A first-half goal from the captain, Billy Sharp, gave Sheffield United a 1-0 win against Huddersfield at Bramall Lane, putting his side level on points with Burnley, who have a game in hand.
The Blades were on top from the start and took the lead on 15 minutes, Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye, back from the World Cup, playing an inch‑perfect pass through the defence for the skipper to dink over the onrushing Lee Nicholls.
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The away side began to show more promise after the interval, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden placing his effort from inside the box just wide. They brought on the striker Jordan Rhodes with time running out in an attempt to force an equaliser, but the hosts held out for a fifth league victory in six matches.
“We had good preparation for today. Everything we’ve done the past few weeks was there in the first half,” said the Sheffield United manager, Paul Heckingbottom. “I fancied Iliman to get a goal today. I was delighted when he came off at half-time when Senegal were 2-0 down to England! The assist and finish was great, it was a really good goal. Everyone has contributed so far this season and I want that to continue.”
Ched Evans scored twice as Preston beat their Lancashire rivals Blackburn 4-1 at Ewood Park. Ben Woodburn’s cool 17th-minute finish set the visitors on their way and Evans swept home from close range minutes after the restart to put Preston in control.
<b>Ipswich</b> returned to the summit for the first time since September after they edged out <b>Peterborough</b> and saw <b>Plymouth</b> held at <b>Cambridge</b>.</p><p>A Conor Chaplin double helped Kieran McKenna’s side clinch a 2-1 win in an early kick-off at Portman Road. Frankie Kent had found the net for out-of-form Posh but Chaplin struck early in the second half and it proved enough to put them back on top.</p><p>Plymouth knew victory away to struggling Cambridge later in the day would see them return to first position but they struggled to break down the hosts and had goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s second-half heroics to thank for a 0-0 draw.</p><p><b>Sheffield</b> <b>Wednesday</b> remain third after Callum Paterson’s stoppage-time effort secured a 1-1 draw at <b>Exeter</b>. Jake Caprice fired the Grecians in front after 56 minutes but Paterson had the final say when he found the bottom corner with time running out.</p><p><b>Shrewsbury’s</b> late show stunned <b>Bolton</b> with Chey Dunkley’s stoppage-time header earning the hosts a 3-2 win. Dion Charles’ double had visiting Wanderers on course for all three points after cancelling out Rob Street’s opener, but Christian Saydee levelled with 11 minutes left to set up a grandstand finish.</p><p>Dunkley ensured the Shrewsbury supporters’ went home happy and also atoned for giving away a penalty when he headed home late on to settle the five-goal thriller.</p><p>Victor Adeboyejo hit his 12th goal of the campaign to earn <b>Burton</b> a 1-1 draw at home to <b>Derby</b>. James Collins’ header put the promotion-chasing Rams ahead at half-time but Adeboyejo’s smart finish from Terry Taylor’s corner ensured the spoils were shared. </p><p>Myles Peart-Harris’ late goal fired <b>Forest</b> <b>Green</b> to a 1-0 home win over <b>Cheltenham, </b>while Joey Barton celebrated his 100th game in charge of <b>Bristol</b> <b>Rovers</b> with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over <b>Port</b> <b>Vale</b>. The clash looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Aaron Collins’ drilled in from outside the area with three minutes left.</p><p>Daniel Batty scored a late winner for <b>Fleetwood</b> on his birthday to complete their turnaround at <b>MK</b> <b>Dons</b>. Warren O’Hora put the home side in front early in the second half but Carl Johnston levelled before Batty found the top corner deep into stoppage-time. <b>Lincoln</b> and <b>Wycombe</b> played out a stalemate at the LNER Stadium.</p><p><b>Oxford’s</b> home fixture with <b>Barnsley</b> was postponed due to a frozen pitch to follow in the footsteps of <b>Morecambe</b> and <b>Accrington</b>, who saw their home matches with Charlton and Portsmouth respectively called off.</p>","credit":""}”>Quick Guide
League One roundup: Ipswich move back to top
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Ipswich returned to the summit for the first time since September after they edged out Peterborough and saw Plymouth held at Cambridge.
