And here’s PA to make sense of it all.
Time for me to clock off. There is one late game in the Championship – Sheffield Wed 0-0 Hull, after 20 minutes or so – but I have an urgent appointment in Tesco to find something for dinner. Thanks very much for your company, correspondence and (I presume) sighs of relief that David Worrall seems to be OK after all. And a very happy new year.
For the news from the first day of the transfer window, do join Niall McVeigh.
Meanwhile, in the darts … the fairy tale continues.
Another email! “Happy New Year, Tim!” says Simon McMahon. “No matches in Scotland today – we’re not that daft – which means that I have been able to give my full attention to the goings-on south of the border, especially the games at Norwich, Leeds and QPR which all featured Scottish internationals hoping to make it onto the plane to Germany in the summer.
“I’ve booked my spot already and am definitely going. But not as part of Steve Clarke’s squad, just in case anyone was wondering.” Ha, and happy new year to you too.
FULL TIME! Wrexham 4-1 Barrow
While I had my hands full with the Championship, Steven Fletcher was completing an unusual hat-trick in League Two. His sequence of timings was quite something: 45+9, 45+13, and then a more prosaic 67. But the main thing is that Barrow’s David Worrall, whose nasty head injury caused the delay, seems to be OK. And so does his replacement, Luca Stephenson.
Injury update.
— Barrow AFC (@BarrowAFC) January 1, 2024
We can confirm that David Worrall is currently at the hospital being assessed, but he is conscious and talking.
Luca Stephenson is also up and talking and did not need to go to the hospital.
Wishing you both a speedy recovery 💙💙#WeAreBarrow pic.twitter.com/llfslzGA0z
FULL TIME! Derby 2-3 Peterborough
And here’s a game with everything including a winner ... Ricky Jade-Jones steals it for Posh in the 94th minute. They go third in League One, displacing Derby, who are now fourth.
FULL TIME! Plymouth 3-3 Watford
The match that had everything except a winner. Five goals in 25 minutes before half-time, but only one more afterwards (Watford’s equaliser, from Ryan Andrews) and then nothing in the last half an hour. It’s a funny game.
FULL TIME! QPR 1-2 Cardiff
Struggling QPR thought they had a point, but Cardiff sealed the win through Perry Ng.
FULL TIME! Norwich 1-1 Southampton
The only consolation for Ipswich is that Southampton’s wining run has come to an end, with Adam Armstrong’s opener being cancelled out within eight minutes by Josh Sargent. Southampton stay third, three points behind Ipswich and four ahead of Leeds.
FULL TIME! Stoke 0-0 Ipswich
Can they do it on a sodden Monday at Stoke? No they can’t, not even with a red card to help them. Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich have to settle for their fourth draw in five games (and the other one was lost).
FULL TIME! Leicester 4-1 Huddersfield
The best team outside the Premier League now look even more like getting back into it. A thumping win puts Leicester ten points ahead of Ipswich.
FULL TIME! Blackburn 2-2 Rotherham
Blackburn twice took the lead: Rotherham twice found a riposte.
FULL TIME! Leeds 3-0 Birmingham
Leeds are back in form, Patrick Bamford is back in the goals, and Wayne Rooney is still in the doldrums.
FULL TIME! Bristol City 0-1 Millwall
Shaun Hutchinson hadn’t scored for three years … he has now, in the 92nd minute, to give Millwall a precious away win.
FULL TIME! Swansea 1-0 West From
Liam Cullen’s goal seals the points in the rain.
FULL TIME! Middlesbrough 1-3 Coventry
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto made the difference with two goals as Coventry came from behind. Michael Carrick, such a steady character, has a team doing what his old friends at Man United are doing this season – win one, lose one.
GOAL! Bristol City 0-1 Millwall (Hutchinson 90+2)
Football, eh. Nothing happens for 90 minutes, then the captain of the visiting side grabs what may well be the winner. Hats off to Shaun Hutchinson.
