Football League: Brewster opens Swansea account, Owls crash at home | Football

Championship

On-loan Liverpool forward Rhian Brewster helped Swansea climb into the play-off places in their 2-1 victory against Wigan at the Liberty Stadium, with his first goal for the club since joining earlier this month.

A rare strike by the Latics’ Nathan Byrne had the visitors in front on 16 minutes after a brilliant team move – but Brewster hit back three minutes later after linking with Conor Gallagher, himself on loan in south Wales from Chelsea.

Andre Ayew scored Swansea’s winner on 67 minutes to take them fifth, above Nottingham Forest, Millwall and Bristol City in sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.

After Leeds had missed a chance to top the table in the day’s early kick-off, falling to a controversial 1-0 defeat by QPR, Brentford then lost their opportunity to re-take third place from Fulham with a goalless draw at Huddersfield.

Derby ended a week in which they were charged by the EFL in relation to the sale of Pride Park with a 1-0 win against Hull City. On-loan Brighton defender Matt Clarke’s s second-half header was the only goal of the game, and sealed a third straight home victory in the league for Philip Cocu’s side.

Millwall registered a fourth straight home win at the New Den in south London to take that seventh spot – although the win was marred when referee Keith Stroud stopped play due to homophobic chants from the home fans. With 19 minutes left Matt Smith finished smartly, having been teed up by Tom Bradshaw following Jed Wallace’s cross. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson slotted in the second nine minutes later to wrap up maximum points for Gary Rowett’s side.

Preston’s former Charlton defender Patrick Bauer consigned his previous employers to a 2-1 defeat with a second-half header at Deepdale. Andre Green struck to put the Addicks ahead after just five minutes but Josh Harrop (31) and Bauer (52) turned the tables.

Meanwhile at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday crumbled to a 5-0 hammering by Blackburn as German midfielder Lewis Holtby netted twice.

The ex-Tottenham man capitalised on a howler by Owls ’keeper Cameron Dawson for the opener, before Dawson unluckily scored an own-goal after his save bounced off the woodwork and in off his head. Holtby added his second on the stroke of half-time, before Darragh Lenihan and Sam Gallagher joined the rout in the second half.

Birmingham prodigy Jude Bellingham scored his fourth goal of the season with just four minutes on the clock at St Andrew’s – but they were eventually pegged back to 1-1 draw against Cardiff.

The Bluebirds flew back into contention after the break, and their pressure eventually told with 26 minutes left as Lee Tomlin’s flicked header earned them a point.

QPR 1-0 Leeds, Birmingham City 1-1 Cardiff City, Bristol City 1-0 Barnsley, Derby County 1-0 Hull City, Huddersfield Town 0-0 Brentford, Millwall 2-0 Reading, Preston North End 2-1 Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday 0-5 Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City 2-1 Wigan Athletic

League One

Rotherham hit the top of the table thanks to two goals in the space of four second-half minutes in their 2-0 success against Bristol Rovers. Kyle Vassell and Michael Smith were the men on the scoresheet, securing the Millers’ fifth straight league win. Both goals were created by fine deliveries from live wire winger Chiedozie Ogbene.

Wycombe also won but there was injury-time drama when Joe Jacobsen scored from the spot to grab a 2-1 win against Rochdale that put them level on 47 points with Rotherham. Ian Henderson had put the visitors ahead on 18 minutes before Jason McCarthy levelled it before half-time – and Jacobsen’s penalty snatched all three points.

Ipswich Town also prospered with a decisive late goal – they moved third in the table after Kayden Jackson’s intervention with 10 minutes left, sealing a 2-1 triumph away to Tranmere.

Elsewhere, Coventry had Jordan Shipley to thank for their move up to fourth. His low strike into the bottom corner from 25 yards, on 26 minutes, proved the winner against Doncaster.

Lynden Gooch’s fine free-kick broke the deadlock for resurgent Sunderland against MK Dons and earned the Black Cats a victory that sent them sixth, level on points with Oxford United in fifth and Portsmouth seventh.

Sol Campbell meanwhile steered second-bottom Southend to a first league victory under his management away against Accrington, the goals coming from Charlie Kelman and Jason Demetriou, either side of Dion Charles’ goal for the hosts.

Accrington Stanley 1-2 Southend United, AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Peterborough United, Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Portsmouth, Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Coventry City, Fleetwood Town 2-2 Shrewsbury Town, Gillingham 1-1 Oxford United, Lincoln City 1-0 Blackpool, Milton Keynes Dons 0-1 Sunderland, Rotherham United 3-0 Bristol Rovers, Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Ipswich Town, Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Rochdale

League Two

Leaders Swindon fell to a 2-0 defeat away at Newport. Josh Sheehan popped up with the opener after just a minute, and Jamille Matt made the points safe on 49 minutes.

Exeter didn’t slip up, though – they claimed three points away against Grimsby, to move level at the top with Swindon on 53 points, second on goal difference.

Perry Ng’s 69th-minute goal gave Crewe a 1-0 win against Cheltenham, sending them third. But Plymouth are breathing down their necks. The Pilgrims won 3-1 win at Home Park against Mansfield to go fourth. The visitors had enjoyed by far the best of it in the early stages, but Niall Canavan headed the hosts in front from George Cooper’s free-kick five minutes before the break. Antoni Sarcevic and Cooper made the points safe – moving Plymouth to 47, level with Crewe.

Northampton Town trounced bottom club Morecambe 3-0 to move sixth, level on 45 points with fifth-placed Mansfield.

Scunthorpe came back from two goals down against Bradford City, John McAtee’s fine equaliser earning a point for the visitors.

Bradford City 2-2 Scunthorpe United, Cambridge United 0-4 Stevenage, Colchester United 2-1 Macclesfield Town,  Crewe Alexandra 1-0 Cheltenham Town,  Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Salford City,  Grimsby Town 0-1 Exeter City,  Newport County 2-0 Swindon Town,  Northampton Town 4-1 Morecambe,  Oldham Athletic 1-1 Carlisle United,  Plymouth Argyle 3-1 Mansfield Town,  Port Vale 1-0 Leyton Orient,  Walsall 2-1 Crawley Town.