EFL weekend round-up: All the headlines from the Championship, League One & League Two

Fulham still flying high in the Championship

It’s only February but Alexander Mitrovic has already equalled Ivan Toney’s 31 goal tally from the entire 20/21 season. He scored the only goal of the game at the MKM Stadium as Fulham maintained their six-point gap at the top of the Sky Bet Championship table. Hull have lost three in a row since Georgian Shota Arveladze took charge and it doesn’t get any easier for them with in form Sheffield United and QPR coming up next.

The record-leveller! 🔥

And what a special finish it was too. #FFC pic.twitter.com/SU7cNciFjJ

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 13, 2022

Blackpool hosted second-placed Bournemouth at Bloomfield Road. It looked like the Cherries were heading for defeat after Josh Bowler’s first half goal for the Tangerines. Sub Jamal Lowe scored with 4 minutes to play for Bournemouth and Siriki Dembele grabbed his first for the Cherries in the stoppage time. This was their first away 2-1 success of the season.

Nottingham Forest and Stoke City played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the City Ground. The game looked to potentially turn in the 85^th minute with the game at 1-1, as Forest keeper Brice Samba received a red card and gifted Stoke a penalty after brainlessly slapping Steven Fletcher having comfortably collected a corner. The penalty was converted by Lewis Baker. Ryan Yates then made himself the hero to earn Steve Cooper’s side a point in stoppage time, and defender Joe Worrall finished the game between the sticks for Forest.

Swede Poya Asbaghi was appointed as Barnsley manager on November 17th, and he finally claimed his first league victory with a 1-0 win over in-form Queens Park Rangers, who in turn have lost their first league game in 2022. Loanee Domingos Quina grabbed the winner for a team who sit five points from safety, but they will need to improve their measly 19-goal tally for the season if they are to survive. To put this into perspective, Alexander Mitrovic and Ben Brereton-Diaz alone have scored more than the Tykes.

Preston beat Peterborough 1-0 at the Weston Homes Stadium. Cameron Archer grabbed his third goal for Preston since moving on loan from Aston Villa. All goals have come in last 15 mins of games; this goal and his goal against Hull in their last away game have both been vital, with both games finishing 1-0.

Middlesbrough grabbed a thumping 4-1 win over beleaguered Derby, and as a result grabbed their sixth home win in a row. Wayne Rooney’s Rams are still confident of survival and despite having 21 points taken from their total they incredibly sit just four points from safety.

Six wins in a row for Rotherham

Sunday’s midday kick off saw Rotherham pick up their fourth away win in a row and sixth on the trot in total with a 2-0 success in a South Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday. Freddie Ladapo and top scorer Michael Smith, who grabbed goal number 17 of the campaign, picked up the goals. Only Morecambe’s Cole Stockton and Sunderland’s Ross Stewart have more goals than Smith.

The league leaders take the bragging rights!#EFL | #SkyBetLeagueOne pic.twitter.com/rXjjlPp6Nu

— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) February 13, 2022

Wigan came from behind to beat Charlton 2-1 at the DW Stadium. A Will Keane penalty and a close-range finish from Stephen Humphries gave them the win after Luton loanee Elliot Lee put the Addicks in front. This was Wigan’s first win in four league games.

MK Dons took on Ipswich at Stadium MK, with the game finishing goalless. The Dons have only lost one league game in 11 and Ipswich have only lost twice since Kieran McKenna took up the reins at Portman Road in mid-December. MK sit 3^rd and two points behind Wigan who have three games in hand.

Oxford took on Bolton Wanderers at the Kassam Stadium in a five goal thriller – the U’s coming out on the wrong side. Amadou Bakayoko struck his fifth league goal of the season with four minutes remaining, to win the game 3-2. Bolton now sit second in the form table just behind table topping Rotherham with 13 points from 15 available.

Gillingham have slightly improved things and it comes down largely to new manager Neil Harris. He has now picked up seven points from a possible 12 and they were denied a third 1-0 victory in four games as a result of Jonathan Obika’s late goal for Morecambe. It finished 1-1 at the Mazuma Stadium.

Forest Green Rovers continue impressive form 

Sutton United and Forest Green Rovers drew 1-1 at the VBS Community Stadium. Kenny Davis grabbed his first ever EFL goal with a superb free kick. Forest Green full back Kane Wilson equalised in the second half and the spoils were shared. This was Sutton’s fourth consecutive home draw. However, Rovers are still undefeated at home all season – that’s an incredible 15 games without defeat.

Point earned on the road 👊 #WeAreFGR 💚

— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) February 12, 2022

Fellow promotion hopefuls Tranmere were beaten 1-0 by rudderless Walsall, courtesy of a Conor Wilkinson penalty. Caretaker manager Neil McDonald has taken temporary charge after Matty Taylor was sacked, and his side have won for the first time in eight games: their first win of 2022.

Hapless Scunthorpe are heading for the National League at an alarming rate after they were well beaten 3-0 by Swindon at the County Ground. After they beat Walsall in midweek many of their fans may have been cautiously optimistic but they were brought back down to earth courtesy of Harry McKirdy and a brace from Swindon’s new number 9 and Charlton loanee Josh Davison, who grabbed his first goals for the club.

Scunthorpe’s closest rivals in the table are Oldham Athletic, who could be the first team to have played at the top table in the Premier League to drop into the National League in the current era. They fought brilliantly against play off-chasing Newport County as they drew 3-3. Oldham fans are enjoying their side’s best run in the league as they are four games unbeaten.

Stevenage’s trip to Barrow got underway 90 minutes late due to an electrical fault in the stadium. There didn’t seem to be much electric on the pitch either as they laboured to a 0-0 draw. Barrow now sit five points above the bottom two after this draw, but have only won once in their last seven games.

A thriller played out at the Jobserve Community Stadium as two strugglers, Colchester United and Carlisle met for a 2-2 draw. Colchester have now only lost one of the six games under interim manager Wayne Brown. A draw helps neither side as they sit in 21^st and 22^nd respectively.