Championship
• Aston Villa celebrated that all too unfamiliar winning feeling for the second time in five days after clinching a 1-0 win over Fulham. Remarkably, Steve Bruce’s side are now just six points off the play-off pack after back-to-back wins in the league for the first time since May 2015. Jonathan Kodjia, the French striker signed from Bristol City over the summer for an initial £11m, scored for a third consecutive game under Bruce. Kodjia volleyed home his fourth goal of the season from Albert Adomah’s cross, ensuring Bruce’s first win at Villa Park. Brighton and Hove Albion extended their unbeaten run in the league to eight matches after a 1-0 win at Wigan Athletic. Dale Stephens, who submitted a transfer request over the summer, bagged his first goal of the season to hoist Chris Hughton’s men into second. At the top remain Newcastle United, after their convincing win over Ipswich Town while Huddersfield Town returned third after Elias Kachunga’s last-minute winner over Derby County.
• Norwich City slipped up in the promotion race, as Preston North End tasted victory on the road for the first time in two months at Carrow Road. “The one thing we’ve not struggled to do is be creative, but for the first time we didn’t do that,” said manager Alex Neil post-match. Alex Baptiste’s header was enough to extend the Lilywhites’ unbeaten run to seven games, moving them up to ninth in the process. Sheffield Wednesday continued their good form with another routine home win, this time over Queens Park Rangers. Completing the play-off picture are Bristol City, who struck two minutes from time against Blackburn Rovers. Aaron Wilbraham, who turned 37 on Friday, scored his third goal of the season for Lee Johnson’s side. “It makes me chuckle every time I see ‘Wilbrahamovic’,” said Johnson of his nickname. “He’s got a part to play for us.”
• Reading returned to winning ways at the New York Stadium, to ruin Kenny Jackett’s bow as Rotherham United manager. The Royals stole victory – their first in five games – late on through the captain Paul McShane. Remarkably, the Wales defender Chris Gunter made his 85th appearance of 2016, for club and country in the win. The only bum note is that Gunter will miss Tuesday’s date with Arsenal in the EFL Cup through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. Cardiff City moved out of the relegation zone after earning a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. Cardiff are now three matches unbeaten under their new manager, Neil Warnock. Elsewhere, Kemar Roofe’s first goal for Leeds United was enough to clinch victory over Wolves at Molinuex and Barnsley secured their first win in eight games away at Brentford.
League One
• For a moment, it could have been a case of mistaken identity but in reality Josh Morris had just scored again – this time against Chesterfield. The Scunthorpe United forward bagged his 14th goal in all competitions before goals from Kevin van Veen’s and Sam Mantom strengthened the Iron’s grip at the top of the league. Morris scored just once last season for Bradford City before his summer move. And ironically, Morris’s namesake north of the border bagged a hat-trick to help Hawick Royal Albert into the Scottish Cup third round. Bradford remain second after a six-goal thriller at Valley Parade against third-placed Sheffield United. Timothee Dieng put the hosts in front after 68 minutes before Chris Basham levelled four minutes later.
• On-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham may have failed to score for Bristol City, but two other Stamford Bridge loanees did the business for arch-rivals Bristol Rovers. Charlie Colkett and Jake Clarke-Salter grabbed the goals to down Oldham Athletic for Darrell Clarke’s side, who moved up to fifth. The victory leaves Rovers targeting a staggering third successive promotion. Another promoted side, AFC Wimbledon, are in a feel-good mood themselves at the moment. Tom Elliott nodded home the only goal of the game at Peterborough to move Neal Ardley’s Wombles – unbeaten in nine – up to sixth. Seventh-placed Port Vale fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Oxford United. The former Newcastle full-back Ryan Taylor scored the equalising goal on his debut, after Chey Dunkley and Daniel Crowley, the Arsenal loanee, had put the U’s two goals to the good inside 19 minutes.
• In contrast, MK Dons are in a miserable place at the moment. A 3-0 defeat by Southend United extended their run without a win at home in the league to 13 matches. “Me and the chairman will have a chat tomorrow,” said the manager Karl Robinson after the latest chastening defeat, which leaves them a point outside the relegation zone. “It’s a decision for the chairman and not for me. I won’t walk away.” Elsewhere, Coventry secured back-to-back league wins for the first time this season with a 2-0 victory over Rochdale, Gillingham drew 1-1 with Charlton and Millwall overcame Fleetwood 2-1 at the Den. Struggling Swindon lost 2-0 at home to Walsall, with Erhun Oztumer scoring both goals, including a fine lob. And bottom club Shrewsbury Town were on the receiving end of a 4-2 scoreline against Northampton Town, despite Ivan Toney’s double.
League Two
• Top beat bottom, unsurprisingly, as Plymouth Argyle saw off 10-man Newport County 3-1 at Rodney Parade. Graham Carey scored two penalties either side of Jon Parkin’s strike before Jordan Slew completed the scoring. Argyle have not tasted defeat in the league since August, after losing their opening two matches. Carlisle United won 2-1 at Stevenage to stretch their unbeaten record in the league to 14 games and move second. No doubt the travelling fans waxed lyrical about Keith Curle’s in-form side by belting out another rendition of “Mysterious Curle”, to the tune of Peter Andre’s 1996 hit hit Mysterious Girl. Doncaster Rovers fell out of the automatic promotion places after a 4-2 defeat by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
• Inconsistency continues to trouble promotion-chasing Portsmouth, after defeat at home by Notts County. “We have an awful habit at the moment of conceding early goals,” said Pompey boss Paul Cook, who watched his team slip to consecutive home losses in the league. “I felt we were about to put a good run together but unfortunately it’s back to square one.” Adam Campbell scored either side of teenager Conor Chaplin to clinch a 2-1 win at Fratton Park and send County sixth. Also in the play-off picture, Luton Town stay fourth after a 1-1 draw with Mansfield, whose boss Adam Murray revealed he’d banned mobile phones in midweek. And Accrington Stanley remain seventh after a bore draw at Crawley Town.
• Home comforts are plaguing Exeter City’s season too. Paul Tisdale’s side have won just two of their last 17 league matches, and 22 in all competitions. Cambridge United were the latest team to enjoy their trip to Devon, taking a 2-1 win away from St James Park. Exeter are currently second bottom with little to shout about and 13 points from 14 matches. Also at the bottom, John Akinde sealed Barnet’s 2-0 win at Wycombe, where the giant striker enjoyed two loan spells. Elsewhere, Cheltenham clinched a 1-0 win at Grimsby, Colchester and Morecambe shared a point after a 2-2 draw and Yeovil won at Crewe, courtesy of Matty Dolan’s first-half goal. And Alberto Cavasin, the former Sampdoria manager, toasted his first victory since taking over Leyton Orient at the start of the month with a 3-1 win at Hartlepool.
