Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper praised his players for their ruthlessness in the 3-0 victory over Preston, despite admitting he had seen better performances from his side.Lewis Grabban scored twice, firstly from the penalty spot and then with a poacher’s finish that went in off the post, either side of an emphatic strike from Jack Colback as the hosts romped to a comfortable win at th...Full Story »

Teenage substitute Jahmari Clarke scored twice as Reading ended a run of four straight defeats and nearly seven hours without a goal with a 2-1 win in a delayed game against Birmingham at St Andrew’s.Academy graduate Clarke, 18, equalised in the 70th minute with his first senior goal and then netted again in the 82nd.Scott Hogan had put Birmingham on their way to what for a while looked li...Full Story »

Thomas O’Brien rescued a point in added time as Arbroath extended their unbeaten Scottish Championship run to four matches with a 1-1 draw at Hamilton.Andy Ryan opened the scoring with a penalty just 16 minutes in after he was brought down by Colin Hamilton in the box.Luke Donnelly and Anton Dowds both had chances saved by goalkeeper Joe Hilton around the half-hour mark as the visitors pre...Full Story »

Max Sanders spared Lincoln’s blushes as his second-half strike saw off battling part-timers Bowers and Pitsea 1-0 in the FA Cup first round.Sanders struck in the 66th minute to secure a place in round two for the League One side, who were given more than a scare by the Essex-based Isthmian League Premier Division side.The minnows had the better of the first half as they made their maiden a...Full Story »

Darrell Clarke was full of praise for his hat-trick hero James Wilson as Port Vale progressed in the FA Cup with a 5-1 win against Accrington.Wilson hit the only goal of the first half and netted two more for his first senior hat-trick after Stanley’s Colby Bishop was dismissed.Though Ethan Hamilton hit one for Stanley, Lewis Cass and George Lloyd scored late goals for Vale to send their S...Full Story »

New boss Steve Cunningham paid tribute to Buxton’s former management duo after Diego De Girolamo’s late goal earned the Northern Premier League outfit a famous 1-0 FA Cup first round win at York.The ex-Curzon Ashton chief and assistant Damian Crossley only replaced sacked duo Gary Hayward and Mark Ward on Tuesday.But their inherited squad produced a superb display in its first appear...Full Story »

Dennis Kutrieb felt his Ebbsfleet side’s performance deserved more in their 1-0 FA Cup first-round defeat at League Two Leyton Orient.O’s striker Aaron Drinan scored the only goal of the game in the 24th minute to end sixth-tier Ebbsfleet’s hopes of a cup upset.United boss Kutrieb said: “We were very unlucky and I thought that we were on top of our opponents for at least ...Full Story »

FC Halifax reached the second round of the FA Cup with an incredible 7-4 victory over fellow National League side Maidenhead at The Shay.The Shaymen opened the floodgates when Tyrell Warren headed home Matty Warbuton’s corner inside 10 minutes.Maidenhead responded immediately when goalkeeper Sam Johnson spilled a shot and striker Josh Kelly fired in the rebound.In a frantic opening, playma...Full Story »

Zak Rudden’s early goal was enough for Partick Thistle to win 1-0 at cinch Championship leaders Kilmarnock.Thistle made an almost immediate breakthrough as Rudden timed his run in behind the defence and coolly lobbed keeper Zach Hemming in the third minute.Hemming twice denied Stuart Bannigan while Daniel Armstrong had Killie’s best efforts of the first half as they trailed at the br...Full Story »

Morecambe made it into the second round of the FA Cup with a battling 1-0 victory over Newport at the Mazuma Stadium.Aaron Wildig scored the only goal of the game in the 67th minute just seconds after coming off the bench when he sneaked in at the far post to convert Jonah Ayunga’s right-wing cross.It was a cruel defeat in many ways for Newport who had the better of the chances but came up...Full Story »

Matty Godden’s brace earned 10-man Coventry a last-gasp 3-2 win at home to Bristol City.The forward scored an added-time winner as the Sky Blues twice came from behind, having seen Ian Maatsen sent off in the first half.Godden’s double was accompanied by Callum O’Hare’s first goal of the season, the former Aston Villa midfielder levelling things up at 2-2 after Chris Mart...Full Story »

Kieffer Moore’s late double saw Cardiff fight back to earn a desperately-needed 2-1 win at home to Huddersfield.The Wales international headed home 16 minutes from time to cancel out Danel Sinani’s first-half opener for the visitors and then crashed in a stoppage-time winner to end the Bluebirds’ 10-game winless streak.Moore’s goals kept struggling Cardiff out of the bott...Full Story »

Hartlepool and Wycombe must go again after a 2-2 FA Cup first-round draw at Victoria Park.Pools led twice only to be pegged back by the Chairboys, who sit a division above in League One.Pools, who lost manager Dave Challinor to Stockport this week, took the lead three minutes into first-half added time.Midfielder Matty Daly, on loan from Huddersfield, was too skilful for the visiting defenders a...Full Story »

Marcus Harness made sure Portsmouth avoided an upset as they beat in-form non-league side Harrow Borough 1-0 to reach the second round of the FA Cup.The former Burton striker tapped the ball into an open net to celebrate his sixth goal of the season as Sky Bet League One side Pompey were forced to scrap against the minnows.Harness slotted in a Mahlon Romeo centre to open the scoring in the 28th ...Full Story »

Kevin van Veen’s second-half double brought an end to Aberdeen’s resurgent form as Motherwell took the three points at Pittodrie.The Dutchman’s brace also saw the visitors open up a three-point gap on the Dons in the battle for a place in the top six of the cinch Premiership – which sees five sides separated by just four points.Aberdeen, who were unchanged from their win ...Full Story »

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer called the chastening loss to Manchester City “a big step backwards” as Manchester United’s lifeless derby defeat heaped more pressure on the under-fire manager. The 186th Manchester derby saw the Red Devils return to Old Trafford for the first time since their 5-0 Premier League humiliation at the hands of Liverpool a fortnight ago. United responded wi...Full Story »

Richie Wellens was pleased to see Doncaster book their place in the second round of the FA Cup at the expense of Scunthorpe but was frustrated his side made hard work of getting past League Two’s bottom club.Though the visitors carved out the better chances, it was Ryan Loft’s own goal seven minutes before half-time that settled a contest possessing plenty of energy, but lacking qual...Full Story »

Under-fire Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces fresh scrutiny and pressure after Manchester City provided their latest Old Trafford humbling.A fortnight on from the embarrassing 5-0 home humiliation at the hands of rivals Liverpool, the Red Devils fell to another one-sided defeat as they returned to the scene of the crime for the 186th Manchester derby.Pep Guardiola’s men ...Full Story »

No blasphemy intended but it is precisely true that his has been a second coming. Ex-Man Utd and Everton chief David Moyes has quietly amassed 1,000 games as a manager but is starting to make a loud statement as West Ham boss West Ham boss David Moyes applauds fans after Thursday's 2-2 draw at Genk as he looks to develop the Prem high-fliers into a European force First time around David led...Full Story »

Real Madrid superstar Bale returned to training this week after being sidelined by a serious hamstring injury in September. Pacy frontman Gareth Bale is set to join the Wales squad despite being out injured for the past two months with Spanish giants Real Madrid Credit: Getty The 32-year-old attacker will miss Saturday's LaLiga clash with Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabeu. But Real boss Ancelott...Full Story »