Updated
GOAL! Derby 2-2 Peterborough (Poku 84)
About 75 minutes ago, Peterborough equalised when Kwame Poku played in Harrison Burrows. Now they’ve done it again with the same players swapping places – Burrows sends in a chip and Poku plants an artful header inside the post.
GOAL! Blackburn 2-2 Rotherham (Eaves 82)
Rotherham get their second equaliser. Cafu, who only came on five minutes ago, has changed the game, I’m reliably informed, and the upshot is that Tom Eaves has found the net.
GOAL! Leicester 4-1 Huddersfield (Mavididi 77)
Huddersfield’s faint hopes are now extinguished as Stephy Mavididi hits a free kick and the wall crumbles.
Updated
GOAL! QPR 1-2 Cardiff (Ng 74)
Cardiff take the lead for the second time through Perry Ng, with a little help from Ryan Wintle.
GOAL! Norwich 1-1 Southampton (Sargent 78)
Southampton may not be getting that fifth successive win after all. Norwich hit back through Josh Sargent, with an assist from Jonathan Rowe.
Updated
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-3 Coventry (Sakamoto 69)
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has done it again!
Red card for Stoke!
It’s still 0-0 in a game Ipswich badly need to win, but they’ve just had a big boost as Jordan Thompson collects a second yellow card
GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Southampton (Adam Armstrong 70)
The deadlock is broken at Carrow Road. Kyle Walker-Peters puts in a good run, a deft touch and a low cross. It’s looking like an own goal but Adam Armstrong is on hand to make sure, and the Saints are marching towards their first sequence of five wins in a row since 2011.
Updated
GOAL! Leeds 3-0 Birmingham (Summerville 67)
Did somebody say game over? It is now, as Crysencio Summerville passes into the net after a crisp cut-back from Junior Firpo.
Updated
GOALS! Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield (Cannon 61, Helik 63)
One apiece! No sooner has Tom Cannon apparently sealed the deal than Huddersfield have got a goal back – a corner, a loose ball, a predatory stab from Michal Helik.
GOAL! Plymouth 3-3 Watford (Andrews 57)
After a shocking 15 minutes in which nothing happened, the Home Park goalfest has resumed. Jake Livermore plays a lovely languid through ball which misses its intended target but falls nicely for Ryan Andrews, who flicks into the net.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-2 Coventry (Wright 58)
After scoring one goal against the run of play, Coventry grab the lead through Haji Wright.
Updated
GOAL! Swansea 1-0 West Brom 0 (Cullen 55)
On a filthy afternoon in South Wales, Swansea take route one and it pays off. Somebody lumps the ball forward and after a spot of ping-pong it falls kindly for Liam Cullen, who stabs it home.
GOAL! QPR 1-1 Cardiff (Smyth 52)
QPR’s drought is over. The goal goes to Paul Smyth, but half the credit belongs to Rayan Kolli, who sent in a superb whipped cross with very little backlift. Smyth, at the far post, slid in with a crisp low volley.
Updated
GOAL! Leicester 2-0 Huddersfield (Pereira 47)
The leaders extend their lead. It’s one full-back to another – a chipped cross from James Justin, a neat header from Ricardo Pereira. “Game over,” says another Sky pundit – they can’t stop saying it.
Updated
GOAL! Blackburn 2-1 Rotherham (Szmodics 46)
Blackburn couldn’t wait to get out there again, coming out for the second half four minutes early, and now they take the lead again. Sammie Szmodics is on the scoresheet but it’s all down to James Hill, who goes on a run and caps it with a gorgeously weighted through ball. Pass of the day, from what I’ve seen.
An email! “As a NastyLeeds fan through and through,” wrote Jeremy Boyce some time ago, “it is indeed great to see Bamford starting. But will he be able to pick up where he left off before his dreadful run of injuries, verging on England selection and all that.” Narrator: he will!
