BURNLEY (1) 1 WOLVERHAMPTON W (1) 1
Robbie Blake’s sensational solo strike was the highlight of an exciting draw at Turf Moor. Blake marked his 100th league appearance for Burnley with a thrilling run and finish to cancel out Shaun Newton’s opener. Although stunning efforts have become a speciality for Blake, he cannot have scored many better than that which lifted the crowd to their feet in the 24th minute. Blake’s dazzling display encapsulated Burnley’s entertaining approach, and it is difficult not to feel sympathy for them given the way they dominated much of the second half. The point the visitors collected was even more welcome given the injury woes at Molineux. Joleon Lescott made his return to action after more than a year on the sidelines with knee trouble.
Burnley manager Steve Cotterill: We played a very good team and have done well and to be disappointed not to have beaten Wolves is probably a good sign. I was proud of them today.
Wolves manager Dave Jones: Mo Camara should have been sent off after he headbutted Shaun Newton. It is coming to something when you get a yellow for that and a red one for celebrating a goal.
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Blinder: Richard Chaplow. Stinker: Leon Clarke.
COVENTRY CITY (0) 0 MILLWALL (0) 1
Danny Dichio’s second goal in as many games was enough to claim a win for Millwall in a dire game against a disappointing Coventry City. The match seemed destined to end goalless with clear-cut chances at a premium, until a free kick by Dennis Wise was headed home by the former Sunderland forward with ten minutes left.
Coventry manager Peter Reid: I didn’t think it was the best of games. I thought it was going to be 0-0 but we gave a free kick away in a dangerous area and paid the penalty.
Millwall assistant manager Ray Wilkins: I would have liked to have seen us keep the ball a little bit better at times, but it was still a thoroughly professional performance and another clean sheet.
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Blinder: Adrian Serioux. Stinker: Tim Sherwood.
CREWE ALEXANDRA (1) 2 WEST HAM UNITED (3) 3
Teddy Sheringham hit a brace as West Ham United bounced back from the defeat by Wigan Athletic with an impressive victory over Crewe Alexandra. Sheringham latched on to Luke Chadwick’s cut-back to open the scoring and then headed home Matthew Etherington’s pinpoint cross. Rufus Brevett rifled home a third, before Dean Ashton pulled two back for the home team.
Crewe manager Dario Gradi: They have some quality and that makes a difference. When Teddy Sheringham is coming on to chances like that, you know he’s not going to put them over the bar.
West Ham manager Alan Pardew: Teddy put in a top-class performance. Apart from his technical ability he’s a leader on the pitch in the way he talks to people and plays.
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Blinder: Teddy Sheringham. Stinker: Mark Rivers.
LEICESTER CITY (0) 0 WATFORD (0) 1
Watford stole all three points when Danny Webber struck in second-half injury time to register the only goal of the game. The visiting team had been forced to withstand extended periods of pressure with David Connolly twice hitting the woodwork. But it was Watford who went home happy after launching a last-gasp and route-one assault which was capped by Webber’s empathic finish.
Leicester manager Micky Adams: I’m upset, the fans are upset and the players are upset. We’re hurting because we’ve been mugged. We created more than enough chances to have won that game.
Watford manager Ray Lewington: You know this is going to be a hard one so I’m delighted to have kept a clean sheet and come away with all three points.
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Blinder: Danny Webber. Stinker: Brynjar Gunnarsson.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (2) 2 SUNDERLAND (0) 1
Plymouth Argyle maintained their flying start to life in the Championship as Paul Wotton and Stevie Crawford earned them a deserved 2-1 victory over Sunderland. On the evidence of this performance they could be among the challengers come the end of the season as they dominated the more illustrious visiting team, for whom Marcus Stewart’s late goal was scant consolation.
Plymouth manager Bobby Williamson: It is a good start, but I think the key word is consistency. There’s no point doing it for the next half-dozen games and then watching our season peter away.
Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy: We could have taken a point but it would have been stolen. There are no excuses — we were beaten by a side that worked harder than us on the day.
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Blinder: Micky Evans. Stinker: Carl Robinson.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS (0) 0 DERBY COUNTY (2) 2
Goals from Tommy Smith and Marcus Tudgay gave Derby County a well-deserved victory against shellshocked Queens Park Rangers. The home side went into the contest looking for their first victory of the campaign at the fourth attempt, but were on the back foot from the onset against a rampant Derby team, who grabbed both of their goals in a highly impressive opening 45 minutes.
Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway: We have been done by two set-pieces and you have to learn quickly that set-pieces are so important. I can’t fault the players for their effort but I felt we looked a bit shellshocked.
Derby manager George Burley: You have to show a bit of steel away from home and it was very important to keep a clean sheet. We got a couple of goals and then we defended it well after the break.
Blinder: Inigo Idiakez. Stinker: Marcus Bignot.
READING (1) 1 ROTHERHAM UNITED (0) 0
Reading again proved they have the stomach for a scrap as they sneaked past Rotherham. The visiting team’s defiance was broken on the stroke of half-time thanks to the forceful running of Nicky Forster. After the striker’s surge into the penalty area was brought to an abrupt end by Shaun Barker’s late lunge, Dave Kitson made no mistake from the resultant penalty.
Reading manager Steve Coppell: There are no easy games and I can’t understand why people were so confident of us beating Rotherham. They took four points off us last season and gave us a good thumping up there.
Rotherham manager Ronnie Moore: I told the referee afterwards he only had one decision to make and got that wrong. My player said he won the ball and he is an honest lad so I believe him.
Blinder: Chris Swailes. Stinker: Bobby Convey
STOKE CITY (1) 2 GILLINGHAM (0) 0
Goals from Gifton Noel-Williams and Ade Akinbiyi gave unbeaten Stoke City a richly deserved win. Scoring either side of half-time, Stoke could have won by many more. Gillingham were back at the Britannia Stadium just three months after confirming their Championship status on the final day of last season but they travelled home in bleaker mood this time after a comprehensive defeat.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis: I was worried we were only 1-0 up at half-time but the players reproduced the same level of intensity in the second half and no one could say we didn’t deserve it.
Gillingham player-manager Andy Hessenthaler: Six or seven of our players didn’t perform and we got what we deserved. We defended so deep it was unbelievable and left great big holes for Stoke to exploit.
Blinder: Ade Akinbiyi. Stinker: Chris Hope.
WIGAN ATHLETIC (1) 3 BRIGHTON & HOVE A (0) 0
Wigan Athletic continue to set the early pace at the top of the Championship after dismantling rock-bottom Brighton & Hove Albion with a stunning second-half performance. Nathan Ellington broke the deadlock in first-half injury time and scored his fourth goal of the season four minutes after the restart, while summer signing Per Frandsen made sure of a third successive Wigan win with an equally spectacular third.
Wigan manager Paul Jewell: We were average in the first half, there was no urgency in our play. But we got the goal at a fantastic time and it gave us a big lift.
Brighton manager Mark McGhee: We had a game-plan to frustrate Wigan and it was working until we gave the goal away. Wigan are the best team I’ve seen and they have a good chance of doing well.
Blinder: Nathan Ellington. Stinker: Gary Teale.