Ok, that appears to be it from this afternoon’s matches.
It truly was a good Friday of football. Pressure now on Wolves at Middlesbrough this evening and Aston Villa at Hull tomorrow. And no rest for the wicked in the EFL. There will be a full schedule of matches on Bank Holiday Monday.
Thanks for stopping by.
Meanwhile, the 3pm kick-offs have been still rolling.
Jack Marriot scored in the 98th minute to equalise for Peterborough at Rotherham. Only just full-time between Colchester and Luton, a 2-1 home win which is great new for League Two leaders Accrington.
Shrewsbury have just had a late penalty ruled out but Rochdale go down the other to end to score and make it 3-1. Hope springs at Spotland where the whistle finally goes.
So, what did we learn?
Cardiff are looking relentless, while Fulham look capable of keeping up the pace but may have left too much to do. Millwall are surging into the play-offs while Sheffield United’s bad tempered draw didn’t do much for their hopes, while Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday got morale-boosting wins.
At the bottom, Barnsley let it slip and will probably rue that late equaliser, while Burton are going down.
Full-time scores in the Championship are in.
Millwall 2-0 Nottingham Forest in the earlier game.
Barnsley 2-2 Bristol City
Brentford 1-1 Sheffield United
Cardiff 3-1 Burton
Leeds United 2-1 Bolton
Norwich 0-2 Fulham
Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Preston
Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Preston (Forestieri 90)
The Owls close it out with a fine goal. The maverick talent of Fernando Forestieri shining through.
And Macclesfield steal it late at Woking. Amazing scenes after Danny Whitehead’s goal. Manager John Askey had been sent off. Tears from the Woking players. Macc six clear in the race to be in the Football League next season.
Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Preston (Nuhiu 90)
What a goal from Nuhiu. He was supposed to keep the ball in the corner but instead jinked to smash in an amazing, dipping finish.
Goal! Barnsley 2-2 Bristol City (Josh Brownhill 90)
Bitter blow for Barnsley as the ball is bundled home for an equaliser. It hasn’t gone down well among the locals, and there are ructions on the sidelines.
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Plymouth Argyle running riot and possibly into the play-offs, with their tenth win in 11 matches soon to be collected. They are 4-0 up on Southend.
Leon Clarke has gone close at Brentford for Sheffield United, but had his shot smothered. Some truly horrible playing conditions out there in West London.
Sutton United will not be able to take advantage of Macc’s slip at Woking. Their game with Maidenhead has been called off. And this is the reason.
Unfortunately with weather conditions and the pitch deteriorating the referee called today’s match off after a half time inspection.
— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) March 30, 2018
More to follow. pic.twitter.com/x6wjAfej1s
In League One, Charlton Athletic are 4-0 up at Northampton.
In the National League, Woking just equalised against Macclesfield Town. 2-2.
Barnsley 2-1 Bristol City (Potts 78)
Great goal from Brad Potts, after fine hold-up play from Kieffer Moore, and Barnsley are on their way to three vital points as they fight against relegation. Bad news for Burton and Birmingham, and Sunderland, should they not have given up.
Those Championship games involving the Yorkshire clubs - Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Barnsley and Leeds - are those with plenty to play for.
Both Fulham and Cardiff look to have got their jobs done for the afternoon.
Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Preston (Moult 72)
Louis Moult - any relation of Ted? - has made a game of it at Hillsborough.
Goal! Brentford 1-1 Sheffield United (Mepham 68)
Chris Mepham’s first senior goal tells only very little of the tale. Bees’ Ryan Woods and Jamal Blackman, the Blades’ goalkeeper, have been sent off. Blackman refused to give the ball back and they went at each other. Red cards for both, though this was hardly Francis Lee v Norman Hunter.
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Goal! Norwich 0-2 Fulham (Cairney 70)
Let’s call this great management from Slavisa Jokanovic. Fulham idled through this game and then turned on the afterburners.
Goal! Norwich 0-1 Fulham (Johansen 66)
Fulham had the pressure on them and have responded. Angus Gunn failed to keep out a Mitrovic header and Stefan Johansen bundled in the rebound. Needless to say, that came after the introduction of Ryan Sessegnon as a sub.
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Goal! Cardiff 3-1 Burton (Patterson 64)
Callum Patterson has Cardiff cruising.
Bolton battling back at Leeds, for whom Paul Heckinbottom has won just one game in eight game in charge of the seemingly cursed White Rose clubs. There will be nerves jangling at Elland Road. Who would manage that club?
