Blackpool 2 (Seip 31, Vaughan 64)
Plymouth Argyle 0
Marcel Seip came back to haunt his parent club, Plymouth, by heading his loan
side, Blackpool, in front on Saturday. Seip, the Dutch defender, then
confessed that he cannot envisage playing for Paul Sturrock, the Argyle
manager, again.
Plymouth permitted Blackpool to field Seip as he is only on loan until the end
of this month. How Argyle must have rued the decision when Seip rose to head
home Charlie Adam’s free kick. “I couldn’t go over the top with my
celebration as I may have to go back at the end of the month and I have a
year left on my contract at Argyle,” he said. “I would go back if I have to,
but if Sturrock is there I won’t ever play for him again, that’s for sure.”
David Vaughan added the second when he rifled a fierce shot into the top
corner. Attendance 7,765
Bristol City 1 (Skuse 31)
Peterborough United 1 (Boyd 90)
George Boyd was prouder of equalling a Peterborough club record that has stood
since the mid-1970s than the late goal that earned the struggling side a
point. It was the midfield player’s 124th successive league appearance,
matching the run of Eric Steele, the goalkeeper, and Boyd ensured he would
remember the occasion with a last-minute header from a Danny Rose cross.
“I’m very proud to have equalled Eric’s record and hopefully I will beat it
against Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night,” Boyd said. “Eric was a
goalkeeper and it’s more usual for them to string together a lot of
appearances. I have been lucky to avoid injuries and would like to think I
can extend the run a fair bit more.”
Cole Skuse had shot City ahead with an individual goal in the first half,
although even Gary Johnson, the home manager, admitted that the visiting
team merited a point. Attendance 13,833
Cardiff City 1 (Whittingham 19)
Crystal Palace 1 (Hudson 13 (og))
Cardiff City alleged that Michael Chopra was the victim of racist abuse from a
Palace player, a claim that led to an ugly post-game confrontation in the
tunnel. Chopra, who is of mixed race, tried to confront an opponent after
the final whistle and had to be restrained. Jay Bothroyd, Chopra’s
team-mate, claimed that Chopra lost his temper because he was the target of
a racist slur. Bothroyd said: “I spoke to Chops and he said one of their
players said a racist comment to him. That’s why he was so angry. It’s
something the referee has to deal with it. I don’t know if he heard it but
there were lots of people there and they will have heard it.”
The FA will await a report from Steve Tanner, the referee, before deciding
whether to take action but given that eye-witness accounts claimed all 22
players were involved in the fracas, some disciplinary measures appear
likely. Attendance 21,457
Doncaster Rovers 0
Barnsley 1 (Hammill 74)
Simon Gillett, the Doncaster midfielder signed on loan from Southampton,
believes his new team are capable of making an impression this season.
Gillett impressed on his debut in a match dominated by Doncaster but decided
by a second half goal from Adam Hammill, the Barnsley winger who scored from
an acute angle.
“The game confirmed what I’d been told, Doncaster play some lovely football,”
said Gillett. “But we were all gutted, we all felt we should have won. But
Barnsley produced a little bit of magic. We needed to convert some chances,
but I think Doncaster will be a force in this league.” Hammill explained
that Mark Robins, the Barnsley manager, has been working on fitness levels.
“The manager’s brought his own ideas and thinking, we feel a lot fitter but
he’s also brought in players to provide competition,“ said Hammill. Attendance
12,708
Ipswich Town 1 (Counago 15)
Swansea City 1 (Beattie 7)
There is no time like the present and for winless Ipswich Town, the only club
in all four divisions without a victory this season, the sense of urgency at
Portman Road is almost tangible. Pablo Couñago, the Spaniard whose first
goal of the season secured a sixth draw for Roy Keane’s beleaguered side,
was chosen to hammer home the point.
“We must not think it is too soon for it to be a problem,” Couñago said. “Of
course it is a problem because we are bottom of the table and without a win,
so that has to change. Not later but now, the next game.” That next game is
home against Watford tomorrow and Ipswich will need to be better at the back
than they were against a Swansea side that took their unbeaten run to six
matches. Craig Beattie put away his first goal for the Swans before
Couñago’s equaliser courtesy of good interplay with Jaime Peters. Attendance
19,667
Middlesbrough 0
Watford 1 (Cleverley 26)
Visiting players rarely thank the home support for their role in an away
victory, but Danny Graham, Watford’s former Middlesbrough forward, felt such
a compulsion after teeing up Tom Cleverley to make it three consecutive home
defeats for the Teesside club.
Scouting reports suggesting that restless natives would soon turn on their
side proved prophetic. Graham, who was shown the door two years ago, said:
“We’d heard the crowd would get on their backs so the plan was to come here
and frustrate them. It certainly worked.”
