Jordan Beyer’s first goal for Burnley gave the Championship leaders a 1-0 victory over Coventry which extended their winning league run to seven matches.
The German defender headed home Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s corner with eight minutes left, just when it seemed the Sky Blues would weather a growing Burnley storm.
With the strong wind and driving rain at their backs, Coventry had the better of the opening 45 minutes, with Viktor Gyokeres showing why he is being followed by Burnley – and a host of other clubs – in this transfer window. But the hosts stepped up a gear after the break, with Coventry defending deep in the last 15 minutes.
Jayden Bogle scored two as Sheffield United kept the pressure on the leaders with a 3-1 victory over Stoke. Iliman Ndiaye opened the scoring and Bogle doubled the hosts’ lead, while Nick Powell’s goal at the end of the first half reduced the arrears before Bogle’s second at the death secured the points.
Teenager Tobi Adeyemo made an instant name for himself by coming off the bench to open the scoring in Watford’s 2-0 home win against Blackpool. The striker, 17, looked as stunned as he was elated to have found the net in the 72nd minute – just four minutes after replacing Vakoun Bayo for his first taste of league action. The youngster had made his first-team bow last week, coming on in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Reading. Ismaïla Sarr made sure of the points with a late penalty that had been conceded by Seasiders goalkeeper Chris Maxwell’s rash challenge on another Hornets substitute, the debutant Matheus Martins.
Tobi Adeyemo of Watford celebrates scoring against Blackpool. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Rotherham manager Matt Taylor said his team are up for the fight against relegation after they stunned promotion-chasing Blackburn 4-0. A change in formation and debuts for the club’s two new signings, Sean Morrison and Leo Hjelde, paid off for Taylor as the Millers gained their first victory since mid-November and ended an eight-game winless streak.
It took the Millers just 31 seconds to go in front after an attack down the left flank fell to Hakeem Odoffin and he lashed in his first ever league goal for the club with a stunning strike. Rotherham doubled their advantage with a stunning effort early on in the second half. Ollie Rathbone skipped by a challenge on the edge of the box before firing in a powerful strike which rattled the crossbar before bouncing over the line.
Shane Ferguson caught out Thomas Kaminski for the third and curled in straight from a corner on 76 minutes. And there was further misery for Blackburn as Conor Washington found space in the box in stoppage time to fire a fourth in off the post. “We have felt pretty low for the last six weeks or so,” said Taylor. “We have been lower than a snake’s belly. But there was intent and we were up in their faces and there was great execution in the quality of the goals. We’re in the fight of our lives now, it’s the biggest fight I have ever been in and we have to show that.”
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League One roundup: Plymouth hit back for a point
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Bali Mumba struck a stoppage-time equaliser to earn League One leaders Plymouth a 1-1 draw at promotion rivals Ipswich. Wes Burns had given Ipswich the lead with an angled volley just after the hour, which looked to be enough for all three points.
However, as the clock ticked over into added time, Mumba, on loan from Town’s rivals Norwich, fired an equaliser which leaves Plymouth three points clear at the summit.
Sheffield Wednesday sit second, but with a match in hand, after Will Vaulks’ early goal secured a 1-0 win at Wycombe. Derby came from behind to win 3-2 at Cheltenham.
The home side had taken an early lead through Caleb Taylor’s header, but Conor Hourihane nodded in an equaliser. Derby went ahead in the 11th minute through a superb long-range strike from Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen made it 3-1 just before the hour.
Alfie May’s close-range effort set up a tense finish but the visitors closed out the match for a third straight win to extend their unbeaten run to 12 league games.
Bolton kept up their own playoff push with a 3-0 win over Portsmouth. Dion Charles set the hosts on their way after 15 minutes, with Kieran Lee doubling the lead early in the second half and Eoin Toal wrapping things up with a late third.
Barnsley saw their promotion hopes dented with a 2-0 defeat at Charlton, where goals in each half from winger Tyreece Campbell and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi secured the points for the home side, who chalked up a third straight league win.
At the other end of the table, bottom club Forest Green battled to a 1-1 draw at Exeter. Rovers went in front in the 54th minute through Jordon Garrick, who was making his debut after arriving from Swansea. Exeter fought back to equalise with 15 minutes left through a fine strike from substitute Jevani Brown and then twice hit the woodwork late on.
Shrewsbury returned to winning ways with a 4-0 victory at struggling Burton.Christian Saydee set the Shrews on their way after just 20 seconds and added another with a curling finish shortly before the break. Luke Leahy slotted in from the penalty spot on the hour, and Chey Dunkley headed home a fourth in stoppage time.
Accrington moved out of the bottom four with a 2-0 win over promotion-chasing Bristol Rovers, with substitute Tommy Leigh and Ryan Astley on target in the second half.
Elsewhere, Ciaron Brown’s late goal helped Oxford come from behind to beat Fleetwood 2-1. Brendan Wiredu had given the hosts the lead at the end of the first half, before Kyle Joseph equalised shortly after coming on in the 62nd minute and Brown snatched all three points following a goalmouth scramble.
MK Dons and Lincoln played out a goalless draw, while Cambridge’s match against Morecambe was postponed on safety grounds after overnight winds caused damage to the main stand roof at the Abbey Stadium.
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West Brom further showcased their promotion credentials as they hit back from two down to win 3-2 at Luton. Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo had Luton in control early on but Daryl Dike and Jayson Molumby squared things up before Conor Townsend’s winner.
