📈 EFL Review: Rooney debut; Leeds on fire; Bradford do a Wrexham | 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

All eyes were on the Riverside Stadium this weekend as Wayne Rooney made his Birmingham debut after a much-publicised hiring by the Blues new American owners.

Rooney controversially replaced John Eustace in the dugout last week despite the Midlands club sitting in sixth place in the Championship and performing well above expectation.

It was hard to shake the feeling that Manchester United’s best ever goalscorer was joining because of his name and first up was a trip to face Middlesbrough, led by former United team mate Michael Carrick.

In truth, it was a pretty uninspiring game, with Boro on top for the vast majority of the proceedings before finally breaking the deadlock in the 88th minute.

Birmingham came away having lost only their fourth of the season and must now regroup before Rooney’s home debut with Hull on Wednesday.

Notable mentions: Leeds complete stunning turnaround at Norwich; Leicester keep on winning; Saints score injury winner at Hull

Player of the weekend

The Daniel Farke revolution has begun in earnest at Leeds.

It took a while for the German tactician to get his teeth into this talented but despairing squad.

Relegation hit the Elland Road side hard last time out and it wasn’t until September that Farke’s side were able to find their feet.

But they are flying now and in Crysencio Summerville they have perhaps the in-form player in the Championship.

Summerville scored twice late on for Leeds as they came from two goals down to beat Norwich 3-2 at Carrow Road.

Notable mentions: Rob Dickie (Bristol City); Jack Rudoni (Huddersfield); Abdul Fatawu (Leicester)

League One

Moment of the weekend

It was 13 games in the making but at last, Cheltenham won a game in League One this weekend.

The Robins have been dismal in the opening months of the campaign, failing to even score a goal in their first 11 games.

But a change in management has helped slowly steer the ship away from the rocks with Darrell Clarke showing his ability as a young coach on the up.

Cambridge were the unlucky recipients of Cheltenham’s first win of the season as Liam Sercombe’s fifth minute goal saw the hosts claim three points and go to within one of Reading in 23rd.

Notable mentions: Pompey score late once again; Blackpool equalise in added time at Oxford; Charlton hit Reading for four

Player of the weekend

Things are looking rosy for Burton, who are now seven games unbeaten and bothering the promotion places.

They reserved their best performance of the campaign for this weekend however as they hammered Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers in comprehensive fashion.

Beryly Lubala was the pick of the bunch though, as he scored two lovely goals in the first half to send the Brewers on their way to victory.

Notable mentions: Greg Leigh (Oxford); Corey Blackett-Taylor (Charlton); Conor Shaughnessy (Portsmouth)

League Two

Moment of the weekend

Wrexham are used to being the side that nets late goals in League Two this season.

But Saturday saw the tables turn as Bradford looked the real deal under new boss Kevin McDonald.

McDonald replaced Mark Hughes in Yorkshire after a pretty tepid start to the campaign and has almost immediately gone about trying to play a front-foot forward style of play.

There are still a few things that need to be fine-tuned but they got a confidence-boosting draw against the Welsh side as Adam Wilson netted late on for a share of the points.

Notable mentions: Stockport go clear at the top; Crewe put four past Crawley; Notts County get back to winning ways

Player of the weekend

There’s every other player in League Two and then there’s Louie Barry.

Stockport have arguably pulled off one of the best transfer coups anywhere in the Football League this season with Barry’s loan signing from Aston Villa.

The 20-year-old is just on a completely different stratosphere technically to everyone else in the fourth tier and is showing it this term.

Barrz scored twice this weekend as Stockport beat Grimsby 3-2 with the former Barcelona youth player now having bagged nine in 14 games.

He’s a superstar in the making.

Notable mentions: Freddie Draper (Walsall); Bryn Morris (Newport); Tyrese Shade (Swindon)