📈 EFL Review: Five-star Sunderland, Wrexham win away and more | OneFootball

The Football League served up its usual helping of brilliant goals and astonishing late drama this weekend.

Here are our highlights.

Championship

Moment of the weekend

Quietly, and with almost no fanfare, Preston are top of the Championship.

Ryan Lowe’s side were, to put it kindly, about as average as it gets last time out. The Lilywhites finished exactly mid-table, scored fewer than a goal a game and were the very opposite of appointment viewing.

The Deepdale outfit kept faith with Lowe, however, and with some smart recruitment, especially the arrival of Mads Frøkjaer-Jensen from Odense, the Lancashire side are flying.

They claimed their fourth win from five on Saturday with a 2-0 win away at Stoke, that saw the former English football giants leapfrog Ipswich to the summit of the table.

Notable mentions: Sunderland stun Saints with five of the best; Bristol City win west country derby over Swansea.

Player of the weekend

Despite having just 30 per cent of the possession and claiming fewer than half the completed passes of Southampton, Saturday in the Championship belonged to Sunderland.

The Stadium of Light was rocking as the Black Cats hosted the Saints in what looked like being a tough encounter for Tony Mowbray’s side.

The truth was though, that Sunderland enjoyed one of their best ever days under Mowbray, winning 5-0 with two goals coming from the brilliant Pierre Ekwah.

The France youth international has been sensational so far this season and it surely won’t be long before he’s treading the boards in the Premier League.

Notable mentions: Mileta Rajović (Watford); Will Keane (Preston); Mark Sykes (Bristol City)

League One

Moment of the weekend

Blackpool haven’t had a huge amount to shout about so far this season, having won just one game in League One before this weekend.

Wigan were the visitors on Saturday as they travelled north up the M6 to take on their fellow Lancastrians.

Neil Critchley’s side got off to the best possible start as Jordan Rhodes netted after four minutes to hand Blackpool a lead.

The points looked like they were to be shared late on as Josh Magennis scored an equaliser for Wigan in the 89th minute. In the fourth minute of injury time, however, and with just seconds of the match remaining, Kenny Dougall tapped in for the winner.

Notable mentions: Port Vale score in the 99th minute to beat Oxford; Portsmouth back to winning ways; Exeter go top.

Player of the weekend

Charlton have endured a pretty torrid time of late with the Addicks losing four in a row before this weekend.

But that run ended on Saturday as Fleetwood came to south London with an even worse record than the hosts.

Jacob Stockley scored in the first half to give the travelling supporters something to cheer about.

But Alfie May then netted either side of half time to give Charlton a much needed victory.

And it was a defeat that spelled the end of Scott Brown’s tenure in charge of the Cods.

Notable mentions: Colby Bishop (Portsmouth); Devante Cole (Barnsley); Charlie McNeil (Stevenage)

League Two

Moment of the weekend

Although not on the same level as their rivalry with Chester, when Wrexham take on Tranmere there’s always a certain level of animosity.

Just under 30 miles apart, the two clubs aren’t on the friendliest of terms and that’s especially true now that the Welsh side are now seen as the glamour club in League Two.

Saturday’s clash at Prenton Park lived up to expectation and it was Wrexham who came out on top in a bruising encounter.

Aaron Hayden scored the only goal of the game as he headed home midway through the second half to earn Phil Parkinson’s side their first away win of the campaign.

Notable mentions: Stockport and Crawley play out six-goal thriller; Crewe beat table-toppers MK Dons

Player of the weekend

Notts County’s return to the Football League could not have started better.

The east Midlands outfit have now gone five unbeaten and went ahead of MK Dons on Saturday to go top of League Two.

County hosted Accrington Stanley at the weekend and won 3-1 thanks to a pair of goals from Macaulay Langstaff.

The 26-year-old is playing league football for the first time in his career but has taken to it with aplomb, now having scored for in six so far.

Notable mentions: Louie Barry (Stockport); James Tilley (AFC Wimbledon); Abo Eisa (Grimsby)