Sheffield United continued their climb away from the League One relegation zone tonight with a late 1-0 victory over Colchester United, which extended their winning streak to four matches.
Chris Porter, who scored the penalty that put the Blades into the FA Cup quarter-finals, was at it again from the spot as he scored the only goal of the game on 87 minutes.
United are now in the top half of the table, six points clear of the bottom four, while Colchester are three points below them and level with Crawley Town, who drew 1-1 with Swindon Town.
Full-back Nathan Bryne put the Robins ahead shortly after the interval, but Matt Tubbs, on loan from Bournemouth, struck 10 minutes from time to earn the visitors to the County Ground a point.
Elsewhere, MK Dons held off an Oldham Athletic comeback to improve their playoff chances. George Baldock and Izale McLeod gave them a comfortable cushion at the break and although Charlie MacDonald halved their advantage on 57 minutes, the ninth-placed Dons hung on for a 2-1 success.
Results in full: Colchester 0-1 Sheffield United, Oldham Athletic 1-2 MK Dons, Preston 3-3 Rotherham, Stevenage 1-0 Crewe Alexandra, Swindon 1-1 Crawley