Marcus Forss’ second-half winner ensured Middlesbrough’s promotion charge under Michael Carrick continued with a 1-0 win over Millwall. After a relatively tight first half at the Riverside, the Finnish forward scored the crucial opener in the 54th minute to put Boro in the driving seat in the battle between two play-off contenders. Forss’ fifth goal since moving from Brentford in the summer secured an eighth win from the 11 Championship games under Carrick’s management.
David Wagner’s Norwich reign burst into life with an authoritative 4-0 victory over shell-shocked Preston at Deepdale. The former Huddersfield manager was appointed only eight days ago but the German’s influence was clear as his side put in a display full of energy and enterprise. Kieran Dowell, restored to the starting XI for the first time since October, scored twice, the forward adding to Teemu Pukki’s 13th-minute strike, as Norwich ran riot with three early goals. Pukki added his 10th goal of the campaign after 69 minutes.
Out-of-form QPR battled back from a two-goal deficit to earn a deserved 2-2 draw at play-off rivals Reading. Jeff Hendrick, on loan from Newcastle, gave Reading a 2-0 half-time lead with contrasting efforts – the first struck from 30 yards and the second from almost on the goal line. QPR were much improved after the interval, however, with Tyler Roberts reducing the deficit in the 66th minute and then grabbing the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining.
Swansea made their numerical advantage count as they beat 10-man Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light. Luke O’Nien’s early dismissal meant the Black Cats had to play more than 70 minutes with a player less, and while they kept their opponents out until the interval, they were blown away as Swansea scored three goals in the second half. Joel Piroe opened the scoring in the 50th minute, and while Dan Neil equalised for a spirited Sunderland, Liam Cullen and Ollie Cooper scored two goals in the space of eight minutes to ensure the points went back to south Wales.
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League Two roundup: Carlisle close at top
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Charlie Austin scored on his second debut for Swindon as they climbed back into the League Two playoff places with a 5-0 win over Grimsby at the County Ground. Austin headed home a fine Remeao Hutton cross in the first half before the floodgates opened after the break.
Marcel Lavinier rifled home a superb second before further goals from Jonny Williams, Ronan Darcy and Saidou Khan ensured a comfortable win for managerless Swindon, who also hit the post three times.
Carlisle took the opportunity to close the gap on the leaders, Leyton Orient, on a day when none of the top-three teams won. Kristian Dennis and John-Kymani Gordon guided them to a comfortable 2-0 win over Newport and the Cumbrians sit in fourth, four points adrift of third-placed Northampton with a game in hand.
Salford sit a point below Carlisle in fifth following a 2-0 win over Sutton. Conor McAleny’s brace won it for the Ammies with Robert Milsom missing a second-half penalty for the visitors.
Northampton went down 2-0 at Stockport following a goal from Antoni Sarcevic and an own goal from Jack Sowerby. Orient were held to a 0-0 draw by Barrow, while second-placed Stevenage drew 1-1 at Harrogate after Town’s Luke Armstrong cancelled out Carl Piergianni’s opener.
Gillingham scored two goals in a game for the first time since April as they beat Hartlepool 2-0 at Priestfield. Tom Nichols scored on his debut after moving from Crawley and Dom Jefferies made sure of victory.
Mansfield slipped out of the playoff places after a 1-1 draw with Crewe, with fellow playoff hopefuls Bradford failing to find a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw with Wimbledon.
Colchester eased their relegation fears with a 2-1 win at fellow strugglers Rochdale. Junior Tchamadeu opened the scoring before Devante Rodney levelled and Cole Skuse then bagged a winner two minutes from time.
Josh Hawkes’ 78th-minute effort secured Tranmere a 1-1 draw at home to Walsall. Danny Johnson put the Saddlers ahead in the 72nd minute but the lead lasted just six minutes before Hawkes ensured the points were shared. Meanwhile, Crawley’s home clash with Doncaster was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch. PA Media
Hull striker Oscar Estupinan scored with the last kick of the game to deny Huddersfield three big points in their 1-1 draw at the MKM Stadium. The visitors remain in the bottom three but they impressively belied their lowly position in a stale Yorkshire derby, in which Michal Helik opened the scoring after 21 minutes.
An equaliser deep into stoppage-time by striker Will Keane rescued a point for Wigan in a 1-1 draw with Cardiff. The Bluebirds looked set for a vital victory after Callum O’Dowda scored with a side-footed volley from a Jaden Philogene cross in the 82nd minute. But, with the Cardiff City Stadium crowd getting ready to celebrate a first win in nine matches, Keane scrambled home a leveller. The result keeps the Latics, still winless since Kolo Touré took over in late November, bottom of the table.
Will Keane of Wigan celebrates scoring their late goal at Cardiff. Photograph: James Marsh/REX/Shutterstock
Mark Sykes scored his first two goals for Bristol City in a 4-2 win over Birmingham at Ashton Gate. The hosts took a 17th-minute lead when Cameron Pring broke down the left and saw his driven cross guided in by Antoine Semenyo. It was 2-0 four minutes later, Nahki Wells outmuscling new Blues defender Kevin Long before bursting clear down the middle and shooting past John Ruddy.
Birmingham replied on 34 minutes when Troy Deeney powered home a penalty after Pring had brought down Tahith Chong inside the box. But Sykes restored the two-goal lead two minutes after the break, shooting home from another Pring cross, and the former Oxford winger added a fourth on 66 minutes, tapping into an unguarded net from Semenyo’s ball to the far post. Reda Khadra then marked his Birmingham debut as a substitute by breaking clear and firing past Max O’Leary on 77 minutes.
