Johannes Hoff Thorup backed calls for the introduction of VAR in the Championship despite seeing his Norwich City side benefit from two major errors in his team’s 3-2 victory at Derby.
A hat-trick from Borja Sainz featured two goals in which the ball clearly went out of play in the build-up. Defeated manager Paul Warne insisted he is still against the video assistant referee system due to the game becoming “more and more complicated”, but Thorup said the second tier “needs VAR”.
“I will not sit here and blame the referees, Saturday after Saturday – we just have to make sure we support them,” said the Norwich manager.
“I come from a league in Denmark where there is VAR, I played in Europe last season and they also have VAR. I won’t attack referees – just imagine if we were out there refereeing such a game, I was glad I was managing – but I like the idea that we get as many decisions right as possible. That should be the aim going forward.”
Sunderland missed the chance to take over at the top, losing 2-1 at Watford. Goals by Festy Ebosele and a Tom Dele-Bashiru penalty were enough to see off the visitors, for whom Wilson Isidor levelled. Sunderland had four minutes of added time to rescue a point, and despite a succession of corners – and goalkeeper Anthony Patterson turning attacker for the set-pieces – they were unable to find another equaliser.
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League One: Blues bounce back to go top
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Birmingham City hit back from 2-0 down to move top of League One with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Peterborough United on Saturday.
The unbeaten Blues were stunned as Posh raced out of the blocks at St Andrews with two goals in the opening 16 minutes from Ricky Jade-Jones and Emmanuel Fernandez. Willum Willumsson began the fightback before Birmingham drew level after the break when Oscar Wallin turned into his own goal. Krystian Bielik completed a recovery that secured a sixth successive win and took Chris Davies’ side above Wrexham, who were held to a 0-0 draw at Leyton Orient.
Steve Bruce’s Blackpool jumped from ninth to fourth as they proved too strong for winless Burton at Bloomfield Road. Odeluga Offiah, Robert Apter and Lee Evans were on target as the Seasiders eased to a 3-0 triumph, their fourth successive win since Bruce took charge. Mansfield climbed to fifth as goals from Will Evans and Aaron Lewis earned a 2-0 win at Northampton while a last-gasp winner from Joseph Low saw Wycombe edged out Bristol Rovers 2-1 to go sixth.
Cambridge are still awaiting their first win of the season after going down 2-0 at home to Lincoln. Freddie Draper, who was summoned off the bench after just six minutes, and Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri were on target as the Imps moved to third. Huddersfield and Charlton lost ground in the playoff race with defeats at Reading and Stevenage respectively.
Second-bottom Shrewsbury picked up a point with a 1-1 draw at home to Rotherham, while Bolton‘s recovery continued with a 2-0 win at Crawley. Wigan were held to a home goalless draw by Exeter, while Barnsley host Stockport on Saturday evening. PA Media
Substitute Anthony Musaba scored an 86th-minute winner to earn Sheffield Wednesday a dramatic 3-2 victory at home to high-flying West Brom, who began the day on top of the table. The Baggies had fought back from two goals down as second-half efforts from Josh Maja and Alex Mowatt cancelled out Darnell Furlong’s own goal and a Josh Windass header, but Musaba’s late strike ended their unbeaten start. The victory was Wednesday’s first in the league since the opening day.
Lewis Travis scored on his 200th career league start as Blackburn Rovers defeated 10-man QPR 2-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. There was little to separate the teams in the first half, with QPR spurning the best chance through Paul Smyth. But the complexion of the game changed in stoppage time when Jonathan Varane was dismissed for a reckless tackle. It was all the encouragement Blackburn needed as John Eustace’s men came out firing in the second half and Travis’s deflected strike seven minutes after the restart set them on their way. Danny Batth’s first goal for the club just after the hour settled it.
Jayden Bogle scored his first goal for promotion hopefuls Leeds as they beat early-season strugglers Coventry 3-0 with a dominant display at Elland Road. The summer signing from Sheffield United found the net four minutes into the second half after Willy Gnonto opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Substitute Joel Piroe tapped in a late third for Daniel Farke’s men, who could have won by a greater margin. Coventry have now won just once in seven Championship games.
