Sunderland overturned a two-goal deficit to win a 3-2 thriller at Swansea and climb to third place in the Championship.
Swansea established a healthy lead inside 17 minutes as Zan Vipotnik volleyed home and Liam Cullen dispatched a fabulous free-kick, but Sunderland levelled through Dan Ballard and Dan Neil – whose previous goals both came in a 2-1 victory against West Brom over 12 months ago. Jobe Bellingham then claimed the winner with his third of the season.
The win moved Sunderland to within two points of second-placed Leeds who were held to a 1-1 draw at Preston. Brad Potts put Preston ahead in the 23rd minute but an unfortunate own goal from substitute Jack Whatmough in injury time saved Leeds a point.
“If you can’t win it then you have to make sure you don’t lose it,” said the Leeds manager, Daniel Farke. “To score the goal in added time, also in this way, after we took so much risk and made so many changes in the game feels like a valuable and priceless point, especially in an away game. It’s a good point in a tough place.”
Quick GuideLeague One: Wycombe return to haunt Ainsworth
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Wycombe, the League One leaders, got back to winning ways after successive draws with a 4-1 victory at bottom-placed Shrewsbury. Taking on the man he played under for a decade at Adams Park, Matt Bloomfield decisively got the better of Gareth Ainsworth, with Beryly Lubala and Caleb Taylor scoring in the first half. Fred Onyedinma then made it three and while Jordan Shipley quickly pulled one back from a free-kick, Daniel Udoh grabbed a fourth against his former club.
Wrexham were unable to keep pace at the top after Cambridge scored a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw. Wrexham had looked set for victory after goals from James McClean and Steven Fletcher, but Cambridge took a point with a late penalty. Birmingham leap back ahead of the Dragons and into second, one point behind Wycombe with a game in hand. They defeated Bristol Rovers 2-0, Lee Buchanan opening the scoring and Jay Stansfield adding a penalty.
Fourth-placed Huddersfield snatched a 2-2 draw with Lincoln thanks to an 89th-minute goal from Callum Marshall. Ben House and Bailey Cadamarteri had put the Imps two up before Brodie Spencer pulled one back for the hosts. Fifth-placed Stockport fell to a 2-1 loss at Stevenage, Dan Kemp and Jamie Reid netting either side of a Callum Camps equaliser. Reading were unexpectedly thumped 3-0 at home by Blackpool, with Albie Morgan, Rob Apter and Ashley Fletcher scoring the goals for Steve Bruce’s side.
The game of the day came at Peterborough, who defeated Crawley 4-3 to put distance between themselves and the bottom four. The visitors fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 down to equalise, Will Swan and Tola Showunmi scoring within three minutes of each other, before Cian Hayes scored his second in the 61st minute. Wigan‘s dominance over Bolton continued as Dale Taylor and Thelo Aasgaard scored in a 2-0 win that made it nine years unbeaten against their neighbours.
Barnsley came from behind to beat Exeter 2-1, Kelechi Nwakali and Davis Keillor-Dunn netting in the second half, while Jonson Clarke-Harris scored twice in Rotherham‘s 3-0 win over Northampton. There were goalless draws between Leyton Orient and Burton, and also Charlton and Mansfield. PA Media
Sheffield United moved back to the top of the table as they claimed a hard-fought 2-0 victory over struggling Plymouth at Bramall Lane, thanks to a Gustavo Hamer screamer and Kieffer Moore penalty. Argyle gave a good account of themselves and had the majority of big chances but could not make any of them count.
Blackburn extended their winning streak to six matches with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Luton. The damage was done in the first half and it was a game of firsts for the division’s in-form side. On-loan Amario Cozier-Duberry marked his full Blackburn debut with a first senior goal after 32 minutes and fellow full-back loanee Owen Beck calmly added his first Rovers strike eight minutes later. Luton’s hopes of a fightback were dashed when Liam Walsh was dismissed for a poor tackle, 17 minutes from time. Rovers have now won more times at Ewood Park than they did in the whole of last season and they are five points off second place, with a game in hand.
Emmanuel Latte Lath’s eighth goal of the season moved Middlesbrough back into the playoff places and ensured Neil Harris’s second spell as Millwall manager ended in defeat at the Riverside Stadium. Harris, who announced last week that the trip to the north-east would be his last in charge of the Lions, saw his side spurn golden first-half chances for Macauley Langstaff and Femi Azeez.
Liam Manning warned his Bristol City players they have got to start making their dominance count after QPR hit back to earn a 1-1 draw. The home side looked set for a deserved win after substitute Scott Twine scored with his first touch, but Rangers sprang out of defence five minutes later and City goalkeeper Max O’Leary’s misjudged race from his area allowed Paul Smyth to shoot into an empty net from 40 yards.
“It’s not the first time we have had to reflect on not making the most of being on top in games,” said Manning. “If we are to get to where we want to be, we have to improve in that respect. In the last week alone, we should have had four more points.”
Frank Lampard heaped praise on Ephron Mason-Clark after Coventry came from behind to earn a 2-1 win against Hull. Mason-Clark equalised after João Pedro had opened the scoring before half-time, and then delivered the cross for Jack Rudoni’s headed winner.
“I’ve worked with a lot of wingers and some of them you have to beg them to get into the six-yard box,” said Lampard. “But he’s a scorer, his general play and his positional play off the ball was great. There are obviously things we can improve with Ephron but the raw talent was there for everyone to see.”
Quick GuideLeague Two: Walsall open gap at the top
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Walsall made it 12 wins from 19 games thanks to Taylor Allen’s 28th-minute goal in their home 1-0 win over Barrow. The league leaders are now four points clear of Port Vale, who were held to a goalless draw at Bromley. Crewe are two points further back after a 2-0 at Grimsby, secured by Jack Lankester and Joel Tabiner.
Wimbledon climbed above Doncaster into fourth after Mathew Stevens earned them a 1-0 win over Rovers. Chesterfield are up to sixth following a 2-0 win at the bottom side, Carlisle, Dilan Markanday and Will Grigg with the goals, while Robbie McKenzie’s goal gave Gillingham a 1-0 victory against MK Dons.
Tranmere claimed an important 2-1 win over their fellow strugglers Harrogate. James Daly netted a wonder goal for the visitors, but Rovers hit back through Kristian Dennis and Omari Patrick at Prenton Park.
Lowly Morecambe and Swindon both lost, the former 2-0 against Cheltenham and the latter 1-0 to Bradford, while Cole Stockton scored twice in Salford‘s 3-0 win over Notts County and Colchester drew 0-0 with Newport. PA Media
Second-half goals from Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama earned Sheffield Wednesday a 3-1 comeback win at struggling Oxford. Gassama’s right-foot strike on the turn from outside the box just after the hour sealed an impressive attacking display by Danny Rohl’s team, who had also won at Hull and Derby in recent weeks. It was a 10th away league win of the calendar year for the Owls – the best they have managed since 2004.
Stoke’s captain Ben Gibson made up for his own goal with a last-gasp equaliser in their 2-2 draw against fellow strugglers Cardiff. Gibson had put into his own net as the Bluebirds came from behind to be within seconds of recording their first away win since April. But they were made to settle for a point that at least lifted them out of the relegation zone as both teams’ winless runs extended to seven games.
