Reading came from two goals down to beat Bristol City 3-2 at Ashton Gate to stay third as they prepare for their FA Cup tie at Manchester United on Saturday. Yann Kermorgant scored two late goals, the second from 25 yards, after the on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham’s double had put the home side 2-0 up. His second, and 17th of the season, came from the spot after Tyler Blackett had fouled Callum O’Dowda. But youngster Liam Kelly, a second-half substitute who recently signed a new contract until 2019, kick-started Reading’s comeback before Kermorgant’s injury-time winner clinched an unlikely victory. The striker beat Bristol City goalkeeper Frank Fielding with a low 25-yard drive from outside the box to make it three wins from three for Jaap Stam’s side.
Lee Johnson’s side, meanwhile, have now lost nine of their last 10 matches. “We don’t need radicalisation but we do need to bring some new faces in,” Johnson said. “I hope our supporters can stick with us because I do feel it will turn.”
Leeds United beat Rotherham 3-0 in a Yorkshire derby at Elland Road, all the goals coming in the second half, to earn their ninth win in 12 league matches. Kyle Bartley headed home soon after half-time before Chris Wood struck twice.
“There were a few choice words at half-time, we lacked urgency and it was the poorest I had seen us in a long time,” the Leeds manager, Garry Monk, said. “We can’t afford to be under 100%, we need to give the crowd a performance for 90 minutes, not just for 45.”
At the summit, Brighton and Hove Albion won 2-1 at Fulham to return top, as Newcastle United slipped up at Blackburn Rovers. Chris Hughton’s side extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches after two goals in two minutes turned the game around at Craven Cottage. Lucas Piazon’s fourth goal of the season had put Fulham in front before Tomer Hemed and then defender Lewis Dunk scored quickfire second-half goals. Brighton’s last league defeat came at home to Brentford in September.
Preston North End defeated struggling Burton Albion 1-0 courtesy of Callum Robinson’s goal on the brink of half‑time. Nelson Oliveira scored a hat-trick as Norwich City overcame 10-man Derby County 3-0 at Carrow Road, ending Steve McClaren’s 10-match unbeaten run.
Huddersfield Town kept pace with Reading towards the summit after Nakhi Wells’s 80th-minute winner at Wigan while Wolves held sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday to a 0-0 draw at Hillsborough.
Pawel Wszolek had scored the winner for Queens Park Rangers at Wolves on Saturday and the Polish forward did the damage again as Ian Holloway’s side recorded back-to-back wins, scoring seven minutes from time to secure a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town at Loftus Road. “It’s all about points and we’ve just got six; that feels great,” Holloway said. “It’s about building on that now.”
Nottingham Forest suffered a fourth successive defeat after losing 1-0 at home to Barnsley, who struck late on through Conor Hourihane. Paul Heckingbottom’s side sit eighth in the table while Forest slid to 20th, behind Cardiff City, after Neil Warnock’s side beat visiting Aston Villa 1-0.
Elsewhere, Gianfranco Zola’s wait for a first win in charge of Birmingham City goes on after losing 3-1 at home to Brentford. “I thought when we lost a little bit of confidence we started to make mistakes with the ball,” Zola said. “We were poor in transition and after the first half I did not expect that to be honest but that’s the way it is.”
League One
There were more away fans (3,157) than home supporters as Sheffield United recorded their first win of the new year, after coming from behind to beat Bury at Gigg Lane. Billy Sharp inspired the comeback with an equaliser after 21 minutes before Kieron Freeman completed the comeback for United who stay top. “It was a day where we did not want to get outbattled and outfought to make sure we came away with the right result,” Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, said. Bolton Wanderers remain on their tails, after salvaging a point away at Coventry City, courtesy of Max Clayton’s injury-time penalty. Scunthorpe United’s Josh Morris struck his 16th goal of the season – and his first since November – but it was not enough to ensure victory, after Charlie Goode’s own goal handed Peterborough United a draw. Rochdale won 2-0 at Walsall to stay in the play-off picture while Bradford City came from behind to beat Northampton Town 2-1 at Sixfields. Fleetwood Town make up the top seven, after Devante Cole, son of former Manchester United striker Andy, struck his first league goal of the season to beat Shrewsbury Town.
Millwall’s three-game winning run came to an end as they had to settle for a draw at AFC Wimbledon in the early kick-off. Aiden O’Brien and Steve Morison twice put the visitors in front before goals from Lyle Taylor and Tom Elliott respectively.
Josh Magennis bagged a hat-trick as Charlton Athletic thrashed Bristol Rovers 4-1 at the Valley, to record a second win in three matches for Karl Robinson’s side, who move into 11th. Also in mid-table are Oxford United, who beat Gillingham 1-0, thanks to Chey Dunkley’s winner. Elsewhere, Chesterfield drew 0-0 with MK Dons, bottom club Oldham drew 0-0 with Port Vale and Swindon Town played out a stalemate with high-flying Southend United.
League Two
Doncaster Rovers moved to the top of the table at the expense of Plymouth Argyle who slipped up, losing 1-0 at Barnet. Darren Ferguson’s side secured a narrow victory late on against Stevenage thanks to Fraser Franks’ own goal. Plymouth have now lost two of their last three away league matches. Carlisle United, meanwhile, squandered the chance to topple Plymouth after losing 3-1 at home to Grimsby Town. Omar Bogle scored twice to inspire victory for Marcus Bignot’s side, who sealed victory through Adi Yussuf with 12 minutes to play.
The bad run goes on for Newport County who lost a seventh straight match after Wycombe Wanderers won 2-1 at Adams Park, thanks to Paris Cowan-Hall’s late winner. As a result, Wycombe leapfrog Luton Town into fifth. Portsmouth beat Luton 1-0 at Fratton Park courtesy of defender Christian Burgess’s first-half striker. Shaun Derry’s Cambridge United extended their unbeaten league run to seven matches with a convincing 4-0 win over his former club, Notts County. Piero Mingoia sealed the victory, adding the U’s fourth after 69 minutes, to keep Cambridge seventh and level pegging with Luton.
Exeter City had only scored five goals at home all season but coasted to a 4-0 win over Leyton Orient at St James Park. Liam McAlinden sealed the rout for Paul Tisdale’s side. Elsewhere, Morecambe drew 0-0 at home to Crewe, Colchester beat Cheltenham Town 2-0, Mansfield beat Blackpool 1-0 at Bloomfield Road and Accrington Stanley and Hartlepool shared the spoils after a 2-2 draw.
