Preston’s unbeaten Championship run came to an abrupt end at a rain-soaked Deepdale as they were beaten 4-0 by West Brom.
After six wins and two draws, North End were comprehensively dispatched by an impressive Baggies side. Goals from Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley gave West Brom a third win of the season, lifting them to within three points of the play-off places.
Ipswich moved to the top of the table as Brandon Williams’ late leveller denied Darren Moore a first home win as Huddersfield manager. The Terriers looked destined to hand their new manager a dream start to life at the John Smith’s Stadium thanks to Delano Burgzorg’s goal after 61 minutes, but substitute Williams struck an equaliser three minutes from time. The entertaining draw meant both sides extended their unbeaten runs to five league games.
Norwich put their humiliation at Plymouth firmly behind them with a comfortable 2-0 win over Birmingham at Carrow Road. The Canaries were hammered 6-2 at Home Park, and had also lost their previous home game against Leicester, but two goals inside five minutes early in the second half put their campaign back on track.
Gabriel Sara set the ball rolling in the 55th minute with a close-range header and the hosts gave themselves some breathing space on the hour mark with a well-taken goal from Jonathan Rowe, his sixth of the season. For Birmingham it was a fifth league game without a win. Goals from Adam Armstrong and Will Smallbone ended Southampton’s grim September, putting them on course for a 3-1 victory over Leeds.
Ellis Simms scored his first goals for Coventry as they stormed to a 3-1 victory at QPR. The Sky Blues netted three times in the space of 12 second-half minutes, with Simms finding the target twice and Josh Eccles hitting their other goal in a comprehensive win for Mark Robins’ side. Kenneth Paal scored a consolation in stoppage time. The defeat continued a miserable run at Loftus Road for Rangers, who have won just once at home in almost a year and have lost four of their five there so far this season.
Middlesbrough recovered from letting an early two-goal lead slip to secure a rousing 3-2 victory at Watford and continue their climb up the table. After collecting just two points from their opening seven league games, Michael Carrick’s side have now managed successive victories. Local boy Josh Coburn scored the 63rd-minute winner that halted an improbable comeback by Watford, who now sit just a point above their visitors having won just one of their last eight league fixtures.
Ellis Simms was on target twice for Coventry to continue QPR’s miserable home form. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA
Substitute Nathan Lowe snatched a late winner as Stoke came from two goals down to earn a dramatic 3-2 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The home side took a fifth-minute lead when Stoke dithered over clearing Kal Naismith’s near-post corner from the right and Sam Bell pounced to fire a low left-footed shot past Mark Travers. It was 2-0 after 15 minutes, Nahki Wells intercepting an under-hit back pass to Travers and clipping a right-footed shot past the exposed Stoke goalkeeper.
Stoke reduced the arrears five minutes later, Mehdi Leris picking out the top corner with a sweet left-footed drive from outside the box. Two minutes after the break the Potters were level, Sead Haksabanovic firing low past Max O’Leary. The comeback was complete in the 89th minute as Lowe arrived unmarked at the far post to slot home a right-wing cross, sending the 1,600 fans behind the goal into raptures.
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Portsmouth kept top spot in League One with a 2-1 victory at 10-man Wigan.
Regan Pool e and Paddy Lane ** struck first-half goals after Martial Godo had put the Latics ahead. Wigan were reduced to 10 men when Charlie Wyke was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Marlon Pack.
Oxford , one point behind Pompey, opened up a three-point gap on Stevenage with a 3-1 comeback win - United’s seventh in nine games.
Dion Charles scored the only goal as Bolton won at Port Vale , while Peterborough also moved into the top five with a 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers.
Barnsley lost 1-0 at home to Blackpool - Jordan Rhodes scoring his fifth goal of the season - Northampton won 2-0 at Exeter , and Wycombe overcame Carlisle by the same margin.
Fleetwood claimed their first victory of the season as Jack Marriott’s second-half strike gave them a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient. Both sides were reduced to 10 men deep into injury time.
Bottom-placed Cheltenham are still without a goal 10 games into the season after losing 2-0 at Lincoln in Darrell Clarke’s first game in charge of the Robins.
There were goalless draws between Derby and Cambridge , Reading and Burton , and Shrewsbury and Charlton.
League Two leaders Notts County stay top on goal difference, despite losing an extraordinary game 5-4 at Colchester.
Arthur Read scored twice for Colchester and Cameron McGeehan was also among the scorers before he was sent off. Macaulay Langstaff scored twice for County.
Second-placed Crawley made it four wins on the spin with a 3-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Sutton.
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Swindon** stayed in third after goals from Dan Kemp and Jake Cain secured a 2-1 win against Grimsby , while Gillingham and Mansfield drew 1-1.
Stockport are sixth after a 3-1 win at Accrington gave them a fourth successive victory.
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AFC** Wimbledon complete the play-off picture after thrashing 10-man Tranmere 4-1. Armani Little cancelled out Connor Jennings’ strike before Ali Al-Hamadi scored a hat-trick against Rovers who had Jordan Turnbull sent off.
Paul Mullin scored twice as 10-man Wrexham drew 3-3 with Crewe.
Ryan Barnett was dismissed in a match which saw Crewe lead three times. But Steven Fletcher equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Salford ended a run of five successive defeats by beating Newport 2-1 at home, and Barrow edged out Doncaster 3-2.
Warren O’Hora’s own goal saw Harrogate win 1-0 at MK Dons , while Walsall and Morecambe recorded respective 3-1 and 2-1 wins at Bradford and Forest Green.
Swansea made it back-to-back league wins as they ran out convincing 3-0 winners at Millwall. They had taken just two points from a possible 21 in a torrid seven-game winless run with head coach Michael Duff beginning to feel the heat. But they collected all three points in south London with goals from Jamal Lowe, Matt Grimes and Mykola Kukharevych on target.
Cardiff registered a fourth successive league win as they eased to a 2-0 victory over struggling Rotherham. Second-half goals from striker Kion Etete and full-back Perry Ng were enough for the sixth-placed Bluebirds to claim all three points and continue their recent surge up the table.
Hull drew 1-1 with Plymouth to move level on points with fourth-placed Sunderland, who beat Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night. Regan Slater scored the Tigers’ equaliser after Adam Randell’s opener.
