Brandon Thomas-Asante's double performance earned the Sky Blues a fifth straight win, extending their advantage at the top of the Championship table with a 2-1 win over their opponents. Thomas-Asante scored his 7th and 8th goals of the campaign, pushing the unbeaten side four points clear, before Middlesbrough's upcoming match at Sheffield Wednesday.
Historic Goalkeeping Feat
The home goalkeeper Rushworth exceeded Horace Pearson's long-standing club record of 608 minutes without letting in a goal—a record that had stood since 1934—before his net was finally breached by Kirk's delightful chip in injury time.
Millwall Keep Climbing Amid Injury Crisis
Alex Neil praised his "incredible" Lions team after they moved up to 3rd in spite of a ongoing injury crisis. The makeshift squad earned a 3rd consecutive victory, 2-0 against fellow top side Stoke at home.
Attacking winger Femi Azeez grabbed his 3rd goal in three matches, while French centre-back Tristan Crama netted his first for the team in a satisfying win for the boss against his former side. But the fitness issues are still piling up. Smallbone became the latest victim when the Saints loanee went down holding his thigh in the first half.
"We nearly had a complete team a few days ago but since then about five players have fallen over," stated Neil. "It’s an amazing effort from the players to be where we are considering how many injuries we have had. Smallbone's injured his hamstring which is a setback. I don’t know how serious it is at the moment. We defeated a good side tonight. They were 3rd before tonight and we earned to win."
The Robins Rise to 4th with Fightback Win
Twine netted a second-half brace as City fought back to move 4th with a three-one win over Southampton at home. Southampton grabbed the advantage on the 30-minute mark when Adam Armstrong broke clear onto a precise through ball from Charles and expertly lobbed the advancing keeper Radek Vitek. But it needed City just 3 minutes to level, Mehmeti finishing a comparable chance from Dickie's redirected pass, this time with an deadly right-footed strike from 12 yards when left with only Alex McCarthy to beat.
Scott Twine put the hosts ahead on 57 minutes, arriving on the scene unmarked to score from close in after Vyner's shot from the edge of the area had bounced off a Saints player and spun back off a upright. He was on goal again seven minutes later as poor defending gave him plenty of space to break free and chip past the keeper. It was a special night for Vyner, completing his 219th league appearance for City, a team record.
Charlton Shock Tractor Boys in Impressive Performance
Nathan Jones stated he was "extremely pleased" of his Charlton team's outstanding performance following their 3-0 victory over Ipswich at away, while Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna commented on the game being a "disappointing result" for the team as they lost at their own ground for the first time this campaign.
The Addicks netted two times through Sonny Carey and Macaulay Gillesphey in a thrilling 3-minute second half spell, with Miles Leaburn scoring a 3rd as they rose to fifth. Jones said: "Ipswich have got a strong squad, some side and the opening twenty-five minutes we had to adjust to it … After that we started to get a bit more assertive and started to get on the offensive a little more and believed we had the best chances.
"I think we had four really great chances and at the break we spoke to the players and we went after the game. The goals were excellent goals and that was an impressive performance."
The Tigers Edge Leicester in Tense Encounter
Liam Millar marked a maiden beginning for club or country in more than a year with Hull first goal in a nervy 2-1 win over Leicester. The Canadian international, fit again after an anterior cruciate ligament injury, was also implicated in the buildup to Joe Gelhardt’s thirty-first-minute decisive goal. The substitute Aaron Ramsey pulled a goal back after 67 minutes but Leicester dropped out of the playoff picture after suffering a defeat for the first time in nine league matches.
Blues Grab Welcome Win
Neumann's opening period headed goal earned Birmingham their 1st win in 5 matches, with a 1-0 success at Preston. The 28-year-old planted home Alexander Cochrane’s dead-ball in the thirty-third minute and the away side held on against a Lilywhites team with only one defeat in their previous eight games. It marked Preston's 1st home defeat in the league this campaign but they had sufficient opportunities to get a point more out of a hard-fought contest.
Sheffield United Mount Second-Half Comeback
Sheffield United scored three second period goals to come from behind and defeat other strugglers Blackburn 3-1 to secure consecutive Championship wins. In a game of little quality, the indicators did not look positive for Chris Wilder’s visitors when they conceded just before the break through Ohashi's 2nd goal of the season. However, the Blades fought back in impressive fashion after the break.
Following being awarded a helping hand through Henriksson's fifty-fourth-minute own strike, United cut Rovers open two times more. Burrows converted O'Hare's expertly placed pass in the seventieth minute before his fellow replacement Tyrese Campbell scored a 3rd from close range in stoppage time.
United move out of the relegation zone for the 1st time this season but the second period was disappointing for Rovers and their fans, who made their feelings clear at the final whistle after a result which drops them a position to twenty-third.
The Rams Sink Norwich to Raise Tension
David Ozoh’s maiden goal of the season gave Derby a 1-0 victory over Norwich to add to the pressure on Liam Manning. The loaned Crystal Palace player struck early in the second half to claim County 1st home win of the season and condemn Norwich to a defeat which pushed them into the league's bottom three. It should have been a alternative story after the Canaries completely dominated the opening half but they were unable to take a number of excellent opportunities.
