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Hull and Leeds produce a Championship classic

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Hull City 3 - 3 Leeds United Abu Kamara was the hero as his two goals helped struggling Hull City come from behind and take a point at home to the Championship leaders Leeds United. Author - Jack L After a difficult week for the forward, Kamara opened the scoring before lashing home a late equaliser. Ao Tanaka equalised for Leeds straight after the interval, Dan James converted a Jayden Bogle cut-back and Joel Piroe accepted a gift from home goalkeeper Ivor Pandur to put the visitors in control before some late drama. Joao Pedro gave home fans hope when he touched in with nine minutes to go and the comeback was complete in the 89th minute when Kamara fired home after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area. With Leeds having won eight of their previous 11 league games and heading the Championship table, few would have expected relegation-threatened Hull to derail the visitors' promotion charge, but Kamara gave them a shock lead inside the opening five minutes. Late eq...

Portsmouth ease to win over Swansea

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Portsmouth 4 - 0 Swansea Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship's bottom three with a commanding victory over Swansea City at a rain-soaked Fratton Park. Author - Jack L Josh Murphy's crisp first-time strike put the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute, and Paddy Lane doubled their advantage just seven minutes later, capitalising on defensive uncertainty. Swansea briefly looked like mounting a second-half comeback, with Josh Tymon rattling the woodwork, but Ryley Towler’s well-placed header eased any nerves for Portsmouth. A costly error by Cyrus Christie then allowed Colby Bishop to seal a resounding win. While John Mousinho’s side have struggled away from home this season, their improved form at Fratton Park has reinvigorated their fight to avoid a swift return to League One. Pompey have now claimed 13 points from their last five home games, scoring 14 goals in the process. For Swansea, it was a torrid afternoon as defensive lapses contributed to their heaviest defeat of...

Late equaliser denies Leeds at Elland Road

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Leeds United 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers Danny Batth's injury-time strike salvaged a dramatic point for Blackburn Rovers, cancelling out Pascal Struijk’s late penalty in a gripping finale that left Leeds United frustrated at Elland Road. Author - Jamie P Struijk had calmly slotted home from the spot after substitute Mateo Joseph was deemed to have been brought down by Dominic Hyam, in what looked set to be the winner in a game otherwise short on clear chances. But just two minutes later, Batth pounced on a flicked Hyam header at the back post to steer the ball home, denying Leeds a 10th straight home league victory and keeping Blackburn’s promotion hopes alive. The result means Leeds maintain a three-point cushion at the top of the Championship but missed the chance to extend their lead further over Sheffield United, who lost to Sunderland. The home side almost snatched all three points deep into 11 minutes of stoppage time, only for Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears to produce a stunn...

Sunderland show promotion credentials

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Sunderland 2 - 1 Sheffield United Sunderland kept their push for automatic promotion alive with an entertaining victory over third-placed Sheffield United, who are now winless in three matches. Author - Ajay  The visitors squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead when Kieffer Moore’s poorly struck penalty was saved by Anthony Patterson in the Sunderland goal. Eliezer Mayenda then capitalised on a defensive mix-up to put the Black Cats ahead, but Luke O’Nien’sown goal levelled the scores. However, Wilson Isidor’s composed finish ensured Sunderland went into half-time in front after a chaotic opening 45 minutes. Sheffield United dominated possession after the break but couldn’t find an equaliser, with Rhian Brewster firing wide and Sunderland surviving a late scramble in their box. The result sees Sunderland remain fourth in the table and they are now just two points behind second-placed Burnley. Meanwhile, Sheffield United, who were three points clear at the top at Christ...

Windass stunner helps Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 Derby County Josh Windass scored an extraordinary goal from deep inside his own half as Sheffield Wednesday cruised to a convincing victory over Derby County in the Championship. Author - Chris C Windass picked up the ball in his own defensive third and unleashed a stunning strike from over 60 yards, sailing it perfectly over Derby’s goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. Barry Bannan, Djeidi Gassama, and Anthony Musaba also got on the scoresheet for the Owls, while Jerry Yates and Ebou Adams managed consolation goals for the Rams. A closer look at what happened as Wednesday move up the table The breakthrough came after lively wing-back Gassama exposed the lack of pace in Derby defender Sonny Bradley, delivering a low cross that left Bannan with a simple finish. Derby initially struggled but began to find their rhythm. Efforts from Kane Wilson and Nat Phillips forced good saves from Wednesday keeper Jack Beadle, while Yates hit the post just before half-time...

