European Super Football

Luton Town League One season preview Throwback to the summer of 2023, it was all going so well for Luton Town. Author | Jamie P The day of relegation for Luton Town Luton will host newly-promoted AFC Wimbledon in a fixture that revives memories of the 2011 Conference play-off final, when the Wombles triumphed on penalties after a tense goalless draw. The Hatters' ascent was steep and stirring. The fall has been swift and sobering. A crazy journey Luton’s penalty shootout win over Coventry City in the Championship play-off final in May 2023 already feels like a distant moment. That day, Fankaty Dabo’s miss sealed promotion and marked the club’s first return to the top flight since 1992, the final season before the Premier League’s introduction. In the three decades since, Luton fell through the divisions and were expelled from the EFL altogether in 2009 after a heavy points deduction. They became the first club to rise from the fifth tier to the Premier League in the modern era...

Lincoln City 0 - 2 Wrexham Wrexham ended their League One campaign on a high, rounding off their promotion-winning season with a composed and clinical victory away at Lincoln City. Author - Ajay Stadium - LNER Stadium View from the home fans who helped create a party atmosphere Second-half goals from Elliot Lee and Ryan Longman secured a 27th win of a remarkable season, one that has taken the north Wales club back to the second tier for the first time in 43 years. Phil Parkinson’s side finish on 92 points, a tally that also brought Lincoln’s long unbeaten home run, stretching back to February, to a close. Michael Skubala’s team end the season in 11th place, 15 points clear of the relegation zone and 17 adrift of the play-offs. This has ultimately been a decent campaign for a side that was playing in Non League in recent memory.  While the result was of little consequence to the hosts, it once again underlined Wrexham’s credentials as they prepare for Championship football follo...

Birmingham City 4 - 0 Mansfield Town Birmingham City set a new League One points record after brushing aside Mansfield Town to move on to 105 points with two matches remaining. Author - Ajay Stadium -  St. Andrew's Stadium First-half goals from Keshi Anderson and Willum Willumsson were followed by second-half efforts from Kieran Dowell and Tomoki Iwata, as Chris Davies’s side surpassed the previous record of 103 points, set by Wolves in the 2013–14 season. Already confirmed as champions, Birmingham now require just two more points to surpass Reading’s all-time record for the English league system, set at 106 during the 2005–06 Championship campaign. Anderson opened the scoring in the 24th minute after a slick exchange with Willumsson on the edge of the area, finishing low into the bottom corner past Christy Pym. The second came 16 minutes later. Alex Cochrane’s cross from the left found Ethan Laird beyond the far post, and while Pym saved Laird’s powerful header, Willumsson was...

Peterborough United 1 - 2 Birmingham City  Birmingham City have secured an immediate return to the Championship, wrapping up promotion from League One with six matches still to play following a hard-fought win away at Peterborough. Author - Craig H Stadium - London Road Alfie May gave the visitors the lead, nodding in from a fine Taylor Gardner-Hickman cross, only for Kwame Poku to level the score just three minutes later with a powerful strike from the edge of the box after a corner wasn't properly cleared. Gardner-Hickman had the final word before the break, drilling home what proved to be the winner after latching onto Marc Leonard’s pass and finishing smartly beneath Posh keeper Nicholas Bilokapic. It was a result that confirmed the Blues' dominance of the division. Relegated last season and bolstered by significant investment, Birmingham have set the pace throughout the campaign under new manager Chris Davies, who is enjoying a remarkable debut year in the dugout. READ...

Birmingham City 6 - 2 Barnsley Alfie May inspired runaway leaders Birmingham to a huge win against Barnsley at St Andrew's. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - St Andrew's Mael De Gevigney was given a red in just the third minute after a coming-together with Keshi Anderson. This would prove to be an almost pivotal moment.  Former Fulham player Jay Stansfield fired Blues ahead from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after Keshi Anderson was taken out by Kieren Flavell. Despite having one less player, Davis Keillor-Dunn headed Barnsley level in the 35th minute after a near-post cross was headed back across the box. A quickfire brace from May at the start of the second half had Blues 3-1 up by the 55th minute. Surely, there wasn't going to be more drama.  Barnsley still tried to make a game of it They pulled one back through Stephen Humphrys, whose effort at the near post snuck past Allsop. They couldn't get back into the game could they?  The answer was no, they co...

Birmingham City 4 - 1 Shrewsbury Town Runaway leaders Birmingham City edged a step closer to automatic promotion with a comfortable win in Michael Appleton's first game in charge of Shrewsbury Town. Author - Craig H Stadium - St Andrew's Stadium With nine games left, Chris Davies's EFL Trophy finalists are now within four wins of promotion - nine points clear of second-placed Wrexham and 12 better off than third-placed Wycombe Wanderers. It was one-way traffic from start to finish as Keshi Anderson rifled an angled half-volley a foot over the bar before top scorer Jay Stansfield's rising shot was saved by goalkeeper Jamal Blackman in a one-on-one. Willum Willumsson curled off target before Kieran Dowell blazed over after Anderson found Willumsson, then cleverly dummied the return. Ben Davies finally gave Blues a deserved lead in the 27th minute, sliding home Dowell's curling free-kick unmarked from six yards for his first goal for the club. READ MORE:  EFL: 2024...

