Around One – Baggies back on top

Scott Dobie - scored West Brom's first goal as they went back to the top

Neil Clement got the second direct from a free kick, the former Chelsea player must be just about the best dead ball kicker in the division. Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler admitted after the game that they had just been beaten by the best team in the division.

And the best team in the division went back to the top because Sunderland went to Bramall Lane and took all three points against Sheffield United. It was though apparently the match of the day in the division and despite losing their unbeaten home record and top spot Blades boss Neil Warnock could only enthuse at the end.

"That’s how football should be played," he said, "I thought it was a cracking right from the start. I’m disappointed but we played some good stuff."

West Ham move up to third but they can count themselves very fortunate indeed. It took a goal from substitute Don Hutchison deep into injury time to win it at Derby but even caretaker boss Trevor Brooking admitted in his commentator’s voice that Derby hardly deserved to lose the game.

Mind you it is the sides that can win the games when they don’t really deserve it who find themselves at the top of the league and with this sort of luck West Ham should be able to stay up in the top places.

With Sunderland’s win taking them fourth the sports shop team from pie eating Wigan dropped down to fifth place after a third successive draw. They are unbeaten since the opening day of the season but after two away draws earlier in the week they again picked up just the one point in a home 1-1 draw against the team now just one place behind them Norwich City.

Darren Huckerby - tormented Wigan during the second half

Down at the bottom there is no change in the bottom three although one of them, Watford, did pick up a win at Dario Gradiless Crewe. The Railwaymen look to be real strugglers without the influence of the long serving manager who is recovering from a heart operation and in three games without him have failed to score a goal and not picked up a point.

For Watford these were their first points on their travels this season and they did it with ten men for most of the game with goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain sent off for handling the ball outside the box. They do though at least have a young keeper on the bench and he was able to come on. Referee Fraser Stretton has suffered much criticism for his somewhat harsh decision.

Watford boss Ray Lewington complained that the law was ludicrous (or maybe he meant Stretton) but a Danny Webber goal on the hour made him feel somewhat happier.

For Crewe though the not too demanding fans don’t like life without Dario G and it is striker Dean Ashton who is coming in for much of the stick.

It was good to see Preston win for once, well they were playing Franchise, and they subjected them to their ninth defeat in ten league games to leave them already seven points short of the fourth bottom club.

They too got a helping hand when Darren Holloway got his marching orders and after a scramble from the resulting free kick North End scored the only goal of the game. The Weary Whinger somewhat surprisingly made no reference after the match to the controversial red card decision. Maybe he doesn’t include those that go his way on the video.

Pablo Counago - scored both Ipswich goals

But do you get common sense or decency from a referee? Not on your life and Barker’s suspension was confirmed.

It all went worse too as they had two more players sent off at Ipswich by Premiership ref Andy D’Urso as they were beaten 2-1. Pablo Counago scored both Ipswich goals either side of a Martin Butler goal for Rotherham.

Forest boss Paul Hart has had nothing but praise for Gareth Taylor since he signed from Burnley but he left him out on Saturday after the striker had suffered some criticism from fans. It didn’t help Forest who slumped to defeat at Stoke.

They have picked up just one point in four games since they won at the Turf with the defeats hardly coming against the division’s big boys. Crewe, Preston and Stoke have beaten them whilst they did pick up a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Derby.

Kevin Dillon’s hopes of landing the Reading job must now be over after yet another disappointing day. They could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to Bradford City and had to come from 2-1 down to secure even a point.

With a whole host of names being linked and Steve Coppell now favourite ahead of Bryan Robson the four point return in six matches has hardly done anything to help Dillon, the players’ choice to take over. They have hardly helped him with recent results.

After winning the first three games of the season Crystal Palace had to wait until Saturday for their fourth win and it came courtesy of a 2-1 win at home to Cardiff. Goals right on and then immediately after half time from Wayne Routledge and Neil Shipperley were enough although Cardiff did pull one back from Graham Kavanagh.

Neil Harris - scored Millwall's winner

Millwall manager is not particularly happy at the way his side are playing and said after the game, "As a team I thought we huffed and puffed all match. At the moment we're not very pretty, but we're grinding away and somehow we are in seventh place without really kicking a ball. But I thought we just about deserved to win against Coventry. It was fairly even and in a game like that anybody can win it."

Probably the performance of the week was Watford’s at Crewe but no review of the weekend games could be complete without a mention for Delroy Facey who scored all three Burnley goals in our 3-1 win against Walsall.

The loanee certainly seemed happy enough on Saturday as he celebrated his first ever three goal haul.

Next weekend is international weekend and only three games still remain and this could be reduced even further. Those that are still on all kick off at 3:00 p.m.

Bradford City v Ipswich Town
Derby County v Wigan Athletic
Rotherham United v Millwall