Football League: Sharp shoots into history books as Norwich are held
Championship
Billy Sharp made history as Sheffield United climbed up to third, courtesy of a 3-0 win at Wigan, as each of those above them faltered. The club captain’s 54th minute goal, a closerange finish set up by David McGoldrick – who had scored the first – made Sharp the highest goalscorer in English league football in the 21st century with 220 strikes, overtaking Rickie Lambert. Mark Duffy had scored United’s second.
Norwich failed to complete one of their habitual comebacksand had to settle for a point at Brentford rather than fully capitalise on leadersLeeds’ 4-2 loss to Nottingham Forest. Julian Jeanvier’s first-half header from a Said Benrahma corner put the hosts ahead before Timm Klose’s scrambled header levelled the scoreline in the 83rd minute. Norwich staged a late siege of the Brentford penalty area but could not find their winner.
West Brom began the day in third place but fell behind at Blackburn to strikes from Charlie Mulgrew and Bradley Dack. A Jay Rodriguez penalty in the 63rd minute offered hope before Jake Livermore was sent off in the 87th minute. Reading, without a victory under manager José Manuel Gomes, conceded after just two minutes to Swansea’s Oli McBurnie. Connor Roberts scored in the 30th minute to leave Reading little chance of climbing up from second-bottom. Mike van der Hoorn made it 3-0 on half-timeand the doom further descended when McBurnie converted a penalty three minutes after the break. Callum Harriott broke the scoring drought under Gomes with a consolation.
Against Middlesbrough, Harry Wilson scored his 10th goal of the season for Derby in a battle between two clubs who began and ended the day in fifth and sixth. Wilson’s goal was cancelled out by Jordan Hugill’s equaliser seven minutes after half-time.
Tammy Abraham scored twice for Aston Villa in their 2-2 draw with QPR to become joint-top scorer alongside Sharp. Luke Freeman equalised from long range and Eberechi Eze put the visitors ahead in the 57th minute before Abraham equalised in the 75th minute. Despite 11 minutes being added on after an injury to Rangers goalkeeper Joe Lumley, neither team could find a winner.
Hull claimed a fifth successive win when punishing strugglers Bolton 6-0. Kamal Grosicki opened the scoring and added a second after Evandro had scored. Chris Martin scored his first Hull goal for the fourth before Jarrod Bowen and Nouha Dicko piled on the visitors’ agony.
Ipswich stayed bottom after losing 3-2 to Millwall. Teenager Jake Lankester gave them brief hope before Shane Ferguson equalised from the penalty spot. Jake Cooper’s header put the visitors ahead before Tom Elliott’s goal confirmed all three points for Millwall. Kayden Jackson 89th-minute goal came too late. After three home wins in succession, Stoke lost 2-0 to Bristol City, thanks to goals from Famara Diedhiou and Callum O’Dowda. Rotherham climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-1 defeat of Preston. Will Vaulks’ first goal was an absolute screamer before Michael Smith grabbed the second. Despite Lukas Nmecha’s goal, Preston could not get back into it. Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham drew 1-1 at Hillsborough with Steven Fletcher and Che Adams on the scoresheet. League One
Portsmouth pulled clear at the top after their 2-1 defeat of AFC Wimbledon. After Kwesi Appiah had cancelled out Jamal Lowe’s opener, Pompey needed a goal from Ronan Curtis to open a gap of five points on second-placed Luton, who could only draw 0-0 with Barnsley.
Sunderland fans travelled in droves to watch their team at Blackpool, with 7,804 visitors of an overall crowd of 10,994. Josh Maja’s 15th goal of the season was enough for a 1-0 victory that took Jack Ross’s team within two points of an automatic promotion spot.
Doncaster’s 5-0 defeat of Rochdale lifted them to sixth, after Peterborough lost 2-0 at home to Scunthorpe. Bradford’s revival continued, as a 3-0 defeat of Accrington, who had Offrande Zanzala dismissed, kept them above the relegation zone. Plymouth began the day bottom but a 3-0 defeat of Oxford lifted them above Wimbledon and within reach of safety.
League Two
Leaders Lincoln looked on course for victory beforeManny Oyeleke equalised in specatular fashion in the 90th minute for Port Vale to secure a 1-1 draw. That opened the door for Lincoln’s chasers.
Grimsby’s decent run of form was ended in lunchtime kick-off at Mansfield, who won 1-0 courtesy of a header from Neal Bishop. That briefly lifted Mansfield to second in the table before MK Dons, 3-0 up on Cambridge after 12 minutes, eventually won 6-0.
Connor Jennings scored for Tranmere in the 32nd minute at Macclesfield before Koby Arthur equalised. Sol Campbell’s team, with one defeat in his four league games in charge, are two points off third-bottom Cambridge.
Notts County stay bottom after losing 2-0 at Oldham, under the caretaker management of Pete Wild.