Rooney departs Plymouth after poor run of form

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What next for an English football legend? Head coach Wayne Rooney has parted ways with Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent. Author - Peter Grainger The video below shows Rooney’s reaction after a recent defeat against Norwich City. The 39-year-old former England captain managed only four league victories while suffering 13 defeats in 23 Championship matches since taking charge of the Pilgrims in May. His departure leaves the club rooted to the bottom of the table. Rooney arrived at Home Park just four months after being sacked by Birmingham City, where his short 83-day tenure saw nine defeats in 15 games. Sunday's 2-0 loss to Oxford United , which extended Plymouth's winless run to nine matches, was met with boos from the crowd. It marked their sixth defeat in that run, which began in early November. Under Rooney’s leadership, Plymouth have struggled at both ends of the pitch. They’ve scored the joint-fewest goals in the Championship and conceded mor...

West Brom start new era with a draw

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Sheffield United 1 - 1 West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion secured their first point since Carlos Corberán's departure on Christmas Eve, courtesy of Karlan Grant’s late first-half equaliser against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Author - Peter Grainger Sheffield United initially took the lead through homegrown talent Andre Brooks, who netted a beautifully crafted first goal for the club. Despite the draw, the injury-hit Blades returned to the top of the Championship, at least temporarily, ahead of Leeds United’s late kick-off at Derby. However, just as in their 2-2 stalemate at The Hawthorns three weeks earlier, Sheffield United’s hopes of victory were dashed by another deflected goal involving Tom Fellows. For the managerless Baggies, the result capped off a mixed 2024. They end the year in eighth place, 13 points adrift of the top spot, having led the league back in mid-September. This was their 12th draw in 24 league games, following a four-match streak of two win...

Stoke dismiss Pelach after three months in charge

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Stoke City have made a big decision as they head into 2025 They have parted ways with head coach Narcis Pelach just 19 games into his tenure. Author - Lee Poxen Pelach, who replaced Steven Schumacher on 18 September with a three-year deal, managed only three Championship wins, the most recent coming on 6 November. Stoke currently sit 19th in the table. Interesting news. More reaction coming up on https://t.co/CizyD3ifp5 https://t.co/mackj7PU3C — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 29, 2024 The Potters suffered a 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Boxing Day , a match that saw the 36-year-old face criticism for his frequent tactical adjustments. Former Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross will step in as caretaker manager for Sunday’s home fixture against Sunderland, supported by Alex Morris, Dean Whitehead, and Darren Behcet from the backroom staff. Goalkeeper coach Paul Clements and performance analyst Harrison Glew have also left the club. Both Clements and Whitehead joined ...

Frank Lampard's Coventry thrash Wayne Rooney's Plymouth

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Coventry City 4 - 0 Plymouth Argyle On Boxing Day, Plymouth Argyle endured yet another heavy away defeat in the Championship, as Wayne Rooney lost his first managerial clash against former England teammate Frank Lampard.  Lampard’s Coventry City dominated the injury-hit Argyle, scoring all their goals before the break. Author - Craig H  A bad day for Plymouth but their fans still created a fantastic atmosphere at Coventry. eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com [image or embed] — SuperNewsAffiliate ( @supernewsaffiliate.bsky.social ) 27 December 2024 at 21:37 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto opened the scoring early on, before a recalled Josh Eccles doubled the lead 20 minutes in. Coventry then put the game out of reach with two quickfire goals just before half-time. In-form Ephron Mason-Clark netted his fourth goal in six games since Lampard’s arrival, while Eccles added his second of the match – and tripled his season tally – to round off the first-half rout. This marked Lampard’s third win...

Rowett starts life at Oxford United with a win

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Oxford United 3 - 2 Cardiff City Gary Rowett made an ideal start as Oxford United manager, guiding his side to a crucial 3-2 victory over relegation rivals Cardiff City at the Kassam Stadium.  Author - Peter Grainger This dramatic Boxing Day clash saw former Cardiff players Mark Harris and Ciaron Brown haunt their old club, as Oxford moved out of the Championship relegation zone while deepening Cardiff's survival woes. A closer look at what happened The match began tentatively, with both sides showing the nerves of a relegation six-pointer. Cardiff looked the more dominant early on, with Chris Willock’s deflected shot hitting the crossbar and Yakou Meite failing to capitalise on the rebound. Yet despite enjoying more possession, the visitors lacked the cutting edge to break through. Oxford punished Cardiff’s inefficiency when their first real chance of the game fell to Mark Harris. The former Bluebird latched onto Przemyslaw Placheta’s precise cross and slotted home from clo...

