Sunderland cruise past Millwall to climb into top half of Championship
Sunderland climbed into the top 10 of the Championship as they made a winning return after the World Cup shutdown. Second-half goals from Amad Diallo, Alex Pritchard and Ellis Simms enabled the Black Cats to claim a 3-0 victory over Millwall.
The hosts effectively settled things with a two-goal burst in the space of five minutes at the start of the second half, improving markedly after a slow start to claim only a second home win since August. The visitors should have scored in first-half stoppage time, but Zian Flemming shot wide after keeper Anthony Patterson scuffed his clearance.
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It was a crucial miss as Sunderland took a firm grip on the game after the restart. Diallo scored the first, tapping home at the back post after Simms’ attempted backheel from Pritchard’s cross deflected into his path. Sunderland doubled their lead when Pritchard’s shot somehow evaded George Long.
The Millwall keeper was at fault again as Sunderland claimed a third goal in stoppage time, racing off his line in an unsuccessful attempt to reach a long ball over the top and enabling Simms to prod the ball past him before rolling it into the net.
League One
Leaders Plymouth suffered their first home league defeat of the season against Port Vale on Friday night, but neither Ipswich or Sheffield Wednesday could claim the win they needed to take top spot.
Vale are up to ninth after their unexpected win at Home Park, sealed by second-half goals from Tom Conlon and James Wilson. Ipswich led Fleetwood from the second minute on Friday after Luke Woolfenden struck at Portman Road, but Cian Hayes equalised deep into added time.
Third-placed Wednesday could also have gone top with victory at Derby in a Saturday lunchtime kick-off, but were held to a goalless draw. In a game of few chances, the Owls keeper David Stockdale denied David McGoldrick and the Derby stopper Joe Wildsmith saved from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the second half.
Derby forward David McGoldrick reacts to a missed opportunity at Pride Park. Photograph: Barrington Coombs/PA
Barnsley are fourth after winning 2-1 at Peterborough on Friday night. Luca Connell’s opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Jack Taylor’s 21st-minute header, before Adam Phillips scored Barnsley’s second-half winner. Dion Charles scored in stoppage time to earn fifth-placed Bolton a point at Bristol Rovers, who led through Josh Coburn’s early goal.
At the other end of the table, Forest Green moved off the bottom with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Cambridge on Saturday. Connor Wickham sealed the win from the spot in the third minute of stoppage time, shortly after Saikou Janneh had cancelled out Josh March’s opener. Bradley Johnson’s late equaliser kept MK Dons off the foot of the table as they earned a 1-1 draw with Burton.
Morecambe are now propping up the division after their winless run extended to a sixth match with Friday’s 1-1 draw at home against Exeter. Cole Stockton’s 34th-minute goal was cancelled out by Joshua Key just two minutes later. In Friday’s other game, Alfie May’s 84th-minute goal gave Cheltenham a 1-0 victory at Charlton.

In Saturday’s other games, Luke Leahy scored his fourth penalty of the season to set Shrewsbury on their way to a 2-0 win against Lincoln, while Ethan Hamilton’s long-range strike earned Accrington a late point at home to Oxford.
League Two
Leyton Orient restored their five-point lead at the top with a 3-0 home win over Bradford. Charlie Kelman broke the deadlock after 24 minutes from Theo Archibald’s through ball and the hosts doubled their lead eight minutes later when Tom James found the top corner from 20 yards.
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Ruel Sotiriou scores Leyton Orient’s third goal against Bradford. Photograph: Kieran Cleeves/PA
Orient wrapped up victory in the 85th minute when substitute Ruel Sotiriou got on the scoresheet. The leaders responded well after second-placed Stevenage had closed to within two points with a 5-0 home win over Barrow on Friday night. Jake Reeves, Jamie Reid, Dan Sweeney and Luke Norris were all on target for Steve Evans’ side.
Northampton are four points further back in third place after being held to a goalless draw by Tranmere on Saturday. Fellow promotion chasers Mansfield secured a 2-1 comeback victory over struggling Colchester, Lucas Akins heading home the winner in stoppage time. Fifth-placed Carlisle were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sutton thanks to Will Randall’s equaliser.
Hartlepool stay rooted to the bottom after a 5-0 home defeat by Stockport. Kyle Wootton struck twice and Paddy Madden, Callum Camps and Will Collar also found the net as the County manager, Dave Challinor, inflicted a painful loss on his former club. Gillingham stay in the bottom two after Salford scored three second-half goals to boost their play-off hopes with a 3-0 win at Priestfield.
The new Crawley manager, Matthew Etherington, celebrated victory in his first match in charge thanks to a 2-0 success against Swindon. Nick Tsaroulla opened the scoring via a deflection in the 79th minute before Jack Powell scored from 40 yards after a mix-up in the Swindon defence.
Harrogate pulled away from danger and left Rochdale deep in it with a 4-1 away win. James Ball put the hosts ahead early on but George Thomson quickly equalised from long range, and Luke Armstrong’s quick-fire double secured victory. Elsewhere, Ethan Chislett’s second-half strike fired Wimbledon to a 1-0 victory over Grimsby.
In Friday’s other games, Walsall climbed to eighth with a 2-0 victory at Doncaster thanks to second-half goals from Tom Knowles and Danny Johnson, while Newport produced a late comeback to beat Crewe with Offrande Zanzala getting the winner.