Daniel Farke feels Norwich have got their confidence and self-belief back after finally breaking their win duck at Brentford.A magnificent solo goal from Mathias Normann and Teemu Pukki’s penalty secured a 2-1 victory and a first three-point haul of the season for the beleaguered Canaries.They held on for the final half an hour, after Rico Henry hauled Brentford back into the match, for a ...Full Story »

AFC Wimbledon boss Mark Robinson says the narrow 1-0 win over Guiseley in the FA Cup first round was a reality check for his side.Ollie Palmer’s strike gave the Dons the lead in the 44th minute and they held on despite plenty of nervous moments against opponents from the sixth tier.Guiseley piled on the pressure in the second half and could have forced a replay late on if Jacob Gratton&rsq...Full Story »

Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard saluted his history boys after watching his side edge past Eastleigh and into the FA Cup second round.Wood striker Scott Boden scored in each half as the National League leaders saw off Ben Strevens’ men.Boden struck in first-half stoppage time when he turned in Kane Smith’s cross at the far post. The 31-year-old added Wood’s second goal on 61 ...Full Story »

Derby manager Wayne Rooney was pleased with the character his team showed with 10 men as they dug deep to earn a 1-1 draw at Millwall.This was a considerably better performance from the Rams than in their midweek defeat at Barnsley and they briefly had thoughts of ending their six-game unbeaten run, following Festy Ebosele’s first senior goal.They were quickly pegged back by one of their f...Full Story »

Kidderminster assistant Jimmy O’Connor urged his victorious players to make the most of their FA Cup upset of Grimsby.Ashley Hemmings’ cool penalty 18 minutes from time decided a hard-fought tie.Hemmings sent Max Crocombe the wrong way from the spot after Ethan Freemantle was brought down by Luke Waterfall, the goal coming shortly after Michee Efete had been denied by the outside of ...Full Story »

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 »

Tony Mowbray pointed to his team’s ‘strength of character’ after Blackburn came from behind to deservedly beat Sheffield United 3-1 in the Sky Bet Championship.Smarting from a club record home defeat to Fulham on Wednesday, Rovers made the worst possible start, conceding in the second minute through Rhian Brewster’s stunning volley – his first goal for the club.Howe...Full Story »

Stoke boss Michael O’Neill hailed striker Jacob Brown as he capped a week that saw him earn a first international call-up to the Scotland senior squad with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Luton.The 23-year-old celebrated his inclusion in Steve Clarke’s squad by scoring in the 34th minute, sliding home Romaine Sawyer’s cross from close range for his fifth goal of the season.And O&...Full Story »

Walsall coach Matt Taylor was full of praise for his players after seeing them extend their unbeaten run to eight matches by beating non-league King’s Lynn 1-0 in the FA Cup.An early Brendan Kiernan goal was enough to see the Saddlers progress to the second round with a narrow victory over the National League strugglers.Taylor said: “We showed the ultimate respect to the opposition a...Full Story »

Ben Garner was glad Swindon were able to put a poor FA Cup record behind them with an impressive 3-0 win at Sky Bet League One Crewe.The Robins had failed to beat Football League opposition in the competition since the Paolo Di Canio era in 2012.But a stunning double strike from Louis Reed and classy counter-attacking finish from Ipswich teenager Tyreece Simpson sealed victory for the League Two...Full Story »

Northampton manager Jon Brady and Cambridge counterpart Mark Bonner offered very different views after an entertaining 2-2 draw in round one of the FA Cup.The Cobblers twice led against their higher-ranked opponents at Sixfields as Kion Etete and then Paul Lewis both struck in the first half.But Sam Smith levelled once with a header before Conor Masterson ensured a replay at the Abbey Stadium wh...Full Story »

Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson hailed the “spirit and courage” of his players as they came from two goals down to secure an FA Cup first-round replay against Gateshead.The Robins looked set to exit the competition as goals from Heed duo Adam Campbell and Greg Olley put the National League North side in control with 10 minutes remaining at the International Stadium.Substitute Marcu...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 »

Substitutes Danilo Orsi and Simon Power saved Harrogate from an FA Cup upset with second-half goals to secure a 2-1 win against Wrexham.The non-league visitors had earlier taken a 38th-minute lead courtesy of striker Jordan Ponticell’s first goal of the season.Ponticelli tapped in from a yard after Ben Tozer had sent in a cross from the left that the home defence failed to deal with and Ja...Full Story »

Ipswich failed to improve their dismal recent FA Cup record after being held to a 1-1 draw by Oldham at Portman Road.The Tractor Boys, who had not won an FA Cup match at home since January 2009, could not see off their determined League Two opponents, who also missed a second-half penalty through Dylan Bahamboula.Wes Burns’ eighth-minute opener for the hosts was cancelled out by Davis Keil...Full Story »

Will Randall’s second-half winner secured Sutton a place in the FA Cup second round with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Southern League Premier South side Hayes & Yeading.Randall struck from the edge of the box with 19 minutes left after good work from substitute Donovan Wilson.Sutton, sitting ninth in League Two despite losing three of their last four matches, were made to fight all the...Full Story »

Altrincham came from two goals down to secure an FA Cup first-round replay against National League North promotion challengers Gateshead following a 2-2 draw.It was Gateshead that had the better of the chances in a surprisingly low-key first-half as the quarter-hour mark passed when top goalscorer Macaulay Langstaff diverted a cross narrowly wide with the goal at his mercy.Altrincham slowly warm...Full Story »

Scott Parker admitted it took a tactical tweak for Bournemouth to return to winning ways with a 4-0 victory against Swansea.Dominic Solanke and Jaidon Anthony both scored twice after the visitors had started brightly at The Vitality Stadium.The win keeps Scott Parker’s side top of the Sky Bet Championship, two points clear of Fulham, and Parker said: “I thought it was a big performan...Full Story »

Gillingham boss Steve Evans compared his teenage forward Gerald Sithole to a Premier League striker after drawing 1-1 with Cheltenham in the FA Cup first round.Mattie Pollock gave the Robins the lead after 34 minutes when his header was controversially adjudged to have crossed the line, despite Robbie McKenzie’s attempted acrobatic clearance.Sithole then exquisitely equalised for the Gills...Full Story »