Weekend Notes: Championship, League One & League Two
A bonkers weekend in the leagues you cannot take your eyes off.
The permutations within the Football League are wild.
Flick through the form book and you’ll find some things you might expect: Leeds can’t stop winning, Rotherham can’t stop losing. But you’ll also find quirks that, at the start of the new year, would’ve seemed implausible to varying degrees.
Peterborough have lost four on the spin. Notts County have taken part in a game comprising of a single goal. Sheffield Wednesday and QPR look as likely to climb out of the drop zone as the teams above them look likely to fall into it. In League Two, many assumed there would be a top 4 duking it out for the automatic places, but right now we’re looking at a three from six. The form team in the league — Newport County — are one victory away from landing themselves in the play-offs and they aren’t even in the top-half!
This is why we love it.
Welcome to Weekend Notes.
Tony Mowbray Revels in victory against Sunderland
Paris Fashion Week has come early.
Marc Leonard smashes home one off the training ground and there’s nothing routine about it.
Good ‘Evans, great volley.
Championship
Huw Davies
Twelve matches. Nine away wins. What madness is this?
Leicester City 1-2 Middlesbrough
Vardy (85) — Azaz (24), Silvera (37)
Leicester lost at home while 2nd, 3rd and 4th all won potentially tricky fixtures on the road. Good thing they’re nine points clear. Jannik Vestergaard and Patson Daka spurned fantastic chances in the first half (and Vestergaard another in the second) but after riding their luck, Boro rode off into the sunset with an unlikely league double, as Finn Azaz and Sammy Silvera coolly rewarded the good work of Lewis O’Brien and Riley McGree. Late on, Jamie Vardy became the third Foxes player to miss a sitter and the first to score. “We can’t think we’re going to win every game,” shrugged Enzo Maresca, showing he doesn’t read the Leicester messageboards.
West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Southampton
Fraser (14), Brooks (73)
It’s exam season for Southampton, and they passed their first test. Though they had a little luck in surviving a strong penalty shout at 1-0, Saints started and ended the game strongly, with Ryan Fraser and substitute David Brooks taking their goals well. And substitutions were key: Russell Martin made the right ones and Carlos Corberan perhaps the wrong ones, first in moving Jed Wallace off the right wing into a central role, when he’d been constantly evading Jack Stephens at left-back, and then in taking off his three best attackers with his team in the ascendancy. Still, it’s hard to think straight when you’ve been sat in the stands since the fifth minute, sent off for sort-of-but-not-really entering the field of play in a genuine attempt to stop a runaway ball.
Swansea City 1-2 Ipswich Town
Yates (31) — Broadhead (13), Chaplin (35)
Ipswich swam away from Wales with three points, although you’d think a deluge would suit Swans better than Tractor Boys (which means farmers, right? Just say farmers). Having given away the ball for Ipswich’s opener, Ben Cabango nodded down a set-piece for Swansea’s equaliser – it’s the Luke Williams Way – but the visitors’ winner was just classic Ipswich: a ball from defence through to left-back Leif Davis, playing basically as a forward, whose cutback was smartly finished by Conor Chaplin. Carl Rushworth and Václav Hladký both made excellent saves in the second half to keep the score as it was.
Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United
Gnonto (10), Rutter (72)
Stoke’s decline means we need a new cliché: can Team X do it on a rainy day in faraway Plymouth? In filthy conditions, Leeds proved they could. They’ve won all eight of their league matches in 2024, with an aggregate scoreline of 19-1. Argyle were competitive but failed to defend a bizarre up-’n’-under pass for Willy Gnonto’s opener, while Ashley Phillips also scored a blockbuster of an own goal that was sadly, but correctly, ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Plymouth are in the middle of a tough run of fixtures, but this club knows how to hold its nerve.
Bristol City 0-1 QPR
Chair (41)
Movement at the bottom. While the Robins fell to Earth after ending Southampton’s long unbeaten run in midweek, QPR pulled themselves closer to safety – they’re now just one point behind Millwall, the other side of the dotted line. In a low-margin game, Ilias Chair found the winner with a placed finish from Lucas Andersen’s low cross, the Dane showing on his full R’s debut exactly why he performed above the median as a line-breaking 10 specifically for QPR’s possession-based 4-3-3 conceptual shape in data screening. Sam Field’s phenomenal goal-line clearance protected the points at the death.
