EFL Roundup: Shocks and Stirs from Boxing Day Blast

EFL Roundup: Shocks and Stirs from Boxing Day Blast

English Football League action returned on Boxing Day, and it came back with a bang. A whole host of incredible matchups were on offer, and a load of shocks were on show.

All 72 sides featured on this wicked Friday of football, and from those 36 matches, 86 goals were thumped in. Football Park is here to offload the action to you as it happened.

Championship

Norwich and Oxford Earn Three Huge Points in Relegation Tussle

In the Championship, Norwich City welcomed a fellow side sitting in and amongst the relegation places in Charlton Athletic, who sat six points clear of the relegation zone at the start of the day’s play.

This quickly ended up changing, however, as 21-year-old Jovon Makama found a well-deserved goal just 15 minutes into the second period, a goal which ended up being the only one of the game in a match where the Canaries looked comfortable throughout. The win moved Norwich to within just one point of safety.

West of Norfolk, it was Oxford who hosted a quickly rising Southampton side to the Kassam Stadium. The U’s started the day in the relegation zone but they knew a win could be enough to get them out, while the Saints were hoping for a win to get them to within touching distance of a playoff place.

It was the hosts who took the lead in a very entertaining first half hour of play through Tyler Goodrham, who struck superbly well to find the goal from a long-range half-volley. But it didn’t take long for the visitors to find a way back into the match as Leo Scienza once again stepped up for the south coast side, whipping in a perfect free-kick for Taylor Harwood-Bellis to latch on to. Southampton did dominate much of the proceedings, earning 70% possession and producing almost 20 shots, but it was Oxford who led the late drama. Stan Mills popped up with a huge late winner to send Oxford out of the drop zone, with there now being just five points separating 18th and 23rd.

Hornets Continue Fine Form with Statement Win while Wrexham Entertain in Blockbuster

Moving up to the middle of the table now and Watford travelled north to promotion aspirers Leicester City. After suffering a 2-1 defeat in Birmingham, Watford have had an excellent December, going unbeaten in their last five, including the match from Friday as they earned a magnificent 2-1 win at the King Power.

It took just seven minutes for the hosts to take the lead, as Jordan James smartly sent the Foxes into an early lead. This led into a rather wasteful game from both sides, who both missed perfect opportunities to stamp their mark on the clash.

Othmane Maamma put the Hornets level just before the break as he continued his great form in front of goal, which seemed to turn the tide of the fixture. In the second period, the visitors created some really good opportunities, and they eventually found a go-ahead goal through Matthew Pollock as Imran Louza collected his second assist of the afternoon.

In the 5:30 kick-off, chaos absolutely erupted in South Wales as an eight-goal blockbuster tie took place at the STōK Cae Ras. It took just 15 minutes for the first three goals to be scored, as Patrick Bamford put the visitors ahead before their own Tyler Bindon levelled the scores with an own goal. Once Bamford scored his second, Callum O’Hare’s headed finish gave Sheffield United a two-goal cushion.

Kieffer Moore scored just before the half hour to get Wrexham back into it, and the score stayed 3-2 heading into the interval. Ryan Longman’s header made it 3-3 just six minutes into the second half, and then a six-minute period in the final 15 minutes started with a Kieffer Moore second and ended with a Josh Windass penalty, earning Wrexham a valuable 5-3 win and all the spoils.

League One

Brewers and Terriers Strike Five

Starting the day in the relegation zone, Burton Albion fans were probably not expecting what they were about to witness when they travelled down to the Pirelli Stadium on Friday afternoon.

The tone was set very early on as the hosts were awarded a penalty just three minutes into the game, where Jake Beesley thumped it home. Just 20 minutes later and Beesley turned into a provider, as Jack Armer marked his 50th start for the club with a goal.

Just five minutes later and the Brewers were in dream land as an own goal from as a result of a clear going straight into Max Dyche meant the hosts were three up without needing to do anything. Tom Eaves found the net before half-time for the visiting Northampton side, but the damage was already done.

Tyrese Shade turned up to the party after all the chaos, as he turned one in to make it 4-1 at the interval, before making it five with six minutes to go. Thanks to all the teams around Burton coming undone by sides in the top half, however, this saw Burton fly up into 15th.

We then head to the Accu Stadium which saw Huddersfield host stragglers Port Vale, and it was the hosts who found things rather routine – keeping the bottom side in the table to just nine efforts with zero finding the target.

Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine found the first of his brace just five minutes into the proceedings, Ryan Ledson netting his first club goal just 10 minutes later. Bojan Radulovic then practically finalised the Terriers’ three points just half the half hour mark.

It then took just five minutes into the second period for Alfie May to make it four before Castledine scored his second of the afternoon, earning Huddersfield a valuable three points for their playoff bid, as they now sit just a point off Stockport County in sixth.

League Two

Bromley Rescue Points in Late Comeback while Chesterfield Strengthen Grip on the Playoffs

The best of League Two action began when 22nd placed Bristol Rovers welcomed automatic promotion occupants Bromley to the Memorial Stadium in an action-packed thriller in the West Country.

It was a pretty tense affair in terms of possession, but it was unsurprisingly Bromley who were creating the better of the chances throughout the game. A quiet first half hour shot into life in the 34th minute when Jack Sparkes’ smart touch and go finish sent Rovers into an important lead for their survival bid. Just six mintues later and they had a two-goal cushion when Fabrizio Cavegn fired in a smart finish as they had all the confidence heading into the interval.

The turning point came in the 53rd minute when Shaq Forde was shown a second yellow card after a clumsy lunge left Bromley with all the work to do, but an extra man to do it with.

It took 15 minutes for them to find a way back into the game, and they did so through substitute Nicke Kabamba, who was on hand to tap in from close range, making for a nervy final 20 minutes.

Ben Thompson levelled the score for the Ravens with just nine minutes to go after Idris Odutayo helped him find enough space to drill away a low effort before he tapped in from close range following an excellent low cross from Mitch Pinnock to give the visitors all three points as they remain in second.

Lastly, two playoff contenders in Chesterfield and Notts County collided at the SMH Group Stadium in a match which could have a lot on the line for both sides as they continued their bid for promotion.

It was a mostly tense affair with few very good chances coming in for either side, and it took 65 minutes for the first goal to be found. It was the hosts Chesterfield who found that lead, and it was through Lee Bonis who scored for his sixth consecutive game, after he tapped home after Ronan Darcy’s initial shot was blocked.

The hosts then made it two on minute 76 as County ‘keeper Kelle Roos turned the ball into his own net as Chesterfield now go level on points with the Nottingham based outfit, and are now three points ahead of eighth place Cambridge.