Accrington Stanley are leading 1-0 at Mansfield through Seamus Conneely, and will go top of League Two if it stays that way.
Goal! Brentford 0-1 Sheffield United (Basham 55)
Blades score via a deflection from Chris Basham’s effort, and if it stays this way, with the likes of Preston struggling, they are breathing down the necks of the play-off contenders.
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In the National League, Macc Town are 2-1 up at Woking.
Adam Le Fondre, whose first name is Glenville, of course.
Goal! Leeds 2-1 Bolton (Le Fondre 53)
Bolton are back in in it through Adam Le Fondre. Stockport’s finest is never far from the goals.
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Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 (Joao 52)
And now the Owls are flying. Great, salmon-like header from Lucas Joao.
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Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Preston (Atdhe Nuhiu (50)
Close-range finish put the Owls ahead.
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Goal! Leeds United 2-0 Bolton (Hernandez 50)
Some kind goalkeeping allows Leeds to double their lead through Pablo Hernandez.
With Fulham still flat at Norwich, Cardiff are sitting pretty but an early goal would have made the half-time pies go down a bit easier.
Ok, we are back underway at Cardiff.
Zohore might have scored in the opening seconds but then passed to Junior Hoilett rather than shoot himself. Neil will not be pleased.
The big boys are back tomorrow after the international break.
Some half-time viewing: A club that could find itself in the Championship if it doesn’t get its house in order soon, those unhappy Hammers.
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Half-time scores in the Championship
Barnsley 1-1 Bristol City
Brentford 0-0 Sheffield United
Cardiff 2-1 Burton
Leeds 1-0 Bolton
Norwich 0-0 Fulham
Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 PNE
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Port Vale’s Danny Pugh has just scored and been sent off within the space of 120 seconds.
Elsewhere in red card news, Roger Johnson, once of Cardiff, Birmingham, Wolves and West Ham, has been sent off for Bromley. He’s 34 these days, Rog. Remember when there were calls for England to give him a spin?
Goal! Cardiff 2-1 Burton (Mendez-Laing 45)
Great wing play from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, cutting inside to score. Once Cardiff began to pile on the pressure, Burton have been struggling and counting down to half-time.
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Norwich and Fulham is turning into something of a damp squib. Very damp, in fact, and neither team are finding it easy to play amid the mistrals of East Anglia.
Billy Sharp is a blunted Blade for Sheffield United, having failed to convert three decent chances at Brentford.
Just below Macc in the National League, Sutton United, they of the troublesome 3g pitch, have pegged back Maidenhead to 2-2.
At the top of the National League, mighty, mighty Macclesfield Town have just equalised at Woking. A diving header to remind of Robin van Persie v Spain from Nathan Blissett. Well, sort of.
Plymouth now leading Southend 2-0 after what was either a happy deflection or an absolute fluke, depending on your point of view. Graham Carey gets the goal bonus, though.
Goal! Barnsley 1-1 Bristol City (Famara Diedhou 31)
A wonderful, dipping swerver grabs an equaliser for City.
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Norwich and Fulham is deadlocked with neither team playing well, and that fabled Fulham football falling very flat. Surely young Sessegnon will be introduced at some point.
At Rochdale, there has been a long delay in play, as Aristote Nsiala - Toto - of Shrewsbury is being attended to. He is being taken to hospital and Spotland has gone very quiet.
In League One, Fleetwood Town are winning at AFC Wimbledon. John Sheridan is turning matters around at the seaside club, who are on course for their third win in succession.
Goal! Cardiff 1-1 Burton (Darren Bent 21)
Cardiff’s slackness cost them there, and Darren Bent does not miss chances like that.
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Down in non-league football, it comes as no surprise to hear that this game was called off.
Dulwich Hamlet v Dorking at Tooting & Mitcham. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is here too! pic.twitter.com/gzxkFrNU7D
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) March 30, 2018
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Neil’s coming for you...there will be three points in it if that stays the same; and that puts real pressure on Fulham, too. And on Aston Villa, who play at Hull City tomorrow. These fixtures are the return of the matches that started the EFL season.
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Goal! Cardiff 1-0 Burton (Zohore 16)
No need for Neil to blow his top. The first proper attack that Cardiff mounted has resulted in a goal for Kenneth Zohore.
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Cardiff struggling to get going against Nigel Clough’s Burton but it is not yet time for Neil Warnock to lose his cool just yet.
Rochdale, those FA Cup heroes, are in real danger of the drop from League One. They are losing 1-0 to Shrewsbury, for whom Nathan Thomas has scored.