A Conor Chaplin double helped Kieran McKenna’s side clinch a 2-1 win in an early kick-off at Portman Road. Frankie Kent had found the net for out-of-form Posh but Chaplin struck early in the second half and it proved enough to put them back on top.
Plymouth knew victory away to struggling Cambridge later in the day would see them return to first position but they struggled to break down the hosts and had goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s second-half heroics to thank for a 0-0 draw.
Sheffield Wednesday remain third after Callum Paterson’s stoppage-time effort secured a 1-1 draw at Exeter. Jake Caprice fired the Grecians in front after 56 minutes but Paterson had the final say when he found the bottom corner with time running out.
Shrewsbury’s late show stunned Bolton with Chey Dunkley’s stoppage-time header earning the hosts a 3-2 win. Dion Charles’ double had visiting Wanderers on course for all three points after cancelling out Rob Street’s opener, but Christian Saydee levelled with 11 minutes left to set up a grandstand finish.
Dunkley ensured the Shrewsbury supporters’ went home happy and also atoned for giving away a penalty when he headed home late on to settle the five-goal thriller.
Victor Adeboyejo hit his 12th goal of the campaign to earn Burton a 1-1 draw at home to Derby. James Collins’ header put the promotion-chasing Rams ahead at half-time but Adeboyejo’s smart finish from Terry Taylor’s corner ensured the spoils were shared.
Myles Peart-Harris’ late goal fired Forest Green to a 1-0 home win over Cheltenham, while Joey Barton celebrated his 100th game in charge of Bristol Rovers with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Port Vale. The clash looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Aaron Collins’ drilled in from outside the area with three minutes left.
Daniel Batty scored a late winner for Fleetwood on his birthday to complete their turnaround at MK Dons. Warren O’Hora put the home side in front early in the second half but Carl Johnston levelled before Batty found the top corner deep into stoppage-time. Lincoln and Wycombe played out a stalemate at the LNER Stadium.
Oxford’s home fixture with Barnsley was postponed due to a frozen pitch to follow in the footsteps of Morecambe and Accrington, who saw their home matches with Charlton and Portsmouth respectively called off.
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Blackburn rallied and got back into the game through Bradley Dack in the 55th minute but Preston clinically put their hosts to the sword with two goals in the space of three second-half minutes through Evans’ powerful header and Ben Whiteman’s deflected 65th-minute drive.
Teemu Pukki scored his eighth goal of the season to move Norwich up to fourth. The striker had not hit the net in his five previous matches, but scored inside the opening minute as Swansea paid the price for a lacklustre opening after a month’s inactivity. It was a fifth away victory of the season for Dean Smith’s side, while Swansea have now not won in six.
View image in fullscreenTeemu Pukki celebrates his winning goal for Norwich at the Liberty Stadium. Photograph: David Davies/PA
Stoke and Cardiff showed no signs of rust from the World Cup break as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Cardiff hit a sixth-minute opener through Ryan Wintle. Tyrese Campbell’s leveller moments later sparked the Potters into life and the Manchester City loanee Liam Delap completed the turnaround with less than 18 minutes on the clock. But Cardiff’s persistence in their pursuit of a second-half equaliser was rewarded when Callum Robinson saved a point.
Kolo Touré had to settle for a point on his managerial debut as Wigan and Millwall played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Den. Will Keane put the Latics into the lead after 33 minutes when firing home from the centre of the box into an empty net, with Millwall goalkeeper George Long deceived by a series of deflected efforts. It did not take long, however, for the home side to respond as Zian Flemming smashed home a sensational volley.
“It was a good game, we played against a really good side, it is always tough to come to Millwall and to try to get something out of the game,” said Touré afterwards. “We knew it was going to be tough, but I am very proud of my players, we played how we wanted to play, we created chances and we scored.”
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The substitute Matt Crooks scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner for Middlesbrough as 10-man Luton suffered a 2-1 defeat in Rob Edwards’ first game in charge. Edwards got off to the perfect start when Jordan Clark fired the Hatters in front before Chuba Akpom levelled. Crooks’ last-gasp winner came after Amari’i Bell was sent off, with the win extending Michael Carrick’s side’s unbeaten stretch to five games.
