Football League your thoughts: Wolves join chasing pack as Huddersfield go top

Perhaps the league table does lie this early in the season –the top four at the start of play all failed to win, with Luton crashing to a late defeat at their hitherto winless neighbours, Stevenage.


Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Football League your thoughts: Wolves join chasing pack as Huddersfield go top” was written by Niall McVeigh, for The Guardian on Saturday 20th August 2016 18.49 UTC

Championship

Huddersfield are the division’s new leaders but left it late to beat Barnsley 2-1 as Jonathan Hogg fired an injury-time winner. They are the only team to win three matches, and sit two points clear. David Wagner, who was the best man at Jürgen Klopp’s wedding, will enjoy his Sunday more than the Liverpool manager.

• Walter Zenga’s Wolves are among that pack after an impressive 3-1 derby win at Birmingham. Joe Mason curled in an equaliser for the visitors before Danny Batth and Jon Bodvarsson sealed all three points. Later, Derby and Aston Villa played out a teatime goalless draw in a far less exciting Midlands clash.

Fulham and Brighton are still unbeaten after both teams were involved in 2-2 draws. Brighton were pegged back at Reading, while Kevin McDonald earned Fulham a late point at home against Cardiff. A few miles away at Loftus Road, Preston pulled off the surprise result of the day, beating QPR 2-0 to earn their first points of the season.

Jermaine Beckford celebrates Preston’s second goal at Loftus Road.
Jermaine Beckford celebrates Preston’s second goal at Loftus Road. Photograph: Ashley Western/CameraSport via Getty Images

Blackburn stay bottom after a 2-2 home draw with Burton. Rovers twice took the lead, with Craig Conway’s long-range strike opening the scoring, but Burton fought back and are now the division’s top scorers. Fellow entertainers Nottingham Forest edged Wigan in a seven-goal thriller at the City Ground – Forest’s four games have seen 18 goals.

Newcastle avoided drama this weekend, with Dwight Gayle’s well-taken goal enough for a routine 1-0 victory at Bristol City. Rotherham won by the same scoreline at home to Brentford – Danny Ward’s goal moving them level with neighbours Sheffield Wednesday, who suffered a 2-0 derby defeat at home to Leeds.

League One

Bolton stay top but were made to work hard for a 2-1 home win by Fleetwood, who led at half-time. Gary Madine and Josh Vela scored the goals to maintain Wanderers’ 100% record. Charlton, who dropped out of the Championship with Bolton, won 2-1 at Walsall to move into the top six.

Scunthorpe are second after thrashing Gillingham 5-0 at Glanford Park to take their goal tally to 12 – three per game. Brad Barry – nephew of Gareth – scored the only goal as Swindon beat Port Vale, and Oldham won at Bury by the same score.

Gary Madine
Gary Madine scores the equaliser for Bolton against Fleetwood at the Macron Stadium. Photograph: Chris Vaughan/CameraSport via Getty Images

• Chris Wilder’s difficult start at Sheffield United goes on; the Blades are bottom after Steve Morison’s late penalty condemned them to a 2-1 defeat at Millwall. Wilder’s former side, Northampton, drew 0-0 at home with Wimbledon, allowing the Dons to overtake his current club.

Rochdale and Coventry have also dropped into the bottom four. Dale lost to a late Scott Wootton header at MK Dons, while the Sky Blues collapsed at third-placed Bradford, conceding three goals – two of them penalties – and having Jordan Turnbull sent off in a 10-minute second-half spell.

Shrewsbury earned their first win of the season, with Adam El-Abd’s late winner grabbing a 2-1 home win over Chesterfield. Oxford also won 2-1 at home through Chris Maguire’s injury-time penalty against Peterborough. At Roots Hall, Simon Cox’s late penalty earned Southend a 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers.

League Two

• Perhaps the league table does lie this early in the season –the top four at the start of play all failed to win, with Luton crashing to a late defeat at their hitherto winless neighbours, Stevenage. Colchester lost to Portsmouth at Fratton Park, Crawley played out a draw with Barnet, and Mansfield were undone by a Graham Carey double at Plymouth.

• That left the door open for Morecambe, who vaulted to the top of the table with victory at Yeovil; Kevin Ellison scored the only goal. Doncaster also won away by the odd goal, at Cheltenham, while Leyton Orient took all three points at Grimsby, another promoted side. Liam Kelly and Ollie Palmer got the goals as Orient climbed to fourth.

Blackpool’s Brad Potts and Wycombe’s Dan Rowe in action at a sparsely-populated Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool’s Brad Potts and Wycombe’s Dan Rowe in action at a sparsely-populated Bloomfield Road. Photograph: CameraSport – Stephen White

Exeter began the day at the bottom, but fans were rewarded for travelling to Accrington as they won 2-1, Jake Taylor scoring the winner. Jon Stead’s goal at Hartlepool earned Notts County their first win of the season, leaving Cambridge propping up the rest after a 2-2 draw with Carlisle.

• Chelsea loanee Alex Kiwomya scored his third goal of the season as Crewe earned a draw at Newport, while at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool v Wycombe finished goalless.

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