Valencia appoint West Brom boss as head coach

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Update on Christmas Day We can confirm that La Liga strugglers Valencia have appointed West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan as their new head coach. Valencia paid a release clause, believed to be between three and four million to allow him to leave Championship club Albion. Read below for an idea on how this story developed and why they were interested in the first place.  --‐--------------- Will Carlos Corberán be leaving the Midlands for Spain? Valencia, struggling in La Liga, have officially approached West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberán Author - Jack L The West Brom manager spoke with the club's YouTube account recently While discussions between the clubs are ongoing, no agreement has yet been reached. The Spanish club are reportedly ready to activate the 41-year-old's release clause at Albion, believed to be in the region of £3-4 million.  This follows Valencia’s decision to part ways with head coach Rubén Baraja on Monday after a dismal run of jus...

Derby thrash Pompey to end winless run

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Derby County 4 - 0 Portsmouth Derby County brought an emphatic end to their poor form as they cruised to victory against lowly Portsmouth in the Championship. Author - Chris C Kane Wilson gave Derby - a side that had won just one of their previous 11 games and none of their past six - the ideal start as he slotted home the opener with a first-time finish after cleverly being picked out in the box by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. Eiran Cashin powered home a header from a corner to double the first-half advantage before Ebou Adams soon made it 3-0 at Pride Park with a close-range effort that was deflected in by Pompey defender Tom McIntyre. Marcus Harness then forced a fourth against his former side, with his dancing run into the box ending with a cutback pass that pinged off Pompey captain Marlon Pack for an own goal. A closer look at what happened The game in the East Midlands was the first between the Rams and Pompey since they came up together from League One last season, with Portsmo...

QPR extend unbeaten run

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 QPR 2 - 0 Oxford United Sam Field bagged his first league goals of the season as Queens Park Rangers extended their unbeaten streak with a victory over Oxford United, whose poor run of form showed no signs of letting up. Author - Thomas J Field opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, firing in from close range, and doubled the lead 16 minutes later with a composed finish from 18 yards to secure three vital points for Martí Cifuentes’ side. The 26-year-old was the standout performer in a match otherwise lacking in quality, particularly during a lacklustre first half between two teams battling to steer clear of the relegation zone. The win marked QPR’s third victory in an unbeaten five-game run, while Oxford’s struggles deepened, leaving them with just one win in their last 14 matches. The opening exchanges in west London were high on energy but low on goalmouth action. Oxford’s Idris El Mizouni had the first notable effort in the 22nd minute, but his deflected strike from 20 y...

Elsewhere in the Championship on the 7th and 8th December

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Let's explore a couple more match reports from another dramatic weekend in English football's 2nd tier. QPR 3 - 0 Norwich City Author - Ajay  Teenager Rayan Kolli stole the spotlight with his first senior goals as Queens Park Rangers ended their long wait for a home victory, defeating Norwich City at Loftus Road. The Algeria Under-20 international, who made his debut against Norwich in last season's EFL Cup, was introduced early as a 13th-minute substitute for the injured Zan Celar. QPR took the lead when defender Jimmy Dunne punished some dismal defending, and Kolli made it 2-0 with a well-taken header deep into first-half stoppage time. EFL: 2024/2025 news and stories Norwich, struggling to make an impact in challenging conditions, offered little threat. Kolli then sealed the win in the second half, capitalising on more defensive uncertainty to score his second and Rangers’ third of the game. It was a Saturday to remember for Kolli and a much-needed boost for QP...

Portsmouth move off bottom of the Championship table

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Portsmouth 3 - 0 Bristol City Portsmouth climbed off the bottom of the Championship table with a convincing win over Bristol City at Fratton Park. Author - Jack L Fresh from their strong first-half display against Swansea last week, Pompey got off to another lively start. Colby Bishop opened the scoring inside 20 minutes, reacting quickest to slot home a rebound after his initial shot was parried by Bristol City goalkeeper Max O'Leary. Josh Murphy doubled the advantage just after the hour mark, and Callum Lang added a third with a close-range header at the back post less than 10 minutes later. The victory, Portsmouth's third of the season, moves them up to 23rd place, leapfrogging Hull City, while Bristol City remain in mid-table. EFL: 2024/2025 news and stories We shine a spotlight on the Championship Ahead of the match, it was suggested Pompey needed two wins from their next four home games, and they showed clear intent despite the challenging conditions brought by Storm ...