Northampton Town 0 - 2 Blackpool Northampton Town missed an opportunity to pull further away from the League One relegation battle after falling to a home defeat against Blackpool. Author -  Greg S Stadium - Sixfields Stadium Goals from Ashley Fletcher , his fifth in eight games, and Niall Ennis secured a deserved win for the visitors, leaving the Cobblers six points clear of the drop zone in 19th place. Blackpool carried the greater threat throughout the first half, with Sonny Carey spurning an early chance when he found space in the box but could only fire into the side-netting. Their pressure paid off after 20 minutes as Rob Apter beat his man down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Fletcher to head home. Northampton struggled to respond, with Sam Hoskins and Tyler Roberts both failing to trouble the goalkeeper from distance. Genuine chances were few and far between for the hosts, who went into the break on the back foot. The Cobblers had some brief hope early ...

Crawley Town 0 - 1 Birmingham City Birmingham City climbed to the top of League One after Jay Stansfield's header finally broke Crawley's stubborn defence at Broadfield Stadium. Author - Craig H  In a match played under challenging conditions, the promotion-chasing Blues had struggled to find a breakthrough in what was largely a dull affair. However, they ultimately secured three crucial points, ensuring they'll be top of the table come Christmas Day. Stansfield continued his blistering form, nodding in his seventh goal in as many games from Keshi Anderson's pinpoint cross. The goal came as the game seemed destined for a goalless draw. Chris Davies' side now sit one point clear of Wycombe Wanderers, with a game in hand, after recording their fifth consecutive league victory. EFL: 2024/2025 news and stories Crawley remain in the relegation zone, two points adrift of safety, and will close out the year with tough away trips to Leyton Orient and Exeter. They welcom...

Bolton Wanderers 0 - 2 Wigan  Wigan maintained their derby dominance over Bolton as goals from Dale Taylor and Thelo Aasgaard secured a 2-0 victory at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in League One. Author -Amy W This win extended Wigan's remarkable unbeaten run against Wanderers to nine matches, a streak that has lasted nine years. Despite a gap in league standings, Wigan fully deserved their first victory in five matches across all competitions. They took the lead in the 18th minute when Aasgaard's well-timed pass found Taylor, who calmly slotted home with a low left-footed strike from 12 yards. Bolton, who started the day in seventh place, were jeered off at half-time and were fortunate not to be further behind. Taylor came close to adding a second just before the break, but his effort was saved by Nathan Baxter, with Baba Adeeko unable to convert the rebound from close range. The latest EFL news from European Super Football can be found by clicking here Although Bolton ...

It's shaping up to be a dramatic fight for promotion from League One. Let's explore some of the key moments from matches on December 3rd. Author - Mark Lee Wrexham 1 - 0 Barnsley The match started brightly, with Ryan Barnett testing Barnsley goalkeeper Ben Killip early on, his left-footed strike forcing a smart save in the ninth minute. Wrexham faced an early setback when goalkeeper Callum Burton was forced off with an injury midway through the first half, replaced by Mark Howard. Wrexham were close to breaking the deadlock before half-time, as Matty James’ half-volley was well stopped by Killip. The second half unfolded much like the first, with neither side dominating the game. Max Cleworth, already with five goals this season, nearly added another, while Killip was kept busy again, denying Elliot Lee’s well-struck effort from the edge of the box. Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher were introduced as substitutes with over 20 minutes to play, replacing Lee and Ollie Palmer. H...

Stockport County 1  - 0  Wrexham Louie Barry’s stunning goal proved the difference as Stockport County edged a crucial League One top-six clash with a 1-0 win over Wrexham. Author - Mark Lee Just a few years ago, these teams were battling it out in Non-League, but on this occasion, Wrexham rarely threatened, and Stockport deservedly claimed the points. The match began evenly, but Barry’s moment of brilliance broke the deadlock. When Ollie Norwood’s effort was blocked, the ball fell to Barry, who turned sharply and unleashed a sublime shot into the top corner. Stockport pressed for a second, with Will Collar coming close after nicking the ball off defender Tom O’Connor, only for his effort to be deflected wide. Moments later, Wrexham goalkeeper Callum Burton kept his side in the contest with a brilliant double save. First, he stretched to tip Collar’s header from Barry’s cross, then recovered quickly to block Fraser Horsfall’s follow-up. Click here for more news and stories...

Wrexham 3 - 0 Shrewsbury Wrexham cruised to a comfortable victory in their early-season League One derby against Shrewsbury Town, moving to the top of the table in the process. The hosts were 2-0 up by half-time. Ollie Palmer opened the scoring after James McClean's low cross found him unmarked in the box. Elliott Lee then doubled the lead with a neat finish from 20 yards out, following a powerful drive from Ryan Barnett. Wrexham’s defence also impressed in this early-season clash. At the other end, a high clearance from Aristote Nsiala led to goalkeeper Toby Savin racing out of his area, but Jack Marriott seized the chance and scored with ease. The defeat left Shrewsbury in the relegation zone. EFL: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The best fan reaction Paul, a Wrexham fan, said, "I thought we put in a really good performance today. The players aimed for intensity both with and without the ball. For most of the game, we were in control. However, after we scored ...

