Bournemouth ended a run of three straight defeats and cut the gap on League Two leaders Rochdale to seven points after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Crewe.
Goals from Steve Fletcher and Anton Robinson gave the Cherries a comfortable advantage before Luke Murphy reduced the deficit to give the visitors some anxious moments.
With Rochdale not playing until they face fourth-placed Bury on Monday, and third-placed Rotherham's game with Macclesfield being postponed, it was a big chance for the chasing pack. But only Notts County managed to take full advantage, with early goals from Karl Hawley and Ben Davies providing a 2-0 home win over Barnet to move them up to fifth.
Play-off chasers Shrewsbury were embarrassed by a 1-0 home defeat to Accrington, who opened the scoring through Robert Grant after 26 minutes and survived despite having Andrew Proctor sent off late on.
Aldershot also slipped up in a 1-1 home draw with second-bottom Grimsby who missed a golden opportunity to record their first league win in 19 League Two games.
Martin Gritton's 18th-minute strike for Chesterfield kept them in the promotion frame as they won 1-0 at Morecambe, despite being handicapped by having Frankie Artus sent off in the first half.
Andy Holt struck in the 88th minute to rescue a point for Northampton against Burton at Sixfields. Shaun Harrad's 53rd-minute opener looked like sending the visitors towards three points.
Struggling Hereford had no luck at Port Vale despite the home side being reduced to 10 men in the first half following Lewis Haldane's sending-off as they lost 2-0.
Bradford ended a run of five games without a win by snatching victory at Torquay. Gareth Evans struck in the 82nd and 90th minutes to turn the game after Chris Robertson's 15th-minute opener.
As well as Rotherham's home tie with Macclesfield, the games between Cheltenham and rock-bottom Darlington, and Lincoln and Dagenham and Redbridge, were postponed.
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