Rochdale manager Jim Bentley cut a deflated figure after his side slumped to the foot of Sky Bet League Two.After having two players sent off and losing 2-0 at Hartlepool, he admitted: “I feel embarrassed – this is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I feel sorry for the fans and I’m embarrassed clapping our supporters.”Victory for Pools lifted them out of the drop zone ...Full Story »

Mo Eisa scored twice as MK Dons beat fellow strugglers Forest Green 2-1 to move out of the Sky Bet League One drop zone.The visitors had to come from behind after Myles Peart-Harris put Rovers ahead in the 29th minute.Brentford loanee Peart-Harris easily tapped in his fourth league goal of the season from a couple of yards after being teed up by co-striker Amadou Bakayoko, making his home debut ...Full Story »

Wigan remain rooted to the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship after suffering a second home defeat to Luton in the space of four days – with the Hatters easing to a 2-0 win.The two sides must be sick of the sight of each other, given this was the third meeting already in 2023, and the fourth of the campaign.Having won on this ground in midweek to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup, ...Full Story »

Evan Ferguson’s late header rescued a deserved Premier League point for Brighton at Leicester.The substitute nodded in to clinch a 2-2 draw and maintain the Seagulls’ assault on the top five.Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton had struck for the hosts to cancel out Kaoru Mitoma’s sensational opener.It is still the first time the Foxes have earned a point after falling behind this...Full Story »

Dwight Gayle ended his 50-match goal drought as Stoke claimed their first points of 2023 with a 4-0 thrashing of Reading.Will Smallbone’s smart early finish paved the way for the Potters, who secured a first home victory since early November.The influential Tyrese Campbell doubled the advantage in the second half to tighten the hosts’ grip before Jacob Brown added a late third.And an...Full Story »

A stoppage-time goal from Aaron Hayden snatched Wrexham a 3-2 win against Maidstone.The clash was one of only two National League games to go ahead after postponements due to the weather, and the result means Phil Parkinson’s side are now level on points with leaders Notts County.Wrexham took the lead on the half-hour when Luke Young chipped the ball home from the edge of the box.They were...Full Story »

A powerful second-half performance lifted Hartlepool out of the relegation places as they saw off nine-man Rochdale 2-0.Goals from strike partners Josh Umerah and Jack Hamilton, after Dale’s Ethan Ebanks-Landell was red-carded, were enough to dump Dale to the bottom of the table.After a flat opening half, with neither side offering an attacking threat, the game sparked into life on 51 minu...Full Story »

Three pitch invaders briefly halted the game as away-day specialists Preston inflicted a fifth straight league defeat on Birmingham in a 2-1 win at St Andrew’s that saw referee Rebecca Welch make history.In the first Championship game to be refereed in full by a female official, first league goals of the season from Ryan Ledson and captain Alan Browne in the opening 15 minutes won it for R...Full Story »

Early strikes from Jamie Reid and Jordan Roberts fired second-placed Stevenage towards a 3-0 win over Leyton Orient which moved them to within two points of the League Two leaders.A bad day at the Lamex Stadium for the table-topping O’s was compounded when they were reduced to 10 men for the third time in four games thanks to Idris El Mizouni’s red card.Stevenage, who stretched their...Full Story »

Blackburn battled their way to a 1-1 Sky Bet Championship draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate despite having captain Daniel Ayala sent off.The visitors went in front after 54 minutes when Tyler Morton got behind City’s defence on the right and pulled back a perfect cross for Bradley Dack to shoot home from eight yards.But City levelled 14 minutes later as Rovers goalkeeper Thomas Kaminsk...Full Story »

Substitute Sam Surridge struck a late leveller to deny former club Bournemouth an overdue Premier League win as Nottingham Forest snatched a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.Jaidon Anthony’s first-half finish looked set to end the Cherries’ four-game losing streak in the top flight to ease the pressure on head coach Gary O’Neil.But striker Surridge, who began his career with th...Full Story »

Cameron Brannagan hit a long-range screamer in the thickening fog to earn Oxford a 2-1 victory over third-placed Ipswich.The result was a blow to Town’s hopes of closing the gap on the top two Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday in the League One promotion race.But Oxford were delighted as they avenged a 3-0 pummelling at Portman Road on Boxing Day to stay within eight points of the play-off ...Full Story »

Joao Ferreira rescued a point for Watford in a 1-1 draw with Rotherham but the result did little to help their automatic promotion chances.In addition to Ferreira’s superb equaliser from 20 yards, which cancelled out Shane Ferguson’s first-half opener, Watford clipped the visitors’ woodwork on two occasions on what proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the Vicarage Road crow...Full Story »

Three goals inside the first 20 minutes eased Barnsley to a 3-1 win at home to Accrington.Early pressure paid off for the Tykes as they took the lead in the fifth minute.Adam Phillips’ cross found the head of debutant Bobby Thomas and he teed up James Norwood to fire a bicycle-kick past goalkeeper Toby Savin from close range.Barnsley doubled their lead three minutes later. Luca Connell&rsq...Full Story »

Luke Leahy stole the show as Shrewsbury got back to winning ways at home with a thumping 5-1 victory over relegation-threatened Cambridge.The Shrews skipper bookended a brilliant win and set up two others in their first victory at home since December 10, while visitors Cambridge sunk deeper into trouble with a fourth straight defeat.Town started strongly but the U’s held firm until Paul Di...Full Story »

Michael Cheek bagged a brace to earn Bromley a 2-2 draw at home to Aldershot in the National League.Having gone five games without a goal, the 31-year-old striker struck for the sixth time this season, heading in on the line following a scramble in the 36th minute.It cancelled out Aldershot’s 16th-minute opener through on-loan Colchester striker Jake Hutchinson, who finished well beyond Re...Full Story »

Dundee United advanced to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup but they were made to fight all the way by Lowland League outfit University of Stirling in a 3-0 victory at Tannadice.The students frustrated the home side for large periods of the first half but conceded right before the break with Aziz Behich producing a fine finish.Further goals in the second half from Jamie McGrath and substitute ...Full Story »

Peterhead moved off the bottom of the cinch League One table with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Clyde at Balmoor Stadium.Kieran Shanks broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half when he backheeled the ball into the net following a corner for his first goal since arriving on loan from Arbroath.Peterhead move a point ahead of the Bully Wee – who replace them at the foot of the ta...Full Story »

Ollie Watkins’ late winner secured all three points for Aston Villa after Southampton had two goals ruled out at St Mary’s.Watkins’ header in the 77th minute proved enough for the visitors to win 1-0 and move up to 11th in the Premier League, just one point behind Chelsea and Liverpool.VAR had intervened twice, once in the first half to rule Kyle Walker-Peters’ final touc...Full Story »

Jordan Jones’ stoppage-time volley was the difference as Kilmarnock defeated a resolute Dumbarton 1-0 to advance to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.The home side had dominated possession and chances but they were unable to break down the impressive League Two leaders until substitute Jones met Danny Armstrong’s deflected cross with a clinical volley.Kilmarnock had hit a post thro...Full Story »