. Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another wonderful night of Johnstone's Paint Trophy action. I will leave you with our roundup for the evening, and be sure to check in tomorrow to see which side completes the semi-final draw as Fleetwood take on Carlisle. Until then, though, it is goodbye from me!
