Championship: Rotherham stun Sheffield United as Watford reach top six | Championship


Sheffield United were denied the chance to go top of the Championship after South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham triumphed at Bramall Lane for the first time in 42 years.

Ben Wiles scored the decisive first-half goal after Chiedozie Ogbene drifted into the box and found the Millers captain unmarked to coolly turn the ball home.

Enda Stevens had the ball in the back of the net before the break as the Blades searched for a leveller, but the scrambled effort was ruled out for offside.

Viktor Johansson kept a fierce John Egan shot out early in the second half and dealt with a late Oli McBurnie effort, while substitute Billy Sharp also headed wide for a Blades side that failed to take anything from a game they dominated.

Josh Ruffels scored his first two goals for Huddersfield – including an audacious winner – as the Championship’s bottom side overcame high-flying QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road.

Lyndon Dykes had taken just 81 seconds to put the hosts ahead in his 100th appearance for the club, with the opener coming just moments after Seny Dieng kept Danny Ward out in a one-on-one at the other end.

The Terriers were quick to respond as the frenzied early pace of the game continued, with Ruffels levelling with a powerful finish into the top corner. The defender decisively beat Dieng again with a hooked overhead finish from the top of the box before the break.

Huddersfield’s Josh Ruffels celebrates after  beating QPR
Huddersfield’s Josh Ruffels celebrates after his two goals helped beat QPR Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

Luton manager Nathan Jones says he will speak to Southampton about their managerial vacancy on Wednesday, but has insisted that a move to the Premier League club is “not a done deal”.

Speaking after Tuesday’s 2-0 loss at Stoke City, the Welshman said it was a “wonderful honour” to be approached and added: “I hope the fans understand why I’m going for the chat because it’s a different world in the Premier League. I want to be there one day, whether that’s with Luton or with someone else. It’s just an opportunity to go and chat and to find out if it is right for me.”

Jones’ side conceded twice inside the first 13 minutes, both goals coming from left-wing crosses by Morgan Fox. Nick Powell arrived late in the box to head in the opener before Tom Lockyer, under pressure from Liam Delap, diverted into his own net.

Joao Pedro’s double was enough for a victory over Reading that sent Watford into the Championship playoff places. The Brazilian forward scored a goal in each half to give the Hornets a sixth win in 10 games since Slaven Bilic took charge.

Pedro calmly converted from the spot after he had been fouled by Ovie Ejaria as Reading failed to clear a Watford corner. And he wrapped up a deserved victory with a controlled half-volley past substitute goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis late on.

Michael Carrick’s outstanding Middlesbrough dominated Blackpool to claim a 3-0 victory at Bloomfield Road and leap four places to 16th.

Rejuvenated Boro went ahead following Isaiah Jones’ 15th-minute strike and never relinquished control. Carrick’s team scored the second goal their superiority merited when Marcus Forss crashed in a penalty three minutes after half-time.

The excellent Chuba Akpom converted Ryan Giles’ low 65th-minute cross for his fourth goal in four games to end any lingering doubts over the outcome.

Boro, who were winless in their opening six away games this season, have now won three out of four on the road following this emphatic success. Carrick has taken seven points from four games since his appointment last month.

Liam Rosenior was impressed with what he saw from Hull in the 3-2 win at Cardiff despite only having three training sessions with his new team. The former defender took over the Tigers last week and has picked up four points from his first two games.

Having dominated the first half in the Welsh capital, Hull only had a fourth-minute goal from Dimitrios Pelkas to show for their efforts. The boos from the Cardiff fans as the team left the field for half-time showed what they thought of the performance.

Callum Robinson then scored 90 seconds into the second half before crossing for Gavin Whyte to head the home side ahead. But Regan Slater fired in two goals in as many minutes to steal the show to give Rosenior his first win at Hull.

Troy Deeney’s late goal saw Birmingham City claim a point from an entertaining 2-2 draw with Swansea City. Swansea had looked set for a comeback victory having fallen behind to Scott Hogan’s early header.

Olivier Ntcham’s fine 20-yard drive brought the visitors level at St Andrew’s before a rare goal from Swansea captain Matt Grimes. But veteran Blues skipper Deeney struck from point-blank range to salvage a point for John Eustace’s side.

Coventry continued their recent revival as they registered a third consecutive Championship win by beating out-of-form Wigan. The Sky Blues pressed for the opener and were rewarded as the game wore on as Gustavo Hamer fired home a deflected shot. Thelo Aasgaard headed Max Power’s delivery straight at Coventry keeper Ben Wilson as Wigan pushed for a leveller but Viktor Gyökeres pounced on Josh Eccles’ ball to wrap up the win late on.

