LAST UPDATE | 4 Feb 2023
BURNLEY MARCHED ON at the top of the Championship as they swept aside Norwich 3-0 at Carrow Road.
Vincent Kompany’s side produced another impressive display to make it nine league wins on the trot and move, temporarily at least, 20 points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough.
Anass Zaroury took advantage of a horrible error from goalkeeper Tim Krul to open the scoring in the eighth minute and two goals from corners early in the second half completed the scoring.
The first was turned in by substitute Vitinho with his very first touch while defender Hjalmar Ekdal added the other. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Norwich, who had won their first two league games under new head coach David Wagner, but they remain well-placed to challenge for a place in the play-offs with automatic promotion now surely beyond them.
New signing Michael Obafemi was not in the Burnley squad, with Josh Cullen playing all 90 minutes. For Norwich, Andrew Omobamidele played the full game while Adam Idah – fresh from signing a new contract at the club this week – played the last 30 minutes as a substitute.
Second-placed Sheffield United lost pace with Burnley as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Rotherham. The Blades are seven points behind the league leaders but it are still well placed to return to the Premier League as they hold a 10-point lead over third-placed Middlesbrough.
Chiedozie Ogbene and Conor Coventry started for Rotherham and played the full game, while John Egan played 90 minutes for Sheffield United.
‘Boro responded to that draw by beating Mick McCarthy’s Blackpool 3-0, with Ireland’s Daragh Lenihan assisting the third goal for Michael Carrick’s side. CJ Hamilton and Andy Lyons played all 90 minutes for Blackpool. Luton are fourth, eking out a 1-0 win over Stoke City. They are three points clear of Watford, who blew a two-goal lead away to Reading and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Irish international Jeff Hendrick scored the equalising goal 10 minutes from time for the Royals.
Elsewhere, Mark Sykes scored for Bristol City in their 2-1 win away to Preston North End, for whom Robbie Brady, Alan Browne, and Thomas Cannon started. Greg Cunningham made an appearance from the bench but Troy Parrott was not in the Preston matchday squad.
Dublin-born Dennis Cirkin scored a late header to earn Sunderland a 1-1 draw at Millwall that kept both teams well in the mix for the Championship’s play-off places. Millwall are seventh, with Sunderland two places further back.
Cardiff’s relegation concerns suffered another blow as they recorded a 1-0 Championship defeat at in-form Hull. Man-of-the-match Cyrus Christie scored the winning goal after 62 minutes to leave the visitors just two points clear of the bottom three.
Cardiff, without a league victory in 2023, will leave East Yorkshire frustrated after Callum Robinson’s first-half penalty was brilliantly saved by Matt Ingram. Hull, though, have been rejuvenated following Liam Rosenior’s arrival and have now lost just once in nine league games. Aaron Connolly played all but the last 10 minutes for Hull, with Sean McLoughlin playing the full game. Callum O’Dowda and Mark McGuinness went the distance for Cardiff.
Finally, Scott Hogan started the scoring for Birmingham as their two late goals capped an incredible comeback, snatching a dramatic 4-3 win against Swansea.
American centre-back Austin Trusty was the hero, glancing in a header off a Hannibal Mejbri corner to leave home fans at the Swansea.com Stadium in disbelief.
Going into the last minute of normal time the Swans appeared to be cruising to three points after dominating most of the match but Swansea paid the price for not killing off the game.
Veteran striker Lukas Jutkiewicz came off the bench to start the mayhem in the 90th minute. The well-travelled 33-year-old’s diving header from a Maxime Colin cross looked as though it had earned John Eustace’s men a share of the points and arrested a run of five successive league defeats.
But it got even better for the visiting fans. Deep into added time, and with Swansea down to 10 men having used all of their allocated substitutions before Joel Latibeaudiere limped off, Austin rose highest at a set-piece to spark delirium among the travelling fans.
In League One, Derby leaned on their Irish influence to hammer Morecambe 5-0. David McGoldrick scored a hat-trick before James Collins and Jason Knight added further gloss to a scoreline that lifts Derby to fourth, eight points from leaders Sheffield Wednesday.
Championship results
- Norwich 0-3 Burnley
- Rotherham 0-0 Sheffield United
- Huddersfield 1-1 QPR
- Hull 1-0 Cardiff
- Luton 1-0 Stoke
- Middlesbrough 3-0 Blackpool
- Millwall 1-1 Sunderland
- Preston 1-2 Bristol City
- Reading 2-2 Watford
- Swansea 3-4 Birmingham
With reporting by Gavin Cooney
