Eastleigh gave their National League play-off hopes a boost with a 2-1 win over Dorking.Ludwig Francillette opened the scoring for the Spitfires on the stroke of half-time when he headed home from Chris Maguire’s free-kick.Paul McCallum doubled the home side’s lead after 58 minutes when he converted from Aidan Barlow’s cross.Sebastian Bowerman pulled one back for Dorking with s...Full Story »

Derek McInnes hailed two “brilliant” goals which saw Kilmarnock move into fourth place in the cinch Premiership with a 2-1 win over St Johnstone at Rugby Park.Killie sprang out of the traps despite swirling wind and rain and 18-year-old midfielder David Watson hammered in a long-distance drive in the sixth minute before veteran striker Marley Watkins added a second in the 17th minute...Full Story »

Michael Carrick praised his players for not getting distracted by their Carabao Cup exploits as Middlesbrough rounded off an impressive week with a deserved 1-0 win over West Brom.Boro beat Port Vale in midweek to reach the last four of the League Cup for the first time since winning the competition 20 seasons ago and have a two-legged tie with Chelsea to look forward to in the new year.But Carr...Full Story »

Michael Beale said his first match in charge of Sunderland “couldn’t have gone any worse” after seeing his new side humbled 3-0 at home by Coventry.The former Rangers and QPR boss was appointed as Tony Mowbray’s permanent successor at the start of the week but saw his team finish well beaten on home soil following goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Callum O’Hare and Kas...Full Story »

Darren Ferguson was thrilled with his Peterborough side’s character after they won 2-1 at Shrewsbury to remain in touching distance of Sky Bet League One leaders Portsmouth.Shrewsbury went ahead just before the hour mark after Jordan Shipley’s cross-cum-shot found the back of the net.But after dominating for large parts, Peterborough found their cutting edge after going behind and we...Full Story »

Vincent Kompany believes Rebecca Welch’s performance during Burnley’s 2-0 win over Fulham was a “milestone moment” after she became the first woman to take charge of a Premier League match on Saturday.Wilson Odobert’s curled strike and Sander Berge’s magnificent solo effort confirmed Burnley’s first win since their 5-0 victory over Sheffield United on De...Full Story »

Rob Edwards said Luton’s 1-0 victory against Newcastle was the “embodiment” of their captain Tom Lockyer as his side moved to within two points of Premier League safety.It was Luton’s first game since Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during last Saturday’s abandoned game away to Bournemouth.The 29-year-old’s name was sung around Kenilworth Road throughout the...Full Story »

Reading manager Ruben Selles praised the “power” of winger Femi Azeez after he opened the scoring in an impressive 2-0 Sky Bet League One home victory over Wigan.Azeez, 22, gave Reading an interval lead with an unstoppable 20-yard drive and Sam Smith doubled the advantage five minutes after the break.Wigan offered little going forward in either half, with Reading comfortably seeing t...Full Story »

Kidderminster enter Christmas at the foot of the National League following a 2-1 defeat by Southend.Oli Coker netted from an early cross but the home side responded with a powerful finish by Ashley Hemmings.Southend regained the lead in first-half stoppage time when defender Nathan Ralph leapt high to nod home a corner.Kidderminster piled on the pressure in the closing moments and had the ball c...Full Story »

Plymouth top scorer Morgan Whittaker hit a brilliant 86th-minute equaliser as managerless Argyle recovered from going 3-1 down to claim a 3-3 Championship draw with Wayne Rooney’s 10-man Birmingham at Home Park.Playmaker Whittaker took his season’s tally to 10 with another long-range strike from outside the box, out of the reach of diving goalkeeper John Ruddy’s fingertips and ...Full Story »

Ryan Sweeney’s stoppage-time goal earned managerless Burton a 1-1 draw at Charlton as Albion ended a run of five successive League One defeats.The Addicks dominated possession in the first 45 minutes without totally clicking in the final third, although they did have a goal from Lloyd Jones to show for their efforts.Jones emphatically headed home a cross from centre-back partner Michael He...Full Story »

Mitch Hancox netted an added-time equaliser as Hartlepool claimed a dramatic 4-4 comeback draw at Wealdstone in the National League.Max Kretzschmar opened the scoring for Wealdstone after just four minutes before Sean Adarkwa doubled the advantage nine minutes later.Adarkwa added his second of the afternoon after 28 minutes only for Callum Cooke and Joe Grey to provide the visitors hope with two...Full Story »

Solihull Moors ended their four-match losing run in the Vanarama National League by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Oxford City.The match appeared to be heading for a draw with neither side able to seize control, only for City’s Zac McEachran to strike in the 59th minute.The goal came after slick build-up play with McEachran and Josh Parker combining in a one-two that carved the visiting ...Full Story »

Tranmere made it four League Two home wins on the bounce with a 2-1 comeback victory over Swindon at Prenton Park to move further away from the relegation zone.Rovers dominated the early stages and looked more likely to break the deadlock with Connor Jennings and Rob Apter both coming close.But it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Daniel Kemp fired the ball home fro...Full Story »

Nigel Clough hailed Mansfield’s attitude after a dominant 2-0 victory at managerless Sutton.The Stags maintained the pace at the top of League Two with a first ever win at Gander Green Lane after goals from veteran duo Stephen Quinn and Lucas Akins.It compounded a terrible week for the Football League’s bottom club Sutton, who sacked manager Matt Gray after last weekend’s 8-0 m...Full Story »

Michael Doyle’s first game in charge of Woking ended in a goalless draw against Maidenhead at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.Doyle, who played for Coventry and Sheffield United, was named as the National League side’s new manager earlier this week following the dismissal of Darren Sarll in November.His debut match was one that lacked real quality with the best chance of the match a...Full Story »

John Coleman said Accrington’s 2-1 win against Walsall was a “present for the fans” as they moved to within a point of the play-off places.Eighth-placed Stanley took the lead after nine minutes when Jackson Smith could only parry Joe Pritchard’s shot into the path of Tommy Leigh and he slotted home his sixth goal of the season.Walsall equalised in the fourth minute of add...Full Story »

Middlesbrough moved to within three points of the Championship play-off places with a deserved 1-0 win over West Brom at the Riverside.Morgan Rogers scored the only goal as Boro followed their midweek Carabao Cup quarter-final success at Port Vale with a third straight win in all competitions.Albion remain fifth, but Carlos Corberan’s side have now won just one of their last five league ga...Full Story »

Andros Townsend’s first-half goal saw Luton beat Newcastle 1-0 at Kenilworth Road to boost their Premier League survival hopes.Eddie Howe’s visitors were made to look ordinary by a side tipped widely for the drop.The winner came during Newcastle’s only spell of sustained first-half pressure as Luton’s star pair of Townsend and Ross Barkley combined at a corner.The gap to ...Full Story »

Two goals from Max Dean gave MK Dons a valuable three points as they beat Morecambe 3-1 at the Mazuma Stadium and leapfrogged above their opponents in the process.The in-form youngster gave Mike Williamson’s side the lead in the 31st minute through a well-worked goal as he ran on to a superb through-ball from Adam Gilbey to round Adam Smith and place the ball into the empty net.Morecambe l...Full Story »