Cambridge United 4 - 4 Blackpool Cambridge United staged a stunning comeback from 4-1 down to secure a thrilling 4-4 draw against a Blackpool side currently without a manager in League One. > The visitors took an early lead when their captain, James Husband, was left unmarked to head in Lee Evans’ corner just five minutes into the match. Cambridge responded on 28 minutes, with Shayne Lavery equalising against his former club after connecting with a cross from James Brophy. Husband, who had only scored twice in 180 appearances for Blackpool, unexpectedly doubled his tally by nodding in another Evans corner 10 minutes later. Seconds after the restart, Kyle Joseph capitalised on some hesitant defending from Cambridge, sprinting through to lift the ball over Vicente Reyes, making it 3-1 to Blackpool. EFL: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) More League One news and stories Just eight minutes into the second half, Joseph set up Dominic Ballard to seemingly put the game bey...

Chelsea 2 - 2 Wrexham Christopher Nkunku's first-half strike had given Chelsea the lead at Levi's Stadium before goals from Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott in the second period put Wrexham in front. Lesley Ugochukwu equalised in the final ten minutes to ensure Chelsea's first game of their USA tour ended in a 2-2 draw. A closer look at what happened The match didn't begin in friendly fashion. Levi Colwill and James McClean narrowly avoided red cards following a clash just three minutes in. In the second half, Chelsea's Ugochukwu lost possession and then failed to close down a cross from Sebastian Revan, allowing Luke Bolton to score the equaliser. Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong was caught out of position as Marriott exploited the space behind him, netting a well-struck second goal past Lucas Bergstrom. Chelsea's equaliser came from a slick move involving substitutes Angelo Gabriel, Armando Broja, and Ugochukwu. The latter made amends for his earlier mista...

Bolton Wanderers 0 - 2 Oxford United  Josh Murphy's double helped his Oxford United side stun Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final at Wembley. In what was a cagey first half, Oxford took the lead on the 30 minute mark. Josh Murphy curled a deflected strike home from the edge of the box. Murphy had only 11 minutes to wait for his next goal. This came via a Ruben Rodriguez pass that carved Bolton open, as he slotted the ball in at Nathan Baxter's near post. Oxford United finished the game in dreamland. For Bolton Wanderers, it's another season in League One. The scenes at the end of the match displayed those contrasting emotions.   Exciting future plans for Oxford United Joshua Murphy. Immortal. pic.twitter.com/C4k61SPybm — Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) May 18, 2024 With plans for a new stadium on the horizon, Oxford will be hoping that promotion to the Championship with the backing of over 30,000 supporters at Wembley is a reason to be optimistic ...

 Derby County 2 - 0 Carlisle United Derby County secured promotion to the Championship after a confident and assured final-day win against already-relegated Carlisle United at a jubilant Pride Park Stadium. The Rams required only a draw against the division's bottom side to end their two-year stay in League One. However, Max Bird's powerful and curving shot from outside the box, which found the back of the net after just five minutes, had Derby County supporters singing and celebrating to the tune of 'we are going up'. James Collins then sealed Paul Warne's side's promotion with a composed and close-range finish on the hour mark to complete the victory. This marks 50-year-old Warne's fourth time leading a team to promotion from League One, having previously achieved this feat three times with Rotherham United as they alternated between the second and third tiers of English football. Click here to find more stories from the English Football League The be...

 Northampton Town 1 - 0 Derby County Derby's dreams of promotion took a hit as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against mid-table Northampton, dealing a significant blow to their aspirations. It was a tough loss for Derby, with Northampton securing their first victory in six games, and notably, their first-ever win against Derby. Sam Hoskins emerged as the hero for Northampton, scoring his 15th goal of the season with a strike in the first half. Initially, Derby seemed to have control of the game, enjoying the lion's share of possession. However, they squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 20th minute when Martyn Waghorn missed a clear chance, side-footing the ball over the bar with the goal gaping. More news from across the English Football League League One news and stories Against the flow of the game, Northampton seized their chance midway through the first half. Louis Appere chased down a long ball and displayed excellent awareness to find Hoskins, w...

 Port Vale 1 - 3 Plymouth  Plymouth were crowned League One champions after coming from behind to win at Port Vale on the season's final day. James Plant had given Vale the perfect start when he raced through to fire past keeper Callum Burton in the third minute. Midfielder Adam Randell restored parity with a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box before Joe Edwards fired the Pilgrims ahead four minutes later. Finn Azaz finally made sure the title would head to Devon when his right-footed shot from the edge of the box nestled in the top corner. The win meant Argyle ended the season on 101 points, three clear of Ipswich Town. <Click here to read more news and stories from the English Football League> Some of the best reaction. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF LEAGUE ONE 🏆 #pafc pic.twitter.com/tS2y202R6P — (P)lymouth Argyle F(C) (@Argyle) May 7, 2023 Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher told the local media: We've fought so hard week in, wee...