Championship roundup: Coventry stun Blackburn and West Brom edge to win | Championship


Jamie Allen dragged Coventry out of the Championship relegation zone as he denied Blackburn the chance to go top. Allen fired City in front four minutes before the break and Rovers’ hopes of a fightback were effectively dashed five minutes from time when the substitute Jake Garrett was dismissed for a foul on Callum Doyle.

Coventry climbed a point clear of the relegation zone as a result of their 1-0 win, while Blackburn could find themselves five points adrift of the leaders Burnley if they beat Rotherham on Wednesday evening.

Iliman Ndiaye’s header dragged Sheffield United to within a point of Rovers after a 1-0 victory at Bristol City. Ndiaye struck four minutes after the restart to hand the visitors the advantage, although the goalkeeper Wes Foderingham needed the help of an upright to preserve his clean sheet after George Tanner took aim from distance.

Tanner’s evening took a further turn for the worse deep into stoppage time when he was sent off for an ugly challenge on James McAtee which sparked something of a melee.

It proved a better night for the new managers Michael Carrick and Carlos Corberán as both tasted victory for the first time in their posts.

Carrick’s Middlesbrough won 3-1 at Hull, with a significant helping hand from their hosts. Chuba Akpom headed Boro into a 30th-minute lead from Tommy Smith’s cross, but Hull responded and, after Jean Michaël Seri had rattled a post, the Boro old boy Cyrus Christie levelled on the hour in front of the watching Liam Rosenior, who is expected to be named as Shota Arveladze’s replacement on Wednesday.

However, the visitors were back in front within three minutes when Tobias Figueiredo bundled into his own net under pressure from Dael Fry, and Christie was similarly unfortunate when he defected Ryan Giles’ cross past his own keeper with 10 minutes remaining.

West Brom’s need was even greater as Corberán guided them to a 1-0 victory against Blackpool in his second game at the helm even after furious fans turned on the owner Guochuan Lai. They left it late, however, with Okay Yokuslu making the decisive intervention with just five minutes remaining to end West Brom’s three-match losing streak and clinch a first home win since 20 August.

Albion fans mobilised against Lai in the 12th minute with the chairman, in charge since 2016, the target of their anger having borrowed £5m from the club during the Covid pandemic. The home supporters turned on their torches to ‘shine a light’ on the club’s problems, a move planned by group Action for Albion, and chanted for Lai to go.

A Brad Potts goal was enough to hand Preston victory against high-flying Swansea. Potts put the home side ahead on the half-hour mark when he followed up after Ched Evans’ attempt had been saved, in the process sending Preston level on points with sixth-placed Swansea.

Luton and Reading had to make do with a point apiece after a 0-0 draw at Kenilworth Road on a night when Jeff Hendrick and Andy Carroll both went close for the visitors after the break.

Championship: Blackburn go top and Swansea pull off brilliant comeback | Championship


Blackburn went top of the Championship as they defeated their former manager Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland 2-0 on his first return to Ewood Park.

Ben Brereton Díaz put Rovers ahead when he curled a left‑footed effort into the top corner from the edge of the box, seconds after a Sunderland penalty appeal was turned down. Scott Wharton’s close-range header soon after half‑time put Rovers in control despite a hint of offside. Sunderland pushed to try to get back into the game but they could not find a way past a resolute home defence as Ryan Hedges’s effort from almost halfway with the final kick of the game glanced the Sunderland post.

Jay Fulton scored a spectacular long-range winner as Swansea City fought back from 2-0 down to claim a thrilling 3-2 win against Reading.

Classy finishes from Yakou Méïté and Tom Ince put Reading on course for an away triumph. But Harry Darling’s header made it 2-1 at half-time before Ollie Cooper swept in the equaliser. Fulton’s stunner in the 74th minute earned Swansea a sixth win in eight games as they bounced back from a weekend thrashing at Burnley.

This was a third successive home win for the Welsh club, who climb to seventh in the table, while Reading drop to ninth after their third successive defeat.

There were echoes of Sunday’s power failure at Leeds when the lights went out inside the opening 60 seconds of the game, prompting a six-minute delay.

The Luton striker Carlton Morris scored against the club where he began his career as Norwich City lost their third successive Championship game. Morris, signed from Barnsley in the summer, fired home his seventh goal of the season from Allan Campbell’s assist as the Hatters stretched their unbeaten run to seven games. Norwich went down to 10 men four minutes later when the Scotland international Kenny McLean was shown a straight red card after appearing to raise an arm to Tom Lockyer.