Millwall 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Ugbo (31), Musaba (41)
Joe Edwards lost a game he couldn’t afford to lose, but, like every Addams Family adaptation since the 1990s, this was all about Wednesday. Danny Röhl’s team were excellent, particularly Anthony Musaba, who killed the game before half-time with a brilliant assist and a well-taken goal. Röhl’s January signings are coming in hot, too: Ike Ugbo netted his third goal in three games, having scored four across half a season with Cardiff, while James Beadle and Ian Poveda impressed. Unfortunately, substitute Ashley Fletcher received two stoppage-time yellow cards in a desperate bid for attention.
Stoke City 0-1 Coventry City
Simms (51)
In the 51st minute, Ki-Jana Hoever received the ball near to his own area. As he dribbled infield, everyone at the Bet365 watched him in the same way they would watch the attractive ingénue in a horror film check out those noises in the basement. Possession lost, goal conceded, defenders arguing: this is Stoke City, 2024. Haji Wright, Callum O’Hare and Ellis Simms combined to punish the hosts, having all come close to scoring within a few seconds of each other during an early scramble, and Cov had no need for third gear after that. Having started his Stoke reign with five games unbeaten, Steven Schumacher has lost five of his next six.
Huddersfield Town 1-2 Hull City
Rudoni (90+2) — Greaves x2 (7, 90+4)
Stoppage time? Try heart-stopping time. With Hull 1-0 up in the 91st minute, Jaden Philogene raced clear but hit the inside of the post, the ball rolling along the goal-line – then Jack Rudoni equalised a minute later. Yet there was still time for Jacob Greaves to complete his captain’s performance: 16 of 17 aerial duels won, and two goals from defence to ensure the game was won as well. Hull have won four of their last five but not in the way you’d expect after they signed Messrs Carvalho, Zaroury, Giles, Sharp, Ohio and Ömür, who assisted the winner here – it’s been 1-0, 1-0, 0-1, 2-1 and 2-1, with fortunate own goals and late headed winners. It hasn’t clicked yet… but they’re getting the points they need.
Norwich City 4-1 Cardiff City
Sargent x2 (39, 54), Sara (44), Fassnacht (77) — Collins (19)
As omens go, needing to block a shot on the line inside three minutes wasn’t a happy one for Cardiff. They could’ve been 3-0 down by the time Jamilu Collins scored his first Bluebirds goal, and somehow got worse from there: Norwich scored four, had another wrongly disallowed, hit the post and missed three big chances as defined by Opta. The goals weren’t always pretty – Gabriel Sara’s free-kick was deflected, actually – but they didn’t need to be. David Wagner continues to undermine his critics; Cardiff are already on the beach. The beach of sadness.
Birmingham City 2-1 Sunderland
James (60), Miyoshi (80) — Clarke (22)
After a wide-awake Jack Clarke had exploited Marc Roberts’ daydreaming, Sunderland sloppiness and Birmingham goals from Jordan James – following good work from Tyler Roberts – and then Koji Miyoshi turned this game on its head. Just as it looked as if the relationship between the Black Cats’ fans and their manager was starting to improve, Mick Beale is back to square one, with two defeats in four days and no handshake with the substituted Trai Hume causing a public storm (in a teacup, possibly). Meanwhile, Mowbray is averaging more points per game than Sunderland are without him, and has picked up as many points in his first six games (10) as Wayne Rooney did across his 15-match spell. Fearless.
Rotherham United 0-1 Watford
Asprilla (58)
Testing the goalkeeper with only one of your 19 shots is not going to win you many games, Rotherham. At the same time, losing to an unstoppable strike that is the opposition’s only shot on target is a savage way to lose one. It doesn’t reflect well on Watford that they needed Yaser Asprilla to score a scorcher in order to squeeze past lowly Rotherham, but let’s park that thought and just enjoy the goal.
Preston North End 2-2 Blackburn Rovers
Brady (39), Riis (43) — Szmodics (7), Gallagher (23)
A lively Lancashire derby saw all four goals scored in the first half. Samuel Gallagher followed up his lovely assist for Samuel Szmodics with an equally lovely finish from Callum Brittain’s searching pass, but twice in the space of five minutes, Blackburn failed to clear a corner, and two goals – one fantastic, one farcical – gave Preston parity. North End had the better of the second half but to no avail. Afterwards, in discussing the goals his team conceded, PNE boss Ryan Lowe showed what speed of transition really means in football with his straight-faced admission that, “They were individual errors. I’m not going to fault the players.” But… but you just said… oh, never mind.
League One
Ryan Deeney & Ali Maxwell
Portsmouth 4-1 Reading
Lane (36), Pack (49), Lang (59), Bishop (84) — Savage (89)
This was Pompey’s sixth win in seven matches and their third in succession at home. Their ruthless finishing was on show once more with Abu Kamara assisting strong efforts from Paddy Lane, Marlon Pack and Callum Lang before Colby Bishop added gloss late on. They are now nine points clear of Bolton Wanderers, a lead that looks strong at this stage of the season even with the glut of games-in-hand teams below them. Reading will feel frustrated with poor finishing — Paul Mukairu had a great opportunity early on — and goalkeeping/defending but they remain three points clear of the dropzone and this was just their second loss in 14 League One outings.
Bolton 3-3 Charlton
Adeboyejo (19), Maghoma (51), Böðvarsson (71) — Small (22), Jones (40), Kanu (61)
Both teams let leads slip here, to make it three draws in four games for Bolton and two in a row for Charlton.
Bolton made the running and led through Victor Adeboyejo. But Charlton wouldn’t go away. Thierry Small’s cross bent all the way in, and Lloyd Jones’ low strike snuck through bodies to get past Joel Coleman, and the Addicks led at half-time.
Another exchange of goals early in the second half: a silky solo cracker from Paris Maghoma had the home team level, but 19-year-old Daniel Kanu’s sharp strike nudged Nathan Jones’ side in front once more. Alfie May was benched for the game, and Kanu had justified his selection.
It seems clear that Bolton were missing the commanding presence of Ricardo Santos, and perhaps the reflexes of injured #1 Nathan Baxter. Even so, they scored a vintage Bolton Under Evatt goal for the equalising third — wide combination play with a low cross finished by a striker — and picked up a deserved point.
Derby 1-0 Stevenage
Sibley (90)
Nine shots total! This was… low margin.
Stevenage should be proud of their out of possession performance — Derby’s five shots is the fewest they’ve taken all season. Unfortunately for Steve Evans’ side, they failed to stop a Mendez-Laing pass that was swiftly and expertly dispatched by Louis Sibley in the last minute, a big moment for a player who has found it difficult to impact games this season.
Not a vintage display from Derby, but four league wins in five games — or 14 in 19 if you prefer — reflects their remarkable propulsion.
Fleetwood 1-2 Barnsley
Lawal (32) — Cosgrove (23), Kane (59)
This game was full of momentum swings, as both sides played for the win and took turns to submit flurries of pressure and shots at goal. Bosun Lawal’s thumping strike from 20 yards cancelled out Sam Cosgrove’s old-fashioned thumping header to leave it 1-1 at the break.
Fleetwood’s front-footed approach to an unlikely survival left them scrambling on the break. The game’s star player Adam Phillips grabbed his second assist with a ball across for Herbie Kane to finish.
Barnsley have to be one of the most entertaining teams in the country. Both teams have scored in 13 of their last 14 games. They’ve won 29 points across those matches. Comfort in chaos. Fourth in the table. In the conversation.
Peterborough United 1–2 Blackpool
Kyprianou (39) — Lavery (56), Dembele (90)
Peterborough United’s promotion hopes took another dent as Blackpool reignited their ambitions of a top-six finish.
Peterborough took the lead through Hector Kyprianou’s near post header but a moment of madness from Jed Steer allowed Shayne Lavery to level from the spot (his first goal since October) before Karamoko Dembélé, younger brother of former Posh forward Siriki, secured the points with a deflected effort in injury time.
It means Posh have now lost all four league matches in February, leaving them ten points adrift of the automatics and just three points clear of Stevenage. The challenge has switched from chasing down second spot to remaining in the top six. Blackpool have won just four away matches this season but three have come against the current top six and this one leaves them just six points adrift of Oxford and Peterborough as Neil Critchley looks for a big end to the campaign.
Leyton Orient 1-2 Burton
Moncur (43 pen) — Bennett (72), Nsiala (76)
Orient will be bamboozled at this result. 1-0 up after an hour and on course for seven wins in nine, a loose pass from Omar Beckles torpedoed their afternoon. Mason Bennett fired through Sol Brynn, who then saw a Toto Nsiala effort squeeze inside his near post.
Three wins in six games for Burton since Martin Paterson’s appointment. He’s brought fresh ideas, strong communication and impressive energy. Survival is the objective - this helps a lot.
Lincoln City 1-0 Exeter City
Taylor (67)
Lincoln City moved into 10th spot thanks to Joe Taylor’s cheeky winner. It looked like goalkeepers were going to win the day, with Lukas Jensen and Viljami Sinisalo getting limbs to goal-bound efforts from Jack Aitchison and Ben House, but Joe Taylor made no mistake when his opportunity arrived, racing away and dinking the ball over the onrushing Exeter keeper. Exeter’s response was poor, failing to register a single shot after going behind but they remain seven points clear of the drop. Lincoln are now seven unbeaten and have won three of their last four.
Northampton Town 3-1 Bristol Rovers
Brough (3), Pinnock (40), Leonard (84) — Martin (79)
Northampton Town overtook Bristol Rovers in the League One table thanks to a 3-1 victory that ended a run of four without a win. Patrick Brough had a fine game, finding Tyreece Simpson early on only to have to finish the move himself. The pair linked again to tee up Mitch Pinnock for the second and once more when Brough crashed a Simpson cross against the bar.
Matt Taylor made two half-time changes and it had an effect, 11 of their 13 match shots being taken in the second half. Elkan Baggott, one of the changes, nodded down for a simple Chris Martin finish but another Marc Leonard wonder strike secured the three points. There was further dissent amongst the Gas faithful after a seventh loss in ten outings. They drop to 12th with Northampton now in 11th.
Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Wigan Athletic
Smith (57)
Wigan Athletic came away from Shrewsbury Town as victors in another important clash in the bottom half of League One.
The visitors started bright but took the lead against the run of play in the second half, Matt Smith netting his first goal for the club. Sam Tickle was in inspired form, denying Aaron Pierre and Mal Benning with excellent stops. The 1-0 win moves them into 13th, eight points clear of the drop. Shrewsbury are now four within a win and Cheltenham Town’s win has cut their gap to safety to three points. They travel to Reading next — the big games don’t stop.
Cheltenham 3-2 Port Vale
Cheltenham came from behind twice and leapfrogged Port Vale in a significant afternoon in the League One relegation battle. Darren Moore’s first game as Vale manager did not bring around a significant improvement in performance or result — this was Vale’s fourth defeat in five games.
Port Vale’s leads, at 1-0 and 2-1, did not reflect the fact that Darrell Clarke’s side were the more dominant, coherent side. Cheltenham’s force of will seems strong at the moment. Matty Taylor’s free-kick, Jack Shepherd’s volley and Will Ferry’s mazy winner were all goals full of quality and confidence.
Three wins in a row for Cheltenham — these teams appear to be going in different directions, but Clarke’s side still have work to do to rise above the dotted line.
Carlisle 0-4 Cambridge
This Carlisle side is going down with a whimper. A bright first ten minutes evaporated when Sullay Kaikai received the ball on the left hand side of the box and was able to pop it into the far corner with minimal fuss.
In the second half, a comedy own goal ended the contest, keeper Harry Lewis spilling a cross onto the head of Sam Lavelle. Carlisle would surely lead the league for goalkeeper mishaps this season, across three or four different stoppers.
Lyle Taylor provided Cambridge’s ‘wow’ moment, with an instinctive, outside-of-the-boot assist for Kachunga. Cambridge were having the time of their lives, and celebrated with some sort of three-man snow angel in the goalmouth.
By the time Ryan Bennett headed in a fourth, the atmosphere at Brunton Park was eerie. A vacuum in the home end, with 442 Cambridge fans celebrating their biggest win of the season.
Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Oxford United
Wycombe Wanderers and Oxford United played out a goalless draw that saw both sides keep their first clean sheets of 2024.
Wycombe came closest to a goal, mazy Kieran Sadlier runs ending with chances for Dale Taylor and Bez Lubala, the latter of whom really ought to have scored. Josh Murphy came close from distance after cutting inside. Oxford remain sixth. Their form is peculiar at present, currently unbeaten in five but winning one of their last seven. Wycombe sit in 15th, six points clear of the bottom four.
League Two
Matt Watts & Tom Bourke
Tranmere 4-0 Stockport
Davies (30), Turnbull x2 (55, 63), Jennings (85)
Back-to-back defeats for stuttering Stockport. As seems to be typical when Stockport lose, it’s all ball and no bite. Tranmere’s quality in the final third saw them win in emphatic fashion as Nigel Adkins’ side might have just put in their best performance of the season. Their potency was evident when they doubled their lead, as Jordan Turnbull produced a Wish version of David Platt’s iconic volley against Belgium.
Walsall 2-1 Mansfield
Matt (47) Adegboyega (65) – Quinn (50)
Mansfield had the chance to go top following Stockport’s slip up and whilst they created the better chances in the first half, Jamille Matt’s header opened the scoring early after the break. Although Mansfield equalised moments later, they conceded again from a set piece to leave the Bescot with nothing. On-loan defender Emmanuel Adegboyega had a football league debut to remember. The 20-year-old came on at halftime and gave the Saddlers their first win in seven.
Wrexham 1-0 Notts County
Fletcher (20)
Back-to-back wins for Wrexham following four losses, though they needed a bit of fortune to beat their former National League rivals Notts County. Steven Fletcher’s instinctive finish put Wrexham ahead after Notts County had started the better. Both teams created chances to score that pivotal second goal. David McGoldrick thought he had equalised with 20 minutes left but was ruled to have handled the ball in the build-up — replays suggest that decision was harsh in the extreme. Only one win in seven for the Magpies, but a more encouraging display.
Salford 5-3 Barrow
Hendry x2 (26, 67), McAleny (57), Smith (77, 86) — Stockton (42, 90), Warren (47)
Barrow’s once watertight defence is suddenly looking more like a busted flush. That’s three defeats on the bounce with nine goals conceded. They were second best here as Salford continue to improve under Karl Robinson whose team are now unbeaten in eight.
The first half saw a couple of fine finishes, courtesy of Callum Hendry and Cole Stockton. But inevitably it ended up being Matt Smith’s dominance from set pieces that won it for the Ammies. That will disappoint Barrow boss Pete Wild; his side needs to fix the leak if they want to remain in the automatic promotion picture.
Swindon 1-2 MK Dons
Austin (89) – Wearne x2 (4,8)
Stephen Wearne twice capitalised on — shock! — shocking Swindon defending to mark his first start for MK Dons with a brace. Mike Williamson worked with Wearne at Gateshead, where he scored 11 goals from midfield this season, and things are working out again. After calamitous defending from keeper Jack Bycroft and centre back Conor McCarthy allowed Wearne to open his account for MK, the Robins faithful made their frustrations heard. Swindon have won twice in 13 and have conceded 61 goals already this season. As for MK Dons, they are fifth and marching on.
Grimsby Town 1-5 Doncaster Rovers
Rose (19 pen) — Molyneux (6), Ironside (8), Maher OG (51), Craig (72), Hurst (82)
If you’re looking for goals then Blundell Park is the place to go to — just not if you’re a Grimsby fan. Dave Artell’s Mariners have now shipped 21 goals in their last five home games after conceding five against a resurgent Doncaster.
A sumptuous finish from Luke Molyneux gave Grant McCann’s men the lead after just six minutes. Two minutes later, Joe Ironside scored his third goal in his last four games. It was all proving to be too much for large sections of the Town fanbase as a chorus of boos rained down from the stands. A spot-kick from Danny Rose halved the arrears but, just like the first ten minutes, the second half belonged to the visitors. Niall Maher steered Jamie Sterry’s cross into his own net, before Spurs loanee Matthew Craig slotted home to make it 4-1. Hakeeb Adelakun helped himself to a hattrick of assists as Kyle Hurst collected his pass, before cutting in from the left and firing into the far corner to complete the scoring.
This result means that Doncaster have picked up eight points from their last four games. By contrast, Grimsby are still without a win this year.
Newport 1-0 Gillingham
Evans (61)
Newport’s narrative of 2024 is simple: they win (mostly) and Will Evans scores goals. His 19th of the season might be his best, a first-time side-foot volley that kisses the post on its way in. That moment of quality separated these two sides. Evans has four in four, and suddenly the Exiles are two points off the play offs. Their next four games are against play off and promotion contenders. Gills’ next four are tough, too — it’s tight in the top half.
Crawley Town 2-0 Forest Green Rovers
Orsi (39), Lolos (87)
You wait ages for one and then two come along at once. That’s how London buses work. Unfortunately for Forest Green, the same isn’t said about electric vehicles. Following their first victory in 16 league games, Steve Cotterill’s Green Devils succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Scott Lindsey’s Red Devils. Danilo Orsi’s 14th goal of the season set Crawley on their way, before Klaidi Lolos sealed the victory late on after some excellent work down the right from Kellan Gordon. The victory was Crawley’s first on their own patch since New Year’s Day, while this defeat leaves FGR six points from safety.
Bradford City 1-0 Sutton United
Kavanagh (54)
Calum Kavanagh scored his second goal in five days as Bradford beat Sutton 1-0 at Valley Parade. A delightful through ball from Clarke Odour found the on-rushing Kavanagh, who fired his left-footed shot past Dean Bouzanis and into the back of the net. It’s now three wins and four clean sheets on the bounce for Graham Alexander’s upwardly-mobile Bantams, who had seen off promotion-chasers Wrexham and MK Dons in their previous outings. Meanwhile, basement boys Sutton are ten league games without a win and seven points from safety.
AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Morecambe
Bugiel (50) — Stokes (74)
Chris Stokes’ first goal for Morecambe earned the visitors a valuable point on the road against fellow play-off contenders AFC Wimbledon. Stokes, who enjoyed a significantly better weekend than his namesake Ben, stole in at the near post to score with what proved to be the visitor’s only shot on target. It was a deft finish; more befitting of a seasoned goal-getter than a goal-shy defender. Omar Bugiel’s third goal in his last five games had given Wimbledon the lead five minutes into the second half.
After a run of three wins in a row, Ged Brannan’s Shrimps have now taken ten points from their last four games. This result sees both sides remain level on points – just outside of the top seven.
Colchester United 1-1 Accrington Stanley
Chilvers (40) — Harbottle OG (80)
“The biggest mistake that you can make is trying not to make a mistake.” Danny Cowley was in a philosophical mood after his Colchester side let another advantageous position slip through their fingers on Saturday afternoon.
The U’s took the lead against Accrington when Noah Chilvers drilled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner five minutes before the interval. Things went from bad to worse for Accy when Brad Hills was sent off for swinging an unnecessary elbow into the face of Tom Hopper. However, the home side failed to add to their lead and they were punished for it. With time running out, Colchester defender Riley Harbottle prodded Kelvin Mellor’s speculative cross past the stranded Owen Goodman and into his own net.
Cowley’s men are seven points clear of the drop, but it could (and potentially should) have been a lot better – they’ve conceded two avoidable equalisers and one avoidable winner in their last three games.
Crewe Alexandra 0-0 Harrogate Town
It’s been quite the week for James Belshaw and Harrogate’s defence. Clean sheets against Colchester and Crewe have book-ended a 9-2 midweek defeat to Mansfield. In all honesty, the two shut outs possibly flatter Harrogate – just like the nine goals from 2.36 expected goals possibly flattered the Stags!
Simon Weaver’s side have faced 69 shots (20 on target) in their last three outings. Unfortunately for Crewe, just like Colchester a week ago, they had plenty of shots but they didn’t test Belshaw often enough and, when they did, they found the Nottingham-born stopper in inspired form. In terms of attacking threat, the visitors mustered a whopping 0.04 xG from their one and only shot of the game, which came in the third minute. After impressive wins against Crawley and Stockport, this will feel like two points dropped for Lee Bell’s Railwaymen.