Goal! Barnsley 1-0 Bristol City (Moore 7)
Kieffer Moore, involved in a tussle just a few minutes ago, has scored for the Tykes.
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That, though, was an excellent volleyed finish from Caleb Ekuban for Leeds.
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Goal! Leeds United 1-0 Bolton (Ekuban 4)
Great start for Leeds after some awful defending from Bolton.
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We are now underway in the 3pm kick-offs and the first goal comes for mighty Plymouth Argyle against Southend. Ruben Lameiras on the mark.
Full-time: Millwall 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Millwall now one point off the play-offs. They could be the team to fear if they get there. Do not rule out a second successive play-off promotion.
League One’s other early game finished at 1-1 between Oxford and Scunthorpe.
Full-time at Wigan, where the home team beat Oldham 3-0 and climbed back to the top of League One.
The weather is distinctly soggy out there, which could make for some thrills and spills.
📽️ The Blades take to a very wet Griffin Park pitch to begin warm-up preparations ahead of this afternoon's clash 🔴⚪️⚫️⚔️ #twitterblades #ForgedinSteel #sufc pic.twitter.com/qNVxqheUng
— Sheffield United (@SUFC_tweets) March 30, 2018
Soon to be taking his leave of this cruel world is Mick McCarthy, or at least until he get his next job. Ipswich play tomorrow against Birmingham, and here’s Nick Ames’ take.
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A revenge mission for Cardiff in mind? Burton have already won at the Cardiff City Stadium this season in the League Cup, a 2-1 win in August, though perhaps Neil Warnock might not have been too fussed about that. Promotion, which would come against the odds considering the budget Warnock works on, is the only game in town.
Wigan are now 3-0 up in the Lancashire derby with Oldham. Nick Powell on the mark to follow goals from Grigg and James Vaughan.
Ryan Sessegnon is on the bench for Fulham. Looks like he is being rested, though Norwich can expect their tiring legs to have to face Fulham’s flier at some point.
In League One, Wigan lead Oldham 2-0 and will go top of the league. And, yes, Will Grigg did get one of them.
Remember when Leeds v Bolton was a Premier League fixture? The last time that happened was in the 2003-04 season, when Big Sam Allardyce was in his prime, and his old mate Peter Reid was Leeds manager, for the first meeting at least. That was the season that Leeds went into the freefall they are still to right themselves for.
History suggests Fulham have little to fear when playing Norwich, who have won just one of the last 21 matches between the two teams.
Neil Warnock has made a single change for his Cardiff team, drafting in Craig Bryson for Aron Gunnarsson.
Down in the National League, you have to feel for the Tranmere fans who made this trip, only for the game to be called off so late.
BREAKING
— Dover Athletic FC (@DoverAthletic) March 30, 2018
Today’s @TheNationalLge match against @TranmereRovers has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
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In League One meanwhile, it’s currently 1-1 between Oxford and Scunthorpe. The Iron had been utterly dominant in the first half and yet they have been pegged back by a disputed penalty that was not too VAR-friendly.
Down at the New Den, Millwall are giving Nottingham Forest a South London seeing-too, and lead 2-0, after goals from Shaun Williams and Lee Gregory. The first came after just 29 seconds.
Playing twice over Easter used to be a tradition in the old First Division and early Premier League years. Good to see the Championship maintaining that. It was a bit like a mini Christmas schedule. Imagine the complaints you would get these days: there would be calls for a spring break and the like.
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Read Louise Taylor on the burning Championship issues over a busy Easter period.
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Good afternoon on this Good Friday.
We are at the business end of the race for promotion and against demotion in the Championship. With Wolves playing in today’s 5.30 game at Middlesbrough, where they face the daunting prospect of being Pulis-ed, then Cardiff City have a chance to put pressure on the leaders. Cardiff, who have played one game fewer than Wolves, are six points behind, but more importantly seven points clear of Fulham in third. Burton Albion, second bottom and surely headed for the drop, look ideal opponents to face for Neil Warnock, but some touchline high-jinks from the Football League’s prime promotion hunter and alpha male cannot be ruled out. Fulham are at Norwich, meanwhile, having slipped up by drawing with QPR a fortnight ago. Norwich’s 3-2 defeat of Reading last time out was their first win in a while, and the result that did for Jaap Stam. Trademarked officially as the EFL’s best footballing side, Slavisa Jokanovic’s team simply have to keep the hammer down.
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