Jay Fulton scored a brilliant goal to give Swansea a 3-2 win against Reading.
Jay Fulton scored a brilliant goal to give Swansea a 3-2 win against Reading. Photograph: Ashley Crowden/JMP/Shutterstock

Teemu Pukki whistled a shot past the post as the Canaries pressed for an equaliser, but there was no way back for Dean Smith’s side as they slipped two places to fifth in the table – below Luton, who moved up to fourth.

Managerless West Brom endured a fourth defeat in seven games as they were beaten by two first-half goals from a resurgent Bristol City. The City top scorer Nahki Wells helped to create the first for the midfielder Joe Williams and then headed the second as the former Albion assistant manager Nigel Pearson made a happy return to the Hawthorns.

The Baggies had made a great start to life after Steve Bruce’s sacking when their caretaker manager Richard Beale led them to a 2-0 win at Reading on Saturday. But limp defending was the root cause of their latest defeat which leaves them a point above the drop zone in 20th.

Preston moved to within two points of the playoff places courtesy of Greg Cunningham’s second-half header as they defeated Huddersfield 1-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium. Both sides had come into the game in stuttering form and it showed, with Preston’s Alvaro Fernández having the best chances towards the end of the first half.

Cunningham headed North End in front five minutes into the second half and Huddersfield failed to get a shot on target as they slipped to their ninth league defeat of the season.

Rotherham moved up to 10th after they beat Stoke 1-0 at the Bet365 Stadium thanks to Ollie Rathbone’s sixth-minute goal.

Championship roundup: six goals and four red cards in Bramall Lane chaos | Championship


Oliver Norwood’s goal at the death rescued a point for Sheffield United in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Blackpool, which ended with four red cards and a mass brawl.

The hosts had looked comfortable following goals from James McAtee and Iliman Ndiaye, but Jerry Yates struck twice to make it all-square at the break and Kenny Dougall made it 3-2 to Blackpool early in the second half.

Blackpool were reduced to nine men in the closing stages with Marvin Ekpiteta and Dominic Thompson both sent off and, soon after Rhian Brewster missed an 88th-minute penalty, Norwood equalised deep into time added on. A brawl after the final whistle ended with red cards for Wes Foderingham and Shayne Lavery.

Jay Rodriguez struck twice as Burnley despatched 10-man Swansea 4-0 to replace Sheffield United at the top. The Swans’ run of four-straight wins was brought to an end by goals from Vitinho, Rodriguez and Anass Zaroury, and their misery was completed by a straight red card for top scorer Joel Piroe for violent conduct with 15 minutes left.

Managerless West Brom defeated Reading 2-0 to end their eight-match run without a league victory. Under the guidance of interim manager Richard Beale after Steve Bruce was sacked on Monday, Albion went in front in the 25th minute through a close-range effort from Matt Phillips. Although Reading had much of the play in the second period, the visitors secured the three points in the 72nd minute through a fine goal from defender Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

Middlesbrough dropped into the relegation zone as their problems continued to mount with a 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn. Rovers returned to winning ways at the Riverside thanks to an early own goal from Darragh Lenihan and a superb long-range finish from Sam Gallagher. Duncan Watmore gave Middlesbrough hope when he pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, but, with interim manager Leo Percovich watching on from the technical area, the hosts were unable to avoid a second successive defeat.

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League One roundup: Plymouth extend lead at top

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Plymouth remained top of the table after a thoroughly professional display saw them brush aside a struggling MK Dons side 4-1.

The visitors scored the opener less than 10 minutes into the game, Morgan Whittaker latching onto Matt Butcher’s through ball and, though his tame shot was straight at Jamie Cumming, the MK Dons goalkeeper could not hold onto it as it spilled over the line.

The lead was doubled on 25 minutes, Niall Ennis finishing off a neat move that involved some slick, quick passing from Finn Azaz and Whittaker.

Argyle increased their advantage further eight minutes before half-time, Azaz picking up a loose ball from the home defenders before lashing home from 12 yards out. Will Grigg got the home side back into the game four minutes after the restart, firing home past Michael Cooper after picking the ball up on the edge of the visitors’ area.

A three-goal lead was restored 10 minutes later, Azaz again latching onto a loose ball before curling past Cumming in the MK Dons goal.

Lowly Lincoln stunned Ipswich with a 1-0 victory and inflicted the first home league defeat of the season on the Tractor Boys.

