📈 EFL Review: Saints stunner; Reading rising; Bradford stun 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

Southampton are the form side in the country right now and were at it again this weekend with another fine win.

It was Huddersfield who were the victims this time around with the Saints coming back from 3-1 down to win 5-3 and go back into second place in the table.

The best moment of the match however came in the second half as Joe Rothwell scored one of the goals of the season with a remarkable edge of the area volley.

Notable mentions: Leeds win Yorkshire derby; Blackburn bounce back; Leicester edge past Watford

Player of the weekend

There was a relegation battle in the Championship on Friday night as Sheffield Wednesday hosted Birmingham at Hillsbrough.

The Owls were coming off the back of a demoralising defeat to Huddersfield last time out whilst had won just one in their last six.

It was Ike Ugbo who rose to the occasion though, scoring his first two goals for the club in a rousing 2-0 win.

The victory sees Wednesday go to within five points of safety.

Notable mentions: Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland); Crysencio Summerville (Leeds); Tryhys Dolan (Blackburn)

League One

Moment of the weekend

It was top versus bottom on Saturday as Carlisle hosted Portsmouth in what looked like the ultimate League One mismatch.

The Cumbrian club hadn’t won since New Year’s Day whilst Pompey were back on the warpath after a slight downturn in results over the festive period.

But the game was a lot tighter than many expected with the Carlisle reducing the visitors to just one shot on target over the 90 minutes.

Unfortunately for them, that one shot ended up being the only goal of the game as Paddy Lane ensured John Mousinho’s men stayed at the summit.

Notable mentions: Five-star Wycombe stun Posh; Reading win again; Cheltenham get crucial late victory

Player of the weekend

Since Reading’s game with Port Vale on January 23 was abandoned after fans entered the pitch, the Royals have been completely galvanised.

The Berkshire outfit have won three and drawn two of their five games since then with the latest victory coming this weekend against Nathan Jones’ Charlton.

Femi Azeez was the hero for Ruben Selles’men with two brilliantly taken goals in the second half.

Notable mentions: Lasse Sørensen (Lincoln); Matty Taylor (Cheltenham); Jayden Stockley (Fleetwood)

League Two

Moment of the weekend

Wrexham suffered their third straight defeat in the league on Saturday as Bradford came to north Wales and fired in a shock late winner.

On the third anniversary of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds taking over the club, Phil Parkinson’s side have now lost in four consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since the end of 2021.

Andy Cook netted the Bantams winner in the 90th minute as Wrexham slid to fifth in League Two, five points off the automatic promotion places.

Bradford meanwhile, are finally out of sight of the relegation zone having shot up to 16th.

Notable mentions: Gillingham stun Notts County; Stockport win at Grimsby; Mansfield hit Forest Green four four

Player of the weekend

Gillingham produced a stunning backs-to-the-wall performance at Notts County to stun the Football League’s oldest side.

County had been in the top six back at Christmas but a shocking run of five games without a win has seen them fall through the League Two trapdoor.

Things seemed like they might be picking up early on against the Gills as Daniel Crowley finished well to take the lead.

But three goals from four shots on target saw the Kent side claim a brilliant 3-1 win with Oliver Hawkins the star of the show.

Notable mentions: Ollie Clarke (Mansfield); Will Evans (Newport); Joe Ironside (Doncaster)