When the hosts found a way past Scott Loach, the Watford goalkeeper, Sean St
Ledger saw his header ruled out for a push, while Tony McMahon’s long-range
shot struck the crossbar. Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, said:
“We needed to show more courage on the ball once we went a goal down.” Attendance
18,957
Nottingham Forest 1 (Blackstock 45)
Newcastle United 0
Dexter Blackstock’s sixth goal of the season not only toppled Newcastle United
from their perch at the top of the Championship, but delivered a statement
of intent from Billy Davies’ improving team. Four wins in succession have
taken Forest to seventh in the Championship table.
“Who knows how far we can go? Look at Burnley last season. No one expected
them to achieve what they did, but they kept it going and are in the Premier
League,” Blackstock, the Forest forward, said. “Why not Nottingham Forest?”
Steve Harper, the Newcastle goalkeepermaking his 100th league appearance for
the club, demanded improvement. “We like being top of the table so we have
got to get things moving forward again,” he said. “We have got to be
thinking about taking six points from [upcoming] games against Scunthorpe
and Doncaster.”
Attendance 29,155
Queens Park Rangers 4 (Taarabt 11, Buzsaky 63 (pen), Simpson 74,
Routledge 85)
Preston North End 0
Adel Taarabt, the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur forward, hopes more goals like his
superb opener against Preston will earn a move back to the Premier League.
The Morocco international is unsure of his future at White Hart Lane, but
goals like his eleventh-minute strike can only help.
The 20-year-old picked up Radek Cerny’s clearance inside his own half, beat
three defenders and chipped over Andy Lonergan. Taarabt said: “I have signed
a one-year loan deal with Queens Park Rangers, but if a Premier League club
comes in for me, I can go in January.”
Taarabt won a 63rd-minute penalty that was converted by Akos Buzsaky before
Jay Simpson and Wayne Routledge completed the scoring. Michael Hart, the
Preston defender, said his side paid for their slow start. He added: “We
pushed on and tried to get a goal back, but it left holes at the back and we
got punished.”
Attendance 12,810
Scunthorpe United 3 (McCann 22, 59, Hayes 53)
Sheffield United 1 (Evans 51)
Grant McCann is hoping that his scoring run at Glanford Park can survive some
sleep disruption after making it five goals in Scunthorpe’s past four home
games.
The midfield player, who became a father to his son, Jessie, a few weeks ago,
opened the scoring and later sealed the win just before the hour. In between,
Ched Evans had equalised, only for Paul Hayes swiftly to restore the host
team’s advantage. McCann said: “My wife is breast feeding at the moment,
which means I can get some sleep, but I’m just waiting to see when he goes
on to the bottles. Then it will be my turn, although I’ve had a word with
her about that!”
Problems are mounting for Kevin Blackwell, the United manager. A growing
injury list, four games without a win and reports that Matthew Kilgallon
wants out are combining to undermine his team’s promotion challenge. Attendance
7,599
Sheffield Wednesday 2 (Purse 4, Clarke 20 (pen))
Coventry City 0
Darren Purse responded to fierce criticism from fans and his own manager with
Sheffield Wednesday’s first goal. The Wednesday captain had struggled with
form since moving from Cardiff City in the summer and admitted he would not
be surprised if he was dropped by Brian Laws, the manager.
Purse repaid the faith with a fourth-minute header, and a penalty from Leon
Clarke sealed the win by the 20th minute. “I don’t think Pursey needs to
prove anything to anybody,” the midfield player, James O’Connor, said. “We
are definitely delighted to see him on the scoresheet and do well.”
Coventry lost Aaron Gunnarsson to a suspected leg break and Leon Best was on
the wrong end of two refereeing decisions by Colin Webster — his goal was
disallowed and a penalty he thought he had earned was overruled by a
linesman. Attendance 20,026
West Bromwich Albion 3 (Thomas 29, 65, Mulumbu 87)
Reading 1 (Mills 6)
Jerome Thomas, the West Brom midfield player, insists that the play-offs are
“not an option” after helping his team to return to the Championship summit.
Matthew Mills had headed Reading into an early lead before Thomas struck twice
and Youssouf Mulumbu added a late third.
Thomas, the former Arsenal trainee, said: “The top two is what we are aiming
for and that means the play-offs are not an option. We need to go into every
game looking to win, home or away. We showed confidence after going a goal
behind, but that can’t keep happening because some teams will just shut up
shop.”
Jobi McAnuff, the Reading midfield player, gifted Thomas his first. McAnuff
said: “It was one of those horror moments you have once in your career. It
never seems to happen when you are 3-0 up.” Attendance 20,935
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