The only goal of the game came in the 24th minute from Ben House following a corner. The ball initially hit the head of Regan Poole and went up in the air only to drop down for the City man to score.

Oxford turned in a superb display as they ran out emphatic 4-2 winners at Exeter.

Cameron Brannagan, Sam Long and a double from Kyle Joseph put the visitors in complete control inside an hour at St James Park and Exeter could only respond though consolation goals from Jevani Brown and Sonny Cox.

A second-half comeback from Port Vale saw them snatch a point in a 2-2 draw with Forest Green.

Two first-half headed goals from Myles Peart-Harris and Baily Cargill, both via free-kicks, left Vale dumbfounded after they had controlled possession. Mipo Odubeko pulled one back after the break before Ellis Harrison’s late penalty secured a point.

Lee Gregory scored twice in Sheffield Wednesday’s 2-0 win at CambridgeDerby defeated Accrington 3-0 with Stanley missing two penalties, Shrewsbury edged past Fleetwood 1-0 and Wycombe saw off Peterborough 3-1. Bristol Rovers scored four in the first half but none in the second as they down Cheltenham 4-1.

There was a 1-1 draw between Burton and Morecambe, while Bolton and Barnsley ended goalless. 

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Elliot Embleton and Dennis Cirkin led a second-half Sunderland comeback to secure a first win in five games for Tony Mowbray’s side with a 2-1 victory over Wigan. Charlie Wyke had continued his fine return to football with a second goal in as many weeks at his former ground, but a formation change from Mowbray at the interval turned the tide of the contest definitively.

Two expertly taken goals from Will Smallbone and Tyrese Campbell inside eight second-half minutes propelled Stoke to a wholly deserved 2-0 win at Preston. Stoke’s win meant a successful first return to Deepdale for former Preston manager Alex Neil, who has revived hopes of a promotion challenge after taking charge of the Potters in August.

Midfielder Smallbone, on loan from Southampton, sparked joyous scenes among more than 3,000 travelling fans behind Freddie Woodman’s goal when he stroked Stoke in front after 58 minutes and Campbell was equally clinical in the 66th.

Lewis Baker of Stoke City celebrates their side's first goal scored by teammate Will Smallbone.
Lewis Baker of Stoke City celebrates their side’s first goal scored by teammate Will Smallbone. Photograph: Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Luton ended their long wait for a victory over QPR as they halted the visitors’ five-game unbeaten run with a 3-1 win at Kenilworth Road. The Hatters had not won any of their six meetings since returning to the Championship, with their last league success coming in January 2006.

Luton took the lead on 19 minutes through Elijah Adebayo, then, with 13 minutes to play, made it two via a Jimmy Dunne own goal. In added time another own goal, this one from Ethan Horvath, made it 2-1, but there was still time for Luton to find a third through Luke Freeman.

Matt Taylor earned his first win as Rotherham manager as they edged out Huddersfield 2-1. The result ensured Rotherham’s strong home form continued and put a seven-point buffer between the two sides as Taylor looks to put his stamp on the squad built over six years under predecessor Paul Warne.

The hosts took a 25th-minute lead via a clinical curler from Conor Washington. Huddersfield levelled four minutes later as Danny Ward struck through a host of bodies at the near post. The winner came on the hour from substitute Georgie Kelly.

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League Two roundup: Stevenage stay top despite Gills draw

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Stevenage maintained their two-point lead at the top despite being held 1-1 at Gillingham. Steve Evans’ side were denied a fifth straight league win as Elkan Baggott’s first-half header for Gillingham cancelled out Danny Rose’s opener.

The point was enough to keep Stevenage clear of Leyton Orient and Northampton, who drew 0-0 at the Breyer Group Stadium.
Orient defender Daniel Happe’s first-half header hit the crossbar, while Northampton played most of the second half with 10 men after midfielder Ben Fox was shown a straight red card.

Mansfield extended their unbeaten home league run this season to six matches as substitute Will Swan’s late header sealed a 2-1 win against Walsall. The promotion-chasing Stags had been pegged back by Liam Bennett before the interval after George Lapslie had given them the lead. 

Andy Cook’s 13th goal of the season in all competitions sealed Bradford a 1-0 win at fellow promotion hopefuls Salford, who struck the crossbar through Callum Hendry’s first-half effort. Jack Stretton fired a second-half double as Carlisle extended their unbeaten league run to nine matches with a 3-0 home win against Doncaster. Callum Guy gave Carlisle a first-half lead and Derby loanee Stretton fired his first goals for the Cumbrians.

