Old Boys Midweek Round-Up
Games come thick and fast in the football league so just as one reflects on the game prior, there is another forthcoming. Likewise with many teams recording good wins in the Championship at the weekend, the onus was on them to build on those results in midweek.
With no Premier League games taking place in midweek we shall start with the Championship and at Oakwell in particular where Simon Davey's Barnsley saw off fellow Yorkshire-men Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night. Wednesday emerged as victors from the Steel City derby at the weekend and were determined to get one over on another one of their rivals. However, this was not to be the case as Barnsley beat the Owls 2-1 thanks to goals from Iain Hulme and Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Jon Macken and Rob Kozluk were both in action for the Tykes.
Craig Beattie was in from the start for Palace as they were sunk by a late, late goal at St Andrews in a 1-0 defeat. Gary O'Connor's 94th minute goal proved to be the only goal of the game and enough to see Birmingham claim all three points.
Preston's bitter rivals Blackpool went toe-to-toe with Derby County at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday night. Centre half Claude Davis continued at centre half for the Rams but was unable to thwart the Seasiders as they emerged as 3-2 winners.
Former skipper Graham Alexander made his 700th career appearance on Tuesday as he lined up for the Clarets at the Ricoh Arena. Burnley came from behind to win 3-1 with two late goals coming from frustrated striker Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles in the 88th and 90th minutes respectively. The Clarets move up to 6th after their win.
Former Manchester United midfielder David Jones came on as a second half substitute for Wolves' fixture with Norwich City at Carrow Road. Wolves' bubble seems to have burst as the midlands club where emphatically beaten 5-2 by a rampant Norwich side who had Leroy Lita as their star man as he netted a hat-trick. Wolves drop to second with Birmingham leapfrogging them into first place.
Two former Preston players went head-to-head in the game between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at the City Ground. Kelvin Wilson was at the heart of the Forest defence who went 1-0 up in the first half through McCleary before Tommy Miller equalised from the penalty spot.
Paul Gallagher was part of the Plymouth team that beat his former club Preston at Home Park on Tuesday night. Gallagher has been in top form this season for the Pilgrims but it was his strike partner Rory Fallon who netted the winner as he rose above the Preston defence to head the Pilgrims 1-0 up in the 18th minute. Despite their best efforts, Preston couldn't salvage anything from the game despite introducing Neil Mellor and Simon Whaley late on to add some guile and pace to the Preston forward line.
Brian Stock was on the losing side as Reading beat his Doncaster Rovers 2-1 at the Madejski on Tuesday night. Reading went ahead through Bikey but were pegged back by a Van Nieuwstadt goal on 74 minutes. Kevin Doyle netted what turned out to be the winner just two minutes later.
With the score at 2-0 to the Hornets, Tamas Priskin was sent off at Vicarage Road for lashing out at Darren Purse in Watford's fixture with Cardiff on Tuesday. The Hornets conceded two second half goals, both scored by Jay Bothroyd, to salvage a point for Cardiff.
Now into League One where, firstly, Sean Gregan and his Oldham teammates were on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers at Memorial Stadium. The Latics are now without a win in their last two and have dropped to 5th in League One.
Chris Lucketti was again an unused substitute for Huddersfield on Tuesday as the Yorkshire side were comprehensively beaten 5-3 by Hartlepool. Perhaps if Lucketti was in the starting eleven he would have prevented Hartlepool from firing five past them. Hindsight however, is a wonderful thing.
David Lucas continued in goal for Leeds United as they saw off Leyton Orient in a 2-1 win at Elland Road. Lucas was perhaps at fault for a couple of the goals Leeds conceded at the weekend but manager Gary McAllister appears to be sticking by the former North End stopper.
Michael Ricketts was on the score sheet for Walsall for the second time in as many games as the Saddlers fail to win for the second game running. Ricketts got Walsall's second goal of the night in the 2-2 draw.
On-loan Joe Anyinsah once again featured for Brighton & Hove Albion as the Seagulls drew 0-0 with Peterborough. Anyinsah is proving to be a popular figure amongst the Brighton supporters and were pleased to see the Preston winger have his loan extended by a further month.
Another Preston player out on-loan was in action tonight as Karl Hawley played the full ninety minutes for Northampton's 2-1 defeat to Wiltshire outfit Swindon Town. Likewise is Anyinsah, Hawley has had his loan deal extended by a further month, much to the delight of the Northampton supporters.
Dropping down to League Two now where a handful of former Preston personnel came face-to-face at the Crown Ground as Accrington Stanley took on Shrewsbury Town. John Mullin started in midfield for Stanley with Colin Murdock coming on as a substitute in the first half to replace the injured Edwards. Accrington ran out 2-1 winners with Michael Jackson unable to thwart John Mullin's name sake Paul as he netted his second goal in as many games. David Hibbert was unable to add to Davies' 68th minute strike in the Shrewsbury firing line whilst Kelvin Langmead was an unused substitute for Paul Simpson's Shrewsbury.
Marcus Stewart was on target for Exeter City as the Devonshire outfit comfortably beat Port Vale 3-1. Stewart got the first goal of the evening as Exeter move up to fifth.
To conclude our mid-week round up we take a look at Monday night's game which saw Bradford City visit the North East to take on Darlington. Omar Daley scored a late equaliser for the Bantams before Burgmeier netted the winner in the last minute for Darlo. Bradford are now seventh in League Two.