Burnley’s bid to make it three league wins on the spin was thwarted by a resilient Oxford in a somewhat dour goalless draw at the Kassam Stadium. In a game of few clear chances, Scott Parker’s men went close with Jamie Cumming tipping Luca Koleosho’s effort over the bar early in the second half. And hard-working Oxford almost grabbed victory late on when Tyler Goodrham saw his low shot blocked on the line by Maxime Esteve.
Sheffield United extended their unbeaten start to the league season and made it a whole month without conceding after holding winless Portsmouth to a 0-0 draw at Fratton Park. Pompey goalkeeper Will Norris was forced into four saves – including a stunning stop to deny Gustavo Hamer – but the Blades drew a blank for a first time this season. They did however end September without conceding a goal and, with Blackburn, remain one of two sides yet to lose in the second tier this season.
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League Two roundup: Gills leapfrog Barrow at top
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Gillingham leapfrogged Barrow to go top of League Two with a 2-0 defeat of the Cumbrian side at Priestfield. Jayden Clarke and Robbie McKenzie scored in each half for the Gills, who now lead Walsall by a point as Barrow dropped to third.
Walsall were resounding 4-0 home winners over mid-table Colchester, with Jamie Jellis and Albert Adomah setting up victory before Jack Earing made sure with a late double. Morecambe were denied their first win of the campaign as Matt Platt scored a late equaliser for fourth-placed visitors Notts County in a 1-1 draw. The Shrimps still move off the bottom with a point, with Accrington replacing them after their game at Wimbledon was postponed.
Port Vale moved up to fifth with a 2-1 win over Swindon courtesy of goals from George Byers and Brandon Cover in the last half-hour. Will Wright pulled one back for the struggling Robins late on but the hosts held on. Doncaster dropped to seventh as they had two players sent off in a 3-0 home defeat to Chesterfield.
Harrogate edged out Bradford 2-1 in a lunchtime Yorkshire derby, while Harvey Rodgers’ late winner sealed a 3-2 Grimsby victory at Carlisle. Newport beat Crewe 2-1 at home, Fleetwood saw off lowly Cheltenham 2-0 while Michael Cheek’s leveller earned Bromley a point at home to MK Dons. PA Media
Liverpool teenager Ben Doak’s first goal for Middlesbrough helped to earn a 2-0 win over Stoke at the Riverside Stadium. The Scotland international’s first start since moving on loan from Anfield was capped with a predatory finish in the 34th minute, despite claims for offside, to put Boro on track. Hayden Hackney’s brilliant 20-yard strike, after his own direct run, made it two with 17 minutes remaining.
Managerless Cardiff remain bottom of the table and without a league victory after a 4-1 defeat at Hull. The Bluebirds, who last Sunday sacked Erol Bulut following their worst start to a season in 94 years, opened the scoring through Callum Robinson after 18 minutes but then fell apart. Bachir Belloumi equalised four minutes later before adding a fine second after 35 minutes. Any hope of a Cardiff revival disappeared after the restart when Oscar Zambrano’s deflected hit squirmed into the bottom-left corner, and Chris Bedia’s stoppage-time penalty sealed the rout.
Macaulay Langstaff hit his first goal as Millwall recorded their second league win of the season in the 3-1 victory over Preston. The two sides came into the game level on five points in the table, but there was a gulf between them once George Honeyman opened the scoring with his first goal in two years. Romain Esse was the Lions’ other goalscorer as the youngster produced a performance of real quality, with the only negative for the hosts being a needless late red card for Aidomo Emakhu, before Jordan Storey grabbed a late consolation for the Lilywhites.
Wayne Rooney praised Plymouth Argyle’s “togetherness” after a 3-1 win over Luton at Home Park on Friday night. Rami Al Hajj marked his first start with a goal after eight minutes. Substitute Ibrahim Cissoko scored twice in the second half, either side Victor Moses’s reply. “Everyone at the club – staff and the fans – everyone is buying into what we are trying to do,” said Rooney. “There’s a really good feeling around the club.”