<b>Stevenage</b> missed the chance to move within two points leaders Leyton Orient as they were held to a goalless draw by <b>Mansfield</b> on Saturday.</p><p><b>Leyton Orient</b> were not in action as their trip to <b>Crewe</b> was one of five fixtures in the division to be postponed due to freezing weather. <b>Carlisle</b> v <b>Barrow</b>, <b>Harrogate</b> v <b>Northampton</b>, <b>Rochdale</b> v <b>Stockport</b> and <b>Salford</b> v <b>Walsall</b> were the other games called off.</p><p>Stevenage were unable to take full advantage in a game of few chances at the Lamex Stadium, with the Stags claiming a point that left them firmly among the tightly-packed play-off positions in fifth.</p><p>At the opposite end of the table, struggling <b>Colchester</b> were beaten 1-0 by <b>Sutton</b> at the VBS Community Stadium. Rob Milsom scored the winner for the hosts from the penalty spot after he was fouled in first-half injury time. Colchester’s hopes of getting back into the game were hit early in the second half when Ossama Ashley was sent off for a second bookable offence.</p><p><b>Grimsby</b> moved above <b>Tranmere</b> as they beat the Wirral side 2-1 in their mid-table battle at Blundell Park. The Mariners took an early lead through Brendan Kiernan and claimed a second when Niall Maher struck just before the hour. Substitute Jake Burton pulled one back for Rovers after 66 minutes, but the hosts held on.</p><p>Kyle Knoyle scored the only goal after 58 minutes as <b>Doncaster</b> won 1-0 at <b>Newport</b>, while <b>Swindon</b> and <b>Wimbledon</b> played out a goalless draw.</p>","credit":""}”>Quick Guide
League Two: Stevenage held by Mansfield
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Stevenage missed the chance to move within two points leaders Leyton Orient as they were held to a goalless draw by Mansfield on Saturday.
Leyton Orient were not in action as their trip to Crewe was one of five fixtures in the division to be postponed due to freezing weather. Carlisle v Barrow, Harrogate v Northampton, Rochdale v Stockport and Salford v Walsall were the other games called off.
Stevenage were unable to take full advantage in a game of few chances at the Lamex Stadium, with the Stags claiming a point that left them firmly among the tightly-packed play-off positions in fifth.
At the opposite end of the table, struggling Colchester were beaten 1-0 by Sutton at the VBS Community Stadium. Rob Milsom scored the winner for the hosts from the penalty spot after he was fouled in first-half injury time. Colchester’s hopes of getting back into the game were hit early in the second half when Ossama Ashley was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Grimsby moved above Tranmere as they beat the Wirral side 2-1 in their mid-table battle at Blundell Park. The Mariners took an early lead through Brendan Kiernan and claimed a second when Niall Maher struck just before the hour. Substitute Jake Burton pulled one back for Rovers after 66 minutes, but the hosts held on.
Kyle Knoyle scored the only goal after 58 minutes as Doncaster won 1-0 at Newport, while Swindon and Wimbledon played out a goalless draw.
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Coventry’s impressive progress in the Championship before the World Cup break came to an abrupt halt on their return to action as they lost 1-0 at Reading. The visitors went behind 12 minutes into the second period, when Frenchman Amadou Mbengue was on hand to nod in his first Reading goal. Coventry had won seven of their nine matches before the Qatar break, including their last four without conceding a goal, to move from bottom of the Championship to mid-table.
Bristol City moved above Rotherham with a 3-1 win at the New York Stadium. Wes Harding’s own goal was cancelled out by Chiedozie Ogbene, but the visitors retook the lead through Joe Williams, on the half-hour mark and Cameron Pring sealed victory in the second half.
Blackpool ended a run of four defeats by holding Birmingham to a hard-fought 0-0 draw, but remain in the relegation zone in 23rd, one point away from safety. Tahith Chong went closest for Birmingham, who stay in 14th spot and have now lost just one of their last six matches.