Grimsby climbed up to 10th after their 3-1 win at 10-man Stockport.
Harry Clifton and Gavan Holohan struck in the space of six first-half minutes for the Mariners and although Paddy Madden reduced the deficit, Alex Hunt’s stoppage-time effort sealed all three points. Stockport midfielder Callum Camps received a straight red card for a reckless high tackle.

Rochdale made it three wins from four as goals in either half from Liam Kelly and Scott Quigley secured them a 2-1 home victory against Barrow. Niall Canavan headed a late consolation for the visitors.
Harrogate ended their eight-game winless league run by beating Hartlepool 2-1 at the EnviroVent Stadium. Alex Pattison and Jack Muldoon gave Harrogate a 2-0 half-time lead before Josh Umerah’s late reply.

Tyrese Shade’s solitary second-half goal clinched Swindon a 1-0 home win against Colchester and Sutton won by the same score at AFC Wimbledon thanks to Craig Eastmond’s close-range finish.

Managerless Newport slipped to a sixth defeat in eight league games, losing 2-1 at Crawley, who climbed off the foot of the table. James Tilley and Ashley Nadesan’s header gave Crawley a two-goal lead and despite Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s reply for Newport, the home side held on.

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Zian Flemming hit a 76th-minute winner to give Millwall a 2-1 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The visitors took a 44th-minute lead when Tom Bradshaw’s diving header was well saved by Max O’Leary, only for the striker to get up and shoot home from the rebound.

City responded on 71 minutes when substitute Cameron Pring’s low cross from the left was turned into his own net by Millwall skipper Shaun Hutchinson as he stretched to intercept. But an error from O’Leary, failing to collect the ball when advancing towards the edge on to claim a high ball, allowed Flemming to slot into an unguarded net from 15 yards. The City keeper saved an injury-time penalty from substitute Benek Afobe after a foul by Alex Scott on George Saville, but it counted for nothing.

Coventry ended a run of nine successive away defeats as they recorded only their second win of the season thanks to a first-half goal from Viktor Gyokeres at Cardiff. The 1-0 victory by Mark Robins’ side moved them closer to their relegation rivals with games in hand due to the problems they had at the start of the season in using the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Watford hosted Norwich in the day’s late kick-off.

Championship roundup: Bruce under pressure as West Brom slip into bottom three | Championship


Emil Riis piled the pressure on Steve Bruce as Preston extended West Brom’s winless Championship run to seven games. In a lively start, Riis converted Álvaro Fernández’s seventh-minute cross.

Grady Diangana might have levelled almost immediately for the visitors and Jed Wallace and Okay Yokuslu both went close before the break, and although West Brom enjoyed the better of the second half, they were unable to find a way past North End keeper Freddie Woodman as they slipped into the bottom three after a 1-0 defeat.

Ben Cabango struck eight minutes into stoppage time as Swansea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford. Cabango made the decisive intervention on a night when a problem with the officials’ communications system saw 17 minutes of added time signalled and 21 played at the end of the game.

Ismaila Sarr’s 34th-minute goal handed the Hornets the advantage at the break, but the Swans were level within seven minutes of the restart thanks to Olivier Ntcham, and Cabango took full advantage when he got his head to Ryan Manning’s late cross.

Óscar Estupiñán’s first goal in six games handed managerless Hull a comeback victory over Wigan. Will Keane had headed the Latics into a 14th-minute lead, but his effort was cancelled out within seven minutes when Dimitrios Pelkas struck.

However, it was left to the Colombian Estupiñán to claim the points with a 65th-minute header from Callum Elder’s cross.

Chuba Akpom’s first-half strike ensured caretaker Middlesbrough manager Leo Percovich’s big night ended with a 1-0 victory over Birmingham.

Akpom fired the Teessiders, who parted company with Chris Wilder on Monday, into a 23rd-minute lead when he stabbed home from a corner, and they saw out the game to claim their first win in four.

Harry Clarke’s last-gasp header denied promotion-chasing Burnley victory as Stoke bounced back from their weekend nightmare to claim a creditable point.

The substitute Clarke converted Tariqe Fosu’s 87th-minute cross to snatch a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor three days after the Potters’ 4-0 home drubbing by Watford.

Connor Roberts had scored for the home side nine minutes into the second half, but Vincent Kompany’s men saw two points slip from their grasp.

Rotherham and Millwall had to make do with a point apiece as their clash at the New York Stadium ended 1-1. Dan Barlaser put the Millers ahead with a ninth-minute penalty after Jake Cooper had fouled Ben Wiles, but the visitors were back in it three minutes before the break when Zian Flemming smashed a shot into the top corner.