League Two’s leading scorer Rhys Murphy took his tally for the season to eight as the Daggers put leaders Rochdale to the sword and sent them spinning off top spot.
The Dagenham and Redbridge striker opened the scoring in the 3-1 win thanks to an assist from Medy Elito who then bagged a brace to put himself in with a shout for PFA fans’ player of the month.
Former Arsenal trainee Murphy was also on target against Southend, Northampton and Accrington as the Daggers chalked up three wins and a draw from their five league games in October.
Until Saturday, it had been an excellent month for ever-improving Hartlepool who had chalked up four league wins on the bounce before going down 1-0 at Scunthorpe.
Comprehensive wins against Mansfield, Exeter and Wimbledon, with a narrow victory over Plymouth sandwiched in between, saw Pool make great strides up the table.
Luke James was on target in three of those wins whilst Jack Compton also chipped in with three, including a brace in the 4-1 win at Mansfield.
Like Hartlepool, another of the division’s emerging promotion contenders Burton also won four and lost one of their five league games during a profitable month.
Gary Rowett’s men have stormed into the play-off places with Billy Kee and Adam McGurk leading the way with five goals between them.
Kee kicked off the month with a brace against Wycombe – prompting Rowett to describe him as the ‘best in the bottom two divisions’ – whilst McGurk carried on the mantle with three goals of his own to take his tally for the season to six.
York’s Ryan Jarvis is just ahead of McGurk and James in the League Two scoring stakes and is another worthy contender for the October fans’ player award.
Two wins and two draws have elevated Newport into the play-off places, with the club’s leading scorer Chris Zebroski on target in the 3-0 win against York, and Conor Washington earning his stars and stripes with a goal in the 3-1 win victory over Southend.
Last word, for now, has to go to veteran striker Jamie Cureton who chalked up the 250th goal of his incredible career in Cheltenham’s 2-1 win against Dagenham earlier in the month.
The 38-year-old, who scored his first professional goal for Norwich against Chelsea in December 1994, is still going strong 18 years on and said: “To get the win and the 250th goal makes it that bit more sweet."
Source: DSG
