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Lee Bradbury was recalled after a loan spell at Hillsborough, went straight into the Portsmouth team, and predictably scored. But Wednesday, they looked doomed just over a week ago, came back to win it. Ashley Westwood grabbed the equaliser before another loan player Michael Reddy from Sunderland scored a last minute winner.
So Portsmouth will have to wait at least another three days to clinch their promotion and it could now come against the Clarets on Tuesday.
The result cost Portsmouth the leadership of the division to Leicester although they too couldn't the win necessary to confirm promotion. They drew 1-1 at Rotherham and had to come from behind after former Claret Alan Lee had given the Millers the lead. Trevor Benjamin scored for the second week running to earn them a point and take them top of the league.
None of the play off teams won. Sheffield United were in cup action, Reading should have been playing Watford (also in cup action) and Forest and Wolves fought out an excellent 2-2 draw in front of the cameras on Friday night.
All credit to Forest who came from behind after looking dead and buried once Wolves had gone 2-0 up within 26 minutes.
This week both Ipswich and Norwich took advantage of Wolves lost points and both won. Norwich of course beat the Clarets whilst Ipswich came from two down to win 4-2 away to Matt Jansen’s promotion chasing Coventry with two goals each from Marcus Gayle and Pablo Counago.
Jansen did score his second goal for Coventry but they are now in 19th place in the league with just one win in their last 16 games, and that against strugglers Grimsby. Thankfully Coventry is at least convenient from the north west based striker’s home.
Sheffield Wednesday’s surprise win has taken them off the bottom of the league, a point ahead of Grimsby although they remain three points behind Stoke who are currently in the safety position.
It really is all in their own hands now after two successive victories. They have still to play both Brighton and Grimsby whilst their two other games are against the Clarets and Walsall.
The three other bottom clubs all lost. Stoke went down 3-1 at Millwall, Grimsby were hammered 4-1 at home by Mr. Misery’s Crystal Palace whilst Brighton went down 2-0 at home to two late goals from Preston.
Preston’s Mr. Weary Craig Brown was at it again, he thinks bad decisions only ever go against his club. After remonstrating over what he thought was another bad decision, encroaching on to the pitch to do so, he was sent off by referee Lee Cable.
Brown had to be escorted round the farcical Withdean Stadium and this joke of a manager was still giving it plenty all the way round.
With the bad results for the bottom clubs Walsall must surely have got themselves all but safe now with a 1-0 win at Gillingham. They are now six points clear of relegation with a game in hand.
In the only other game Derby won 2-0 at Franchise giving George Burley his second victory as interim manager.
Looking at this week’s fixtures Glen will finally get back into action with Reading. Having made his debut at home his next two appearances will also both be at the Madejski Stadium.
All games kick off at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise shown.
Tuesday 15th April
Portsmouth v Burnley (7:45 p.m.)
Reading v Preston North End (8:00 p.m.)
Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest (7:45 p.m.)
Walsall v Coventry City (7:45 p.m.)
Wednesday 16th April
Derby County v Millwall (7:45 p.m.)
Friday 18th April
Ipswich v Portsmouth (5:15 p.m.)
Reading v Nottingham Forest (7:45 p.m.)
Saturday 19th April
Bradford City v Watford
Burnley v Gillingham
Crystal Palace v Rotherham United
Derby County v Coventry City
Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion
Preston North End v Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday v Grimsby Town
Stoke City v Franchise
Walsall v Norwich City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Millwall
Monday 21st April
Brighton and Hove Albion v Sheffield Wednesday
Coventry City v Stoke City
Franchise v Preston North End
Gillingham v Bradford City
Grimsby Town v Walsall
Millwall v Crystal Palace
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers (5:35 p.m.)
Nottingham Forest v Burnley
Portsmouth v Reading
Rotherham United v Ipswich Town
Sheffield United v Leicester City (12:30 p.m.)
Watford v Derby County
Leading Goalscorers (League Only)
23: David Johnson (Nottm. Forest)
20: David Connolly (Franchise)
20: Marlon Harewood (Nottm. Forest)
19: Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth)
17: Paul Dickov (Leicