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Alan Lee scored the last goal of the game from the penalty spot after returning from injury via the subs bench but he was not the only former Burnley player to find the net in Division One this weekend. We need look no further than the New Den and in particular the visitors Nottingham Forest. With no away fans in the ground Forest came back from a goal down to win 2-1 with both goals scored by David Johnson. He now has 13 league and 2 cup goals already this season. No away fans but this was Millwall’s biggest crowd of the season with over 10,000 in the New Den.
Watford have climbed into seventh place after yesterday’s 1-0 home win against Brighton. There was no surprise there, it was Brighton’s tenth consecutive league defeat. What was a surprise was the fact that this was the only home win in the division’s full fixture list with four draws and seven away wins.
Ours was one of the away wins and the only bigger win in the division was Reading’s at next to bottom Grimsby. It was another poor day for the Mariners whose only home point this season came in a 0-0 draw against Franchise on 13th August. Only their win at Brighton keeps them above the south coast club and off the bottom.
The two of them are rooted to the bottom with Sheffield Wednesday in the bottom three with them. There were no signs of a quick move up the table for the Owls in yesterday’s performance and one that should end any suggestions that we should have signed Shefki Kuqi.
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Draw specialists Preston were at it again and here referee Mark Cooper took centre stage, and not for the first time. He recently sent off Gillingham’s Kevin James for celebrating a goal but this time stood on unmoved as Preston’s Richard Cresswell was launched into an advertising hoarding but then sent off Ricardo Fuller as a skirmish ensued.
Bradford manager Nicky Law will probably have something to say about Cresswell causing damage to the hoarding, to be honest he would be better advised getting his own house in order. By the way Bower and Cadamarteri were both missing following their red cards against the Clarets despite Law’s ridiculous appeals.
The Clarets were bottom of this league not too long ago but after the recent run we have now climbed into the top half of the league in 12th place. The two pre-season favourites Ipswich and Wolves are currently 19th and 14th respectively. We are six points clear of the highest relegation position and six points away from the lowest play off position. Things are certainly looking better.
Next week will see a shortened programme with games off for the internationals. Ours, against Walsall, will go ahead. A good result could see us getting ever closer towards the top of end of the league.
This week’s fixtures are (3:00 p.m. kick off unless otherwise shown):
Tuesday 8th October
Grimsby Town v Ipswich Town (7:45 p.m.)
Saturday 12th October
Bradford City v Derby County
Burnley v Walsall
Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday
Millwall v Franchise
Rotherham United v Gillingham
Watford v Grimsby Town
Johnno’s goals see him stay well clear at the top of the list of leading scorers with Alan Lee in second place alongside team mate Darren Byfield and Norwich City’s Paul McVeigh.
Leading Goalscorers (League only)
13: David Johnson (Nottm Forest)
8: Darren Byfield (Rotherham)
8: Alan Lee (Rotherham)
8: Paul McVeigh (Norwich)
6: Malcolm Christie (Derby)
6: Jamie Cureton (Reading)
5: Nathan Blake (Wolves)
5: Jay Bothroyd (Coventry)
5: Richard Cresswell (Preston)
5: Brian Deane (Leicester)
5: Paul Dickov (Leicester)
5: Neil Shipperley (Franchise)
5: Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth)
5: Michael Tonge (Sheffield United)
4: Wayne Allison (Sheffield United)
4: Andy Cooke (Stoke)
4: Ricardo Fuller (Preston)
4: Andy Hughes (Reading)
4: Shefki Kuqi (Sheffield Wednesday)
4: Paul Merson (Portsmouth)
4: Phil Mulryne (Norwich)
4: Vincent Pericard (Portsmouth)
4: Michael Proctor (Bradford)
4: Paul Shaw (Gillingham)