“On the other hand, my hometown team is Shrewsbury, who have just celebrated the New Year with a GOAL ! Goals are the hen’s teeth of the Shrews’ game plan, currently averaging 0.57 per game. Glad no one thought of getting me a season ticket for Crimbo.”
Updated
GOAL! Wrexham 3-1 Barrow (Fletcher 45+13!!)
Check out that bracket. Wrexham get their third in five minutes as Steven Fletcher scores again, this time with a thumping header from a disputed corner. Barrow have fallen apart in added time. David Worrall may be wishing his bout of concussion had lasted a bit longer.
Updated
GOALS! Wrexham 2-1 Barrow (Fletcher 45+9, Mullin 45+11)
All that added time has paid off for Wrexham. They could have had a red card a few minutes ago as James Maclean got away with a yellow, but now they’ve turned the game on its head. Steven Fletcher scores with a surgical incision, then Paul Mullin makes it two with a dreamy free kick.
Updated
HALF-TIME! Leicester 1-0 Huddersfield
The leaders still lead through that shot from Tom Cannon that was far from loose. Ipswich and Southampton have both reached half-time at 0-0, so as it stands Leicester’s lead is a daunting ten points.
GOAL! Leeds 2-0 Birmingham (James 45+1)
Wayne Rooney’s misery continues as a slightly less celebrated figure from Man United history, Dan James, makes it 2-0 to Leeds. “Game over,” says someone on Sky Sports News, which is a bit rude.
David Worrall is conscious
Never mind the goals, this is the news we wanted to hear. David Worrall of Barrow, who was concussed in a collision with two Wrexham players, has regained consciousness. The game is continuing, ten minutes behind schedule, with Barrow still leading 1-0.
Updated
GOAL! Plymouth 3-2 Watford (Hardie 42)
Home Park is the place to be this afternoon. Plymouth take the lead for the second time through a classy chip from Ryan Hardie.
Updated
GOAL! Leicester 1-0 Huddersfield (Cannon 40)
A poor game, apparently, but this is a fine goal from the best team outside the Premier League. Tom Cannon, on the edge of the area, does well to control the ball, let alone drill it into the corner.
GOAL! Blackburn 1-1 Rotherham (Morrison 31)
Another equaliser as Sam Clucas of Rotherham sets up Sean Morrison.
Updated
GOAL! Plymouth 2-2 Watford (Kone 38)
It’s all happening in the south-west: four goals in less than half an hour. Watford, who scored the first goal, have now got the fourth through Ismael Kone.
Still no goals from Leicester, Ipswich or Southampton. Or their opponents – Huddersfield, Stoke and Norwich.
GOAL! Leeds 1-0 Birmingham (Bamford 34)
Patrick Bamford is back with a bang! Dan James sends in a lovely chipped cross from the right and Bamford, now a platinum blond, thumps the header home.
Updated
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-1 Coventry (Sakamoto 33)
That lead didn’t last long! Coventry win a corner, draw a great save out of Tom Glover, and then equalise with a rasping left-foot shot from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-0 Coventry (Coburn 31)
Michael Carrick’s Middlesboro have been quietly climbing the table after a shocking start and they’re now ahead against Coventry, thanks to Josh Coburn.
GOAL! Plymouth 2-1 Watford (Whittaker 27)
In the Championship, most of the action is at Plymouth. Not content with that gem from Finn Azaz, they’ve now taken the lead through Morgan Whittaker.
Goals round-up
Notts County make it 1-1 at Tranmere. Oxford, who had gone behind at Charlton, have now equalised; same with Stevenage at Portsmouth. And Aldershot grab the lead at Woking.
A nasty injury at Wrexham
David Worrall of Barrow is apparently unconscious after a brave piece of defending left him squeezed between two Wrexham players. Play stopped for ten minutes before he was stretchered off. I do hope he’s OK.
GOAL! Plymouth 1-1 Watford (Azaz 20)
Alex Pritchard no longer has the goal of the day. This is a beauty from Finn Azaz of Plymouth. He doesn’t so much hit a volley from distance as caress it into the far corner.
