Championship
The Terriers identity, David Wagner called it: a small, aggressive dog going paw to paw with big dogs. That’s the approach the Huddersfield boss is trying to instil at the John Smith’s Stadium, and a fine job he has made of it since taking over from Chris Powell last November. Eighteenth then, Huddersfield began the day two points clear at the top of the Championship and unbeaten. They ended it the same way. What’s more, clearly emboldened by their flying start, they’ve now moved on from big dogs to Wolves. Rajiv van La Parra turned in a Nahki Wells rebound after six minutes to score what proved the winning goal against his old club.
With Brighton losing at Newcastle in the teatime game, there was a window of opportunity for both Norwich and Fulham – both a couple of points adrift of top spot at the start of the afternoon – to join the Terriers in the top two. The task proved beyond Norwich, who slumped to a 3-0 defeat at St Andrew’s, David Davis opening the scoring before a Clayton Donaldson double clinched Birmingham’s first home victory since March.
Fulham, however, fared better at Ewood Park, where former Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish had probably left his seat by the time Tom Cairney struck the only goal of the game in the 94th minute. The defeat leaves Blackburn bottom of the division with a solitary point. Fulham move up to second.
Hot on their heels are Barnsley, whose emphatic 4-0 win over Rotherham catapulted them into third spot. Marc Roberts, Adam Hammill, Tom Bradshaw and Ryan Kent claimed the local bragging rights for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
It was also a good day for Queen’s Park Rangers, whose defence was breached twice in the opening half at Wigan only for both goals to be ruled out for offside. Nedum Onuoha scored after the break to give Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s men a 1-0 win that lifted them from seventh to fourth.
For Nottingham Forest, the visit of Leeds United raised the outlandish possibility of a third successive 4-3 home win. Goals from Pajtim Kasami, Damien Perquis and Oliver Burke ensured Philippe Montanier’s side came close to keeping their end of the bargain, but Garry Monk’s visitors succumbed in far tamer fashion than Burton and Wigan. Ironically, given their own vulnerability at set pieces, a late free-kick from Kalvin Phillips was all Leeds could muster as their miserable record at the City Ground – where they have now won just twice in 21 league visits – continued. Forest’s 3-1 win left them in sixth spot.
A Jack Grealish volley gave Aston Villa an early lead at Bristol City, but that was as good as it got for the visitors. Tammy Abraham, Joe Bryan and Lee Tomlin all found the net after the break to give Lee Johnson’s side a 3-1 win and fifth place to go with the signing of Forest front man Jamie Paterson, which was announced at the interval.
At Portman Road and Cardiff City Stadium, one-goal wins were the order of the day. Former Tottenham winger Grant Ward performed the honours for Ipswich, volleying home after a quarter of an honour to undo Preston. Yann Kermorgant snatched a late winner for Reading at Cardiff, for whom keeper David Marshall – reportedly the subject of a £5m bid from Hull City – was absent.
Both sides ended the afternoon with 10 men at Griffin Park, where Sam Huchinson headed home in added time to salvage a point for Sheffield Wednesday after Lasse Vibe’s opener for Brentford.
League One
They never score when it pours. Isn’t that the saying? Whatever, a torrential downpour put paid to proceedings at the County Ground, where Jamie Sendles White came closest to breaking the deadlock. The Swindon defender sent an early header against the Bristol Rovers woodwork before a waterlogged pitch forced an abandonment with a hour gone and the game goalless.
Happily, events elsewhere were more conclusive.
Phil Parkinson, who took his unbeaten Bolton side to Charlton, is not one to crow. Nonetheless, he must have been feeling pretty good about life when Gary Madine put the league leaders ahead eight minutes after the break at the Valley. Formerly of said parish, Parkinson was sacked in unceremonious fashion in 2011 and had not returned since. So it’s a fair bet he wasn’t too happy when substitute Ademola Lookman came off the bench to rescue a late point for Charlton. On the plus side, his team remain two points clear at the top of the league.
For that, Parkinson has Oldham to thank. Peter Clarke gave the visitors an early lead at second-placed Bradford City and, although Billy Clarke hit back for the home side with a 57th-minute penalty, Stuart McCall’s side could not chart a course to a fourth successive league win.
There were no such problems for Millwall, for whom Steve Morison was the catalyst as they bounced back from their midweek EFL Cup defeat against Nottingham Forest. Morison’s first-half double helped the visitors to a 3-1 victory at Chesterfield, leaving them fifth. One spot above them are Port Vale, who beat third-placed Scunthorpe 3-1 at home.
The Proact Stadium hosted what was arguably the game of the day. Walsall led Bury 3-0 at half-time, only for the visitors to hit back through Leon Barnett, debutant James Vaughan and Danny Mayor to secure an unlikely draw. Gillingham likewise drew on the power of three to stage an improbable comeback, fighting back from two goals down at Shrewsbury Town. Max Ehmer was the stoppage-time hero for Justin Edinburgh’s men.
Billy Sharp and Jamie Wilson gave Sheffield United their first victory of the season, a 2-1 home win over Oxford United, while Peterborough and Fleetwood both chalked up 2-0 away wins, at MK Dons and Southend respectively. There were 1-1 draws in the games between Coventry and Northampton, Bradford and Oldham and Rochdale and Wimbledon.
League Two
On a day that brought a feast of goals across the division, the biggest winners were Grimsby, whose 5-2 win over Stevenage included a hat-trick for Omar Bogle. Not to be outdone, Andy Williams also netted three times in Doncaster’s 4-1 victory over 10-man Yeovil.
Nonetheless, it was a match in which two players notched doubles that provided perhaps the most significant result of the afternoon in League Two. Cole Stockton scored either side of a Kevin Ellison effort to clinch a 3-2 win over Accrington Stanley and maintain Morecambe’s grip on top spot. The visitors’ comeback, which owed much to the 36th-minute dismissal of Stanley defender Mark Hughes, came after a Billy Kee brace appeared to have put the home side in the driving seat.
Luton Town struck three times after the break at Cambridge to run out comfortable winners. As a result, Nathan Jones side’ leapfrogged Crawley – beaten 3-1 at home by Notts County – to claim second spot. Colchester went fourth with a 2-0 win at Wycombe, while Mansfield moved up to fifth after a 2-1 victory at Leyton Orient. Behind them lie Carlisle, who beat Barnet 1-0 at the Hive Stadium, ahead of Plymouth, 1-0 winners at Blackpool.
Newport drew 2-2 at Hartlepool, while Portsmouth were 1-0 winners at Exeter and Cheltenham won 2-0 at home to Crewe.