Burnley held by determined Middlesbrough

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Burnley 1 - 1 Middlesbrough Burnley missed the opportunity to go top of the Championship after a lively 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough on a blustery evening at Turf Moor. Author - JP Anfernee Dijksteel opened the scoring for Boro with their first shot of the game after just 13 minutes. Despite falling as he struck, he deftly chipped over Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford from 12 yards out, securing his first goal of the season. Connor Roberts levelled for Burnley eight minutes before half-time with a looping long-range strike that seemed aided by the swirling winds of Storm Darragh, catching Boro’s keeper Seny Dieng off his line. The second half was packed with chances for both sides but ended all square. Burnley remain in second place, one point behind leaders Sheffield United, while Middlesbrough stay fifth. EFL: 2024/2025 news and stories News and stories from Burnley and Turf Moor can be found here Burnley began brightly, dominating possession early on but failing to create cle...

Sunderland end winless run in the Championship

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Sunderland 2 - 1 Stoke City Teenage Sunderland midfielder Tom Watson celebrated a career milestone by scoring his first two senior goals, helping his side secure a much-needed victory over Stoke City.  The win ended a six-game winless run for the Championship promotion contenders. Author - Lee Poxen The hosts hadn’t tasted victory since 26 October and fell behind early, as Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas, aged 19, opened the scoring for Stoke in just the sixth minute. After his initial effort was saved, Koumas showed composure to slot home the rebound with his left foot, marking his fourth goal of the season for the Wales international. Stoke’s lead, however, was short-lived, lasting less than a minute. Watson, only 18 years old, linked up beautifully with Jobe Bellingham inside the box before unleashing a powerful low shot that beat Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson at his near post. What else has been happening in the EFL? Discover more Sunderland news and stories Watson almost...

Cardiff City appoint Interim Manager

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Will this announcement mark an end to some of the uncertainty? The club have confirmed Omer Riza as their manager on a deal lasting until the end of the season. Author - Jamie P Riza, previously a coach at Watford, stepped in as interim boss after Erol Bulut was dismissed in September following the club’s worst start to a league campaign. Since then, Riza has guided the team to a noticeable improvement, collecting 16 points from 12 games and adopting a more attack-minded approach. However, the Bluebirds have struggled recently, failing to win any of their last five matches, leaving fans concerned about the ongoing uncertainty around the managerial role. Riza initially joined Cardiff as an assistant coach at the start of the season but was promoted to interim manager on 22 September when Bulut was sacked. He made an encouraging start, winning four of his first seven games, but the club's leadership took over two months to settle on a permanent appointment, drawing criticism from...

Wednesday left it late against Derby

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Derby County 1 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday A dramatic injury-time goal from Jamal Lowe, following a sensational strike by Barry Bannan, completed a stunning comeback for Sheffield Wednesday as they overcame Derby County at Pride Park. Author - Chris C Derby, urged by manager Paul Warne to start with more urgency, appeared to heed the call when Ebou Adams fired them into the lead after just nine minutes. Adams coolly converted Marcus Harness' fizzing cut-back, setting the tone for a bright first half for the hosts. Returning loanee and top scorer Jerry Yates had two golden chances to extend Derby’s lead after the break. His close-range effort was brilliantly saved by Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle, and minutes later, his header rattled the crossbar following a corner. However, Derby’s inability to double their advantage proved costly. On his 35th birthday, Barry Bannan delivered a moment of magic, curling a sublime left-footed strike from the edge of the box into the top ...

Carrick's side hit Oxford for six

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Oxford United 2 - 6 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough smashed six goals in an away league match for the first time in 64 years, thrashing struggling Oxford United in a dominant display. Emmanuel Latte Lath stole the show with a hat-trick, supported by two goals from the outstanding Finn Azaz and a stunning strike from substitute Tommy Conway. The emphatic victory propelled Boro into the Championship play-off spots, securing their third consecutive win. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football Greg Leigh and Dane Scarlett provided some consolation for Oxford, but the home side’s dismal form continues, with just one win in their last 11 games. The defeat sees them slip to 18th, perilously close to the relegation zone, while Middlesbrough surge into fifth place. The match began tentatively, with both sides cautious in the opening 10 minutes. Boro soon found their rhythm, though, as Azaz teed up Latte Lath for a quick counter-attack, only for United goalkeeper Jamie Cumming to produce a supe...