Updated
GOAL! Blackburn 1-0 Rotherham (Sigurdsson 8)
Sorry, this one slipped past me a few minutes ago. Arnor Sigurdsson scored the first home goal in the 3pm Championship games.
Updated
GOAL! QPR 0-1 Cardiff (Goutas 16)
Dimitrios Goutas gives Cardiff the lead with a powerful header.
GOAL! Crewe 1-0 Bradford City (Long 13 pen)
The first penalty of the afternoon (I think) goes to Crewe Alexandra, and Chris Long puts it away.
GOAL! Forest Green Rovers 1-1 Wimbledon (El-Hamadi 12)
John Green can breathe again. His favourite player, Ali El-Hamadi, carries his fine form of 2023 into the new year.
Too many goals!
Leads are being taken right left and centre. Shrewsbury are 1-0 up against Fleetwood, Reading 1-0 up against Exeter, Crawley 1-0 up against Swindon, Watford 1-0 up at Plymouth, Doncaster 1-0 up against MK Dons and Portsmouth 1-0 up against Stevenage.
GOAL! Derby 1-1 Peterborough (Burrows 9)
Derby scored in 20 seconds, but eight and a half minutes later Peterborough are back in it. Harrison Burrows finds a neat finish after a simple but effective cross from Kwame Poke.
GOAL! Forest Green Rovers 1-0 Wimbledon (Stevens 4)
If you’re a fan of AFC Wimbledon, or John Green, look away now. Forest Green Rovers take the lead through Matt Stevens.
GOAL! Tranmere 1-0 Notts County (Morris 5)
It’s raining goals. Tranmere, fresh from three successive wins, can already sniff another as Connor Jennings tees up Kieron Morris.
GOAL! Wrexham 0-1 Barrow (Spence 1)
The first away goal of the day goes to Barrow, well known as good travellers. It’s a confident low shot from seven yards by Kian Spence, who does well to sort his feet out in a crowd.
Updated
GOAL! Derby 1-0 Peterborough (Collins 1)
That didn’t take long! James Collins caps a crisp move with a precise header, just inside the near post.
Peep peep! Ten games get under way in the Championship, 12 in League One, and another 12 in League Two.
Leeds fans could do with some good news, and here it comes. Patrick Bamford is back in the starting line-up for the visit of Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham. He takes his place at the tip of an imposing arrow with Dan James, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville behind him.
If you’re hungry for live action, do head for the darts. Not only will you shortly hear about the astonishing Luke Littler – you also get the pleasure of reading the great Rob Smyth.
Updated
Full time! Sunderland 2-0 Preston (Pritchard 10, Rusyn 44)
The final whistle blows and Sunderland pick up the first win of 2024. The player of the match is Alex Pritchard, who set the tone early on with a swerving screamer. Sunderland jump into the top six for now, just above Hull.
Updated
As normal time ends, Preston have four minutes to score three goals. From what I’ve seen, they might get one at a pinch.
Sunderland are still sitting comfortably against Preston, 2-0 up with about five minutes of normal time remaining. Preston have had more of the ball and most of the shots (11-7), but they haven’t been able to make it count. Alex Pritchard, who scored the first goal of 2024 with a screamer, is just going off. “He’s stolen the show,” says the nearest Sky pundit.
Updated
Preamble
Afternoon everyone, happy new year and welcome to the first clockwatch of 2024. I’ll be keeping an eye on the one early game, in which Sunderland led 2-0 against Preston after 70 minutes, and a packed programme of 3pm starts.
Can Leicester keep up their imperious form against Huddersfield? Can Southampton make it five wins out of five at Norwich? Can Ipswich find their mojo by doing it on a rainy Monday at Stoke? Can Leeds make the hot seat at Birmingham even hotter for Wayne Rooney? These are the questions. Whatever the answers turn out to be, it has to be more exciting than the transfer window.
