sortiwa
Leeds’ title charge was checked as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 Championship draw by West Brom. Junior Firpo headed the home side into an early lead but Darnell Furlong equalised with a looping header before the break.
The point still extended Leeds’ unbeaten league run to 17 matches as they head towards a Premier League return – though West Brom’s manager, Tony Mowbray, later questioned their ability to stay there.
“Leeds are very, very good,” said Mowbray. “I think for them it’s about what they do in the summer. How much are they going to spend? How are they going to survive? Southampton and Leicester were amazing teams last year in this league and they can’t win a game. So is that going to be Leeds next year?
“There’s always this thing at the back of your mind – ‘What are we going to do in the summer?’ Are Leeds going to spend £200m just to give themselves half a chance? Or are they going to go with this team and probably get relegated by February? I don’t know the answers.”
Sheffield United moved to within three points of Leeds following a 2-1 win at QPR. Ben Brereton Díaz’s 10th-minute goal and Tyrese Campbell’s thumping second-half strike put Chris Wilder’s side two up. Michael Frey gave the hosts hope with a 72nd-minute penalty but the Blades held on to secure a fifth consecutive away victory. Second-placed United are now five points clear of Burnley in third, although the Clarets have a game in hand.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s superb far-post finish gave Coventry a 3-2 victory over Oxford at the Kassam Stadium. Coventry twice took the lead only to see Oxford peg it back, but Sakamoto’s drive in the 71st minute was unstoppable, and United could not find a way back for a third time.
Quick Guide
League One: Marquis sees red in record time
Show
Shrewsbury striker John Marquis went into the record books with a red card after 13 seconds in their 3-1 defeat at Peterborough. Marquis was punished for an elbow on Posh defender Sam Hughes almost straight from the kick-off.
The forward’s dismissal matches the record of the fastest red card from the start of a game in English professional football, set by Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Kevin Pressman against Wolves in August 2000.
Posh won a key relegation battle with Tayo Edun, Malik Mothersille and Chris Conn-Clarke on target, the Shrews having levelled through Mal Benning’s penalty.
Birmingham opened up a 12-point lead at the top by beating closest challengers Wycombe 1-0. Taylor Gardner-Hickman was the match-winner after 21 minutes, pouncing on goalkeeper Ryan Allsop’s long kick as the Blues extended their unbeaten league run to 18 games. Wycombe were reduced to 10 men in first-half stoppage time as Xavier Simons lunged in on Ethan Laird and was shown a straight red.
Third-placed Wrexham are now 14 points behind Birmingham after sharing a goalless draw with fellow promotion chasers Bolton, who are seventh. Both sides had goals disallowed with Eoghan O’Connell’s effort for Wrexham not counting, and Szabolcs Schon’s effort for Bolton ruled out for offside.
Stockport ended Blackpool‘s 11-game unbeaten run as a 2-1 victory moved them within two points of Wrexham, while fifth-placed Huddersfield won by the same scoreline at Stevenage.
Charlton‘s dramatic 2-1 victory at London rivals Leyton Orient lifted the Addicks into the play-off places. Orient led through a 50th-minute wonder strike from Jordan Brown, but Macauley Gillesphey and Kayne Ramsay both scored in added time – Charlton’s winner coming in the seventh extra minute.
Barnsley beat Lincoln 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller and Reading were 2-1 winners at Wigan as the pair remained in play-off contention. Sam Nombe scored a dramatic added-time winner, his second of the game, to secure Rotherham a 3-2 victory at Bristol Rovers.
There were 1-1 draws between Burton and Mansfield and Exeter and Northampton, while Cambridge‘s revival under Neil Harris continued with a 2-0 success at Crawley with both sides reduced to 10.
Coventry’s early opener came from Jack Rudoni, who injured his shoulder and had to leave the field before half-time. “He dislocated it,” said manager Frank Lampard. “It popped out, popped back in and back out again, so we’ll have to have a look at that. Hopefully we won’t lose him for too long.”
Valérien Ismaël said 10-man Blackburn’s 1-1 draw with Norwich in his first game in charge “felt more like a win” after they snatched a leveller deep into stoppage time. After substitute Emmanuel Dennis was sent off for his second booking five minutes from time, the Canaries pounced and Ante Crnac’s sweetly struck first-time shot in the 90th minute – his sixth of the campaign – looked to have snatched the victory. However, Andi Weimann had the last laugh with a deft header with 96 minutes on the clock.
“The red card changed everything, it’s a new game,” said Rovers’ manager Ismaël. “After that, I think it was tough for the players to concede but they showed again a great mentality. It’s a really good, honest, hard-working group with a no-regrets attitude.”
after newsletter promotion
Quick Guide
League Two: Leaders Walsall suffer Swindon slip-up
Show
Walsall saw their lead trimmed to four points following a 1-0 home defeat to Swindon – Joel Cotterill netting the second-half winner for Ian Holloway’s in-form Robins.
Second-placed Bradford notched up a fifth win in a six-game unbeaten run by coming from behind to beat Salford 2-1. Bradley Halliday and Michael Mellon were on target for the Bantams after Frankie Okoronkwo had put Salford ahead.
Rob Street bagged a brace as third-placed Doncaster beat Newport 3-0, as Notts County lost ground on their Yorkshire rivals with a 2-2 draw at Fleetwood.
Bromley stunned AFC Wimbledon with a 1-0 away win, Crewe were impressive 3-1 winners at Chesterfield and Cheltenham and Grimsby shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
Gillingham and Colchester recorded respective 1-0 victories over Morecambe and MK Dons.
Harrogate edged Accrington 2-1 in a crunch battle towards the bottom, only the Yorkshire club’s second win in eight games.
Tranmere, with interim boss Andy Crosby in charge following the departure of Nigel Adkins, saw their winless run extended to 11 games with a 1-1 home draw against Port Vale.
Derby sunk to the bottom of the table after a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough extended their winless to run to 12 league games. The Rams looked set to battle to what would have been a crucial point at the Riverside Stadium but Finn Azaz struck the winner for Boro 10 minutes from time. John Eustace has lost his first three games since taking charge and Derby are now four points adrift of safety and with inferior goal difference to fourth-bottom Hull.
Luton manager Matt Bloomfield finally picked up a first long-awaited win at the ninth attempt as the Hatters climbed off the bottom of the table by beating Portsmouth 1-0 at Kenilworth Road. The hosts, who were without a victory in their last 12, sealed the points thanks to Jordan Clark’s 25th-minute goal.
Stoke and Watford played out a drab 0-0 draw at the bet365 Stadium as neither side were able to give a boost to their respective end-of-season ambitions. Mark Robins’s relegated-threatened Potters avoided a third successive defeat to remain five points above the drop zone, while playoff chasing Watford missed the chance to record a third straight win and are three points off the top six.
Source link