Set-piece goals finish off Bristol City
First-half headers from defenders Ben Mee and Michael Keane set Burnley on course for a win at Ashton Gate. The home side were undone by the sort of set-piece goals that infuriate managers, with the opener coming after 34 minutes when Mee climbed above Luke Ayling to powerfully head in a left-wing corner from David Jones. Jones delivered another corner from the right six minutes later. It was again a Burnley player who showed most determination in the air as Keane, inset, headed past Ben Hamer from close range. City kept battling to the end and scored when Jonathan Kodjia was given credit for forcing the ball in from close range in stoppage time as Burnley failed to clear a right-wing cross.
Le Fondre off the mark to defeat Charlton
Adam Le Fondre scored his first goal for Wolves to fire them to a win against previously unbeaten Charlton at Molineux. Le Fondre, who is on a season-long loan from Cardiff, made amends for a glaring miss moments earlier when he converted an 85th-minute cross from Benik Afobe. Wolves, who had suffered back-to-back league defeats, did it the hard way because Charlton — who lost for the first time in this season — took a 55th-minute lead through Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s low shot. Welsh international midfielder Dave Edwards got his second goal of the season 10 minutes later to draw Wolves level, before Le Fondre completed the comeback. Wolves were without long-serving central defender Richard Stearman, who is likely to join Fulham in a £2m move.
Chery on top for misfiring QPR
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Dutch winger Tjaronn Chery showed there may be life in Queens Park Rangers this season even without their big-name stars. QPR had been firing blanks before Chery’s 84th-minute winner and even £15m-rated Charlie Austin struggled for chances. Chery, signed from Groningen in the summer on a three-year deal, scored his third goal of the season to show that Austin and winger Matt Phillips may not be badly missed if they leave in the transfer window. Rangers have turned down a £12m bid from Leicester for Austin but QPR’s 18-goal top scorer from last season could still leave the club. Phillips, also of interest to West Brom and Crystal Palace, may join him in leaving Loftus Road. But it was Chery who was the biggest threat and he struck the goal he deserved late on.
Hernandez gets stroke of luck for Hull
Abel Hernandez scored a lucky goal as Hull beat Preston the KC Stadium. A clearance hit him and rebounded into the Preston goal in the latter stages of the 36th minute. Preston failed to clear Sam Clucas’ corner at the far post and when Neil Kilkenny kicked the ball off the line it hit Hernandez and ricocheted in. Preston might have equalised when Paul Gallagher crossed in the 74th minute but Alan Browne wasted the chance, heading over. Hull made the points safe with a superb Curtis Davies volley late in the second half as Steve Bruce’s side maintained their good start to the season. Shaun Maloney made his debut with 20 minutes to go two days after signing from MLS side Chicago Fire and set up Hull’s second. His outswinging corner on the left reached Davies, who volleyed into the roof of the net.
Gleeson returns to haunt old mates
Stephen Gleeson came back to haunt his old club as the midfielder opened the scoring in Birmingham’s win at MK Dons that maintained their unbeaten start to the season. Gleeson spent five years with the Dons and his superbly taken goal in the 57th minute, when Clayton Donaldson cut the ball back and Gleeson sent the ball over David Martin into the far corner, set his side on their way to an accomplished victory. In addition to being clinical when their chances came, the visitors were miserly in their own half, with their defence ensuring that goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak was rarely called into action. Kick-off was delayed for almost 10 minutes after referee Gavin Ward picked up an injury in his warm-up. His assistant, Robert Atkin, took charge in his place.
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Blackman double downs poor Brentford
Reading cruised to a comfortable win at Brentford, who had keeper David Button to thank for keeping the scoreline down. Nick Blackman struck twice — a 25-yard free kick and a penalty — to add to Orlando Sa’s 17th-minute header as the visitors dominated the first half. Brentford winger Lasse Vibe hit a superb goal to give the home supporters hope at 2-1, but anything other than a win for Steve Clarke’s side would have been a travesty. Ben Pringle kick-started Fulham’s 3-1 success over his former club Rotherham. Pringle, who spent four seasons with The Millers and earned two promotions, opened up the scoring before Ross McCormack’s penalty and Cauley Woodrow’s stoppage-time strike sealed Fulham’s first league win of the season. Jonson Clarke-Harris got one back for Rotherham, who earlier missed a penalty through Matt Derbyshire.