Weekend Notes 🤝 Done Deals Daily
Sub-zero temperatures, sub-optimal cancellations and one not insubstantial transfer.
When the grass ices over and the ground turns to rock, the threat of #GameOff looms large. So spare a thought for all the people across all those grounds whose efforts kept a game on (…and for undersoil heating, too).
Without them, we don’t get weekends like these. Fingers numbed by the pre-match pint. That moment when your bones are so cold, your team is losing and for a split second you wonder why you’ve bothered… and then a goal flies in and you forget all about it. We have seen sub-zero temperatures, a sub-optimal number of games cancelled, and at least one sub — the greatest kind of sub outside of the USA — score a winner (hello, Joel Piroe).
But first, one thing the weather cannot stop… TRANSFERS. Or is that, trans-FER?
Ivor Pandur (GK) - [Fortuna Sittard - Hull] - Undisclosed
Ivor Pandur has represented Croatia at all levels from under-15s to under-21s. The 23-year-old goalkeeper came through Rijeka’s academy and was quickly touted for a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus among the clubs known to have shown an interest in signing him.
But it was Hellas Verona who Pandur joined after just 22 senior Rijeka appearances, in a transfer that was seen as a bridging gap to the big time for the young stopper. Pandur’s time in Verona was unfortunate: he suffered a serious shoulder injury which curtailed his promising career and left him on the sidelines for over a year.
Pandur moved on to Fortuna Sittard, originally on loan until the Dutch club exercised an option to buy. He has been one of the best-performing keepers in the Eredivisie for a year and a half now, and is well on his way to getting his career back on track.
Hull’s need for an upgrade in nets has been evident throughout the season. Neither Matt Ingram nor Ryan Allsop fully convince. Not addressing the goalkeeping situation could’ve led to The Tigers’ playoff challenge becoming endangered, so Pandur’s arrival is cause for celebration.
VERDICT: LIKE IT
Remember FM Free-kick Legend, Juninho
PernambucanoBacuna?And was it FM05 when every other goal was a glitchy lob, scored from even the most ridiculous of angles? No, it was Chris Martin.
Benjani impression one week. Kevin Nolan the next. What happens when Dan Agyei scores again?
Nothing to see here. Just the happiest man on the planet.
Championship
Sunderland 0-1 Hull
Carvalho (71)
Hull put back-to-back defeats behind them, inflicting back-to-back losses on Sunderland in the process. Week by week, the situation gets increasingly volatile for each grain in the Championship’s seeded batch — 10 teams, from Hull in 7th to Blackburn in 17th, are separated by 10 points.
Swansea 1-3 Southampton
Paterson (40) — Adams (6), Smallbone (20), Downes (45)
Southampton came into the game on the back of 4 wins out of 5. Russell Martin returned to his former club to make it 5 wins out of 6, with the Saints going 2nd ahead of tonight’s game between Leicester and Ipswich.
Blackburn 1-1 Huddersfield
Wharton (7) — Helik (23)
Huddersfield have just signed two new strikers. Neither of them scored, but both got minutes, and that’s useful because the Terriers have spent much of the season playing non-forwards in those positions. Blackburn scored early, Huddersfield replied not long after and it ended 1-1, with Rovers now having conceded 53 goals in 28 games (the most in the league) and taken 2pts from the last 21 available. Are they still part of the seeded batch, or are they bona fide relegation candidates now?
Bristol City 1-1 Watford
Twine (25) — Dele-Bashiru (pen 13)
After beating West Ham 1-0 in the FA Cup and progressing to the fourth round, Bristol City were looking to make it 5 wins out of 7 at home in the league. They needed a Scott Twine equaliser to cancel out an early Watford penalty, but there were enough chances for both sides to find a winner — neither side quite managed to convert. Not a bad point for either. Watford are only 3 points off the play-offs now, and unbeaten since Boxing Day.
Middlesbrough 1-1 Rotherham
Forss (82) — Cafu (59)
This match — one that should be the easiest game of the season for any team in the Championship due to Rotherham’s abysmal away record — did not play out as many would’ve expected. After the game Michael Carrick complained about the “ball-in-play time”, but with only three shots on target to Rotherham’s two, Boro simply have to find ways of breaking down teams at home if they want to mount a serious attempt at the play-offs.
Norwich 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
Sargent (13), Rowe (71)
Going into this game, West Brom’s away record was W4 D3 L6, and in those 13 games, they had only conceded 14 goals. Make that 16 in 14, after Norwich beat their second play-off contender in eight days. Once again, it was the Canaries’ counter-attacking strength that helped them to overcome a wasteful opposition. It’s a pretty remarkable turnaround by David Wagner, even if many fans still aren’t convinced.
Plymouth 3-1 Cardiff
Hardie x2 (31, 52), Whittaker (81) — Ng (10)
Plymouth have been one of the Championship’s busiest bees in the January transfer window, and gave debuts to Adam Forshaw and Alfie Devine in this match. And even though it was the familiar names of Ryan Hardie and Morgan Whittaker who helped them to a comeback win, both debutants impressed — Devine’s direct running and divine pick-out for Hardie’s equaliser is worth a look. For Cardiff, a promotion push is slipping away and Erol Bulut is tamping. Watch this space.
QPR 2-0 Millwall
Chair (27), Armstrong (85)
QPR were 24th of 24 for home form before kick-off, while Millwall had one of the better away records. Martí Cifuentes will be encouraged by the ease with which his side bucked that trend, with Millwall managing just two shots all game. Home form will be crucial for QPR if they are to avoid the drop, and this result is something to build from – especially for Sinclair Armstrong, who ended a goal drought lasting 1,135 minutes, or the time it takes to watch last season’s play-off final, Barbenheimer and series one of The Traitors.
Sheff Wed 1-2 Coventry
Windass (68) — Sheaf x2 (40, 57)
Sheffield is so named for the River Sheaf, so there was some poetic irony to Coventry’s double goalscorer. Wednesday created enough to get something from the game, but there’s an irresistible quality about Cov at the minute — no team has taken more points than Mark Robins’ side over the past 6 games (16pts). For Wednesday, then fans shouldn't be too worried that the Röhlvolution might be grinding to a halt just yet.
Stoke 1-2 Birmingham
Thompson (70) — Stansfield (10), Bacuna (49)
Two teams with two relatively new managers, both hoping to buttress the barrier between themselves and the relegation zone. It was Tony Mowbray’s Birmingham who managed it with two goals ten minutes into either half – the first, a feat of good footwork and a fizzing strike; the second, a stunning Bacuna freekick. Stoke fans will be wondering how they didn’t turn 72% possession and 22 shots into something more… still, a bit of promise from Steven Schumacher’s side.
Leeds 2-1 Preston
Leeds remain the Championship’s only unbeaten side at home, but after two goals apiece in the opening 6 minutes, they couldn’t find a way past a resillient PNE defence. That was until the 93rd minute, when North End’s Ryan Ledson stuck out an arm that struck a spinning ball and the ref pointed to the spot. From the dugout came the instruction: not Bamford, not Bamford. Instead, substitute Joel Piroe stepped up and converted and Leeds keep themselves within the hunting pack, 4 points off the top two.
Leicester v Ipswich
Tonight, tonight
There's only you tonight
League One
Games off:
Cheltenham v Carlisle
Oxford Utd v Northampton
Port Vale v Wycombe
Stevenage v Barnsley
Bristol Rovers 1-2 Blackpool
Martin (24) — Hamilton (5), Dembélé (19)
Back-to-back defeats for Bristol Rovers. With three goals shared in the first 25 minutes, Rovers failed to fashion enough chances to claw themselves back into contention. Hopefully Chris Martin’s goal coaxed a few smiles. It was one of those dreamy, unreplicable strikers’ finishes — somehow a volley, a flick, and a lob all at once. For Blackpool, it’s three wins in a row for the first time this season — could this be the start of some consistent Critchley forward momentum?
Burton Albion 2-0 Charlton
Helm (24), Brayford (47)
No club has been busier than Charlton over the January transfer window, and Michael Appleton continued in a 3-5-2 with Alfie May and new signing Freddie Ladapo up top. There was no sign of Corey Blackett-Taylor, who looks to be Derby-bound, although there were signs of promise. Charlton dominated the game, with Conor Coventry, George Dobson and Tyreeq Bakinson bringing control in central midfield. But control means nothing if you don’t create enough chances, and Charlton offered no compelling reply to Burton’s two goals. That will heap further pressure on Appleton, and you have to wonder whether he’ll be in the dugout for tomorrow’s game v Northampton. But to the victor the spoils, and what great spoils. This was a first win for Martin Paterson with Burton’s new striker, loanee Joe Hugill, impressing on debut.
