Championship
Shola Ameobi’s first goal in a little more than 17 months was not enough to lift his new club, Bolton Wanderers, off the foot of the table. Leeds have sacked five managers since he scored against Cardiff for Newcastle. Here, a first-half substitute, Ameobi struck 15 minutes into his debut against Steve Evans’ Leeds. Ameobi only signed up for Neil Lennon’s strugglers on Friday but made an immediate impact, despite his last slice of competitive action coming back in March. Mirco Antennuci rescued a point for Evans, in his second game in charge, from the penalty spot after Prince fouled the Italian.
Fulham scored four goals in 24 minutes to fight back from two goals down and beat in-form Reading 4-2 at Craven Cottage. The Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon and the former Cottagers striker Orlando Sá put the visitors in control before the hosts hit back through captain Ross McCormack. Moussa Dembélé scored either side of Alex Kacaniklic’s strike to help relieve the pressure on manager Kit Symons.
Elsewhere in west London, another dark, gloomy cloud was lifted from over another wilting manager. This time, Queens Park Rangers’ Chris Ramsey, as Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Matt Phillips and Junior Hoilett scored second-half goals to see off MK Dons 3-0.
Brighton stretched their remarkable unbeaten to run to 13 matches after securing a 0-0 draw at home to Preston. Bobby Zamora, who scored off the bench in his last two appearances was thrown on in search of a winner, but to no avail for the Championship leaders.
Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough had gone three games without finding the net but they scored not once, not twice, but three times to win 3-1 at Wolves, to move up to fourth. Diego Fabbrini, Grant Leadbitter and Stewart Downing scored after David Edwards opened the scoring for the hosts.
And how about that for a debut? The midfielder Liam Trotter, who joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Bolton on Friday, scored an injury-time equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw against mid-table Ipswich, who went ahead through Jonathan Parr.
Scott Arfield ensured Burnley made the brief 14-mile journey back from Blackburn with the ‘cotton mill derby’ bragging rights stashed away until at least March, when the teams will meet again. Arfield was the quickest to react to some head tennis, powering home from just outside the box. The midfielder ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate back-to-back wins over Rovers for the first time in 36 years with the travelling fans. Madness ensued in the away end.
With Burnley moving up to third, Hull had to win against Birmingham to move second - and they did. Two second-half goals in five minutes from David Meyler and Abel Hernández earned a 2-0 win over Gary Rowett’s men. Elsewhere, Charlton sacked Guy Luzon, after Brentford won 3-0 at the Valley and Derby continued their good form with a 2-1 win over Huddersfield, thanks to a George Thorne wonder goal.
League One
There really is only one place to start. So, how does an eight-goal thriller sound? Walsall ensured they did not return home from Essex empty-handed after James O’Connor side-footed home in the 91st minute to earn a 4-4 draw at Colchester. The Saddlers led twice but were eventually pegged back by former Newcastle winger Darren Ambrose with ten minutes remaining, before O’Connor rescued a point.
Justin Edinburgh’s Gillingham remain top, just ahead of Walsall, after Doug Loft’s late equaliser saw them avoid defeat to Southend, who led for 79 minutes after Steve McLaughlin’s first-half opener.
Chairman-cum-manager Lee Power will fancy his chances of landing the full-time manager’s job at the County Ground, after Swindon scored two late goals to earn a 2-2 draw in his second game in temporary charge. Coventry, who handed Joe Cole another start as a Sky Blue, had to make do with a point after Nicky Ajose found the net in added time.
Also at the top, 10-man Burton returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Port Vale, in a dogged affair, after failing to win in their previous three matches.
Aiden O’Brien scored twice for Millwall to halt Sheffield United’s five-match unbeaten run. The Blades manager Nigel Adkins threw on Jose Baxter at half-time and the forward popped up with an equaliser after 70 minutes, before O’Brien scored the winner ten minutes later.
Elsewhere, Scunthorpe leapfrogged Chesterfield in mid-table on goal difference, with a late show prompted by Dan Jones’ red card. Paddy Madden and Gary McSheffrey fired the goals to strengthen the Iron’s league position. And Jamie Proctor’s first-half goal was enough to see Fleetwood overtake Barnsley, who drop into the relegation zone.
Did someone say relegation zone? In the basement battle, Neil McDonald’s Blackpool beat Crewe 2-0, to move out of the bottom four, courtesy of goals from Hayden White and Jack Redshaw. The victory continued the Tangerines impressive form of late, extending their unbeaten run to six matches, while Crewe remain anchored at the foot of the table.
In the Darren Ferguson derby, Ferguson’s old club Peterborough came out on top - and by some margin. Posh appeared back to their free-scoring ways against Doncaster, just as they were when managed by er ... Ferguson Jnr. Posh won 4-0, with Conor Washington completing the scoring after 72 minutes, to move them within three points of the play-offs.
In the other matches, Shrewsbury beat Bury 2-0, Wigan drew 1-1 at Bradford and Rochdale played out a good old-fashioned bore draw with Oldham.
League Two
Plymouth waited 95 minutes to ensure they stayed top after Ryan Brunt’s stoppage-time goal secured a 2-1 win at Luton. Victory for Plymouth, who lost to Oxford on Tuesday, moves them four points ahead of Portsmouth, who could only draw 0-0 with Mansfield.
Barnet scored three goals in five magical first-half minutes to defeat in-form Oxford, who opened the scoring through Liam Sercombe. The midfielder scored again on 40 minutes, but only after Curtis Weston, John Akinde and Josh Clarke had all found the net.
At the other end of the table, Newport moved off the bottom of the pile after they defeated Severnside neighbours Bristol Rovers in spectacular fashion. John Sheridan’s side won 4-1, with on loan Charlton striker Zak Ansah scoring a brace.
It was another bad day at the office for Yeovil manager Paul Sturrock, who has only seen his side win twice in the league this season. The Glovers found themselves three goals down inside 44 minutes against Cambridge, meaning strikes from Ryan Bird and Josh Sheehan acted merely in vain.
Wycombe’s Paul Hayes, who has been around for what feels like forever, reminded Carlisle of his heady days with a stoppage-time equaliser at Adams Park. Hayes, in his second spell at the club, scored his first of the season to keep the Chairboys within a point of the visitors.
Exeter continued their steady form with a 1-1 draw at home to Notts County while Northampton upset Stevenage, despite Steven Schumacher seemingly putting Teddy Sheringham’s side on pole after 24 minutes.
Leyton Orient recorded a 1-0 victory at Morecambe, to cement their position in the play-off places. Jack Payne scored the only goal of the game to move Orient ahead of Morecambe, who had won their last four.
Elsewhere, Accrington steamrollered past lowly Dagenham and Redbridge 3-1, Hartlepool served up a 2-1 home defeat to Crawley and Wimbledon ran out 3-1 winners at York.
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