Peterborough 2-1 Shrewsbury
Randall (51), Knight (68) — Shipley (41)
“Port out, starboard home”. Apparently the word “posh” comes from instructions to the upper class about where to find the more luxurious accommodation on steamship voyages. True or not, this Posh side are cruising, juggernaut-like, up the table. After this win — a no-panic comeback — it’s 24 points and no losses in 10 games for Peterborough. As for Shrews, it’s 5 losses out of 6… and there weren’t too many surprised as Matt Taylor was sacked on Sunday afternoon. Only room for one of them in League One, it seems, though 18 goals from 28 fixtures ain’t pretty.
And so begins the "1eague 0ne Binary Segment": a fine collections of 0s and 1s. Exeter 0-0 Cambridge United
Four points separated these two before the game, and four points separates them still, after a game of only 4 shots on target (all to Exeter).
Fleetwood 0-1 Portsmouth
Kamara (25)
Bottom v Top, and both teams are still bottom and top respectively. Floundering Fleetwood have now lost five in a row, and struggled to create any real goal scoring opportunities in this one. Pompey did enough, scoring and closing out the game in relative comfort.
Leyton Orient 1-0 Bolton
Agyei (54)
No side has a better ppg than Bolton (2.04), but try telling that to Wanderers fans, who travelled to the capital to watch their side register just one shot on target. In fairness, you can chalk the result up to Orient’s excellent defensive record since Boxing Day: 5 games and 0 goals conceded. They stopped Bolton, and bagged a winner ten minutes into the second half. After a period spent looking over their shoulder, Richie Wellens’ side are suddenly looking up and wondering, what if?
Lincoln 0-0 Derby
Since October, very few teams have taken points from a resurgent Derby County. The Rams have been imperious, but the Imps were impervious on the day, blocking 7 of 19 Derby shots. Lincoln haven’t won in 8, but a clean sheet against one of the best teams in League One will give them confidence going into back-to-back games against bottom half sides.
Wigan 1-0 Reading
Aasgard (32)
On another day Reading might have taken something from the game, but defeat and results elsewhere means the gap to safety is now 4 points. It’ll be a tough one to take for Royals fans, but if you have to lose a game, better to lose it to goals like Aasgard’s — a wondrous thing. Wigan would be comfortably top-half if not for their points deduction; they’re now 13th and knocking on the door.
So ends the "1eague 0ne Binary Segment".League Two
Games off:
AFC Wimbledon v Crawley Town
Bradford v Doncaster
Harrogate Town v Grimsby
Mansfield v Sutton Utd
Notts County v Stockport
Swindon v Tranmere
Walsall v Accrington Stanley
Blimey!
Barrow 1-3 Crewe
Gotts (9) — Nevitt (19), Billington (64), Holícek (84)
Pre-season, how many people had Barrow v Crewe noted down as a big game between promotion rivals? Probably very few. But here we are, and after 26 shots (13 apiece) and four goals, it was Crewe who leap-frogged Barrow to move into 4th place, level on points with Mansfield in 3rd. And the winning efforts tell a typically Crewe story: Billington (19) and Holícek (18), two academy graduates, scored their first senior goals. Scarily, neither were born when Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Manchester United.
Newport County 1-0 Wrexham
Palmer-Houlden (34)
With Stockport’s game called off, Wrexham had the opportunity to go top of League Two. An early red card for Will Boyle made that opportunity a challenge. Then a first-half goal for Seb Palmer-Houlden turned the challenge into a mountain, and Wrexham couldn’t climb it. In fact, they have Arthur Okonkwo to thank for keeping the score down to one. The Arsenal loanee made some ridiculous saves, as Newport failed to extend their lead – thankfully for County, they didn’t need to.
MK Dons 1-2 Morecambe
Dean (2) — Slew (51), Brown (90+2)
No team had accrued more points than MK Dons (23pts) in the ten games before this one, with Morecambe only winning once in the same timeframe. Fair to say this match did not comply with the formbook: MK Dons led after two minutes, Jordan Slew equalised just after half-time, but it was Charlie Brown, for the second time in a week, who made a dramatic contribution. In time added on, he scored the winner against his former club after a slip by MK debutant Lewis Bate. No big drama for Dons – they racked up 22 shots and the win always felt within their grasp (until it didn’t).
Gillingham 1-1 Forest Green
Hawkins (67) — Jones (75)
Gillingham’s up-then-down season looked to be trending in the right direction in recent weeks after three wins on the spin. Up against an FGR team with another managerial vacancy following Troy Deeney’s sacking, Gills failed to capitalise after going a goal up, and FGR not only got themselves back into the game but should’ve won it late on. They go above Sutton on goal difference, but remain 6 points off safety, whilst Gillingham are level on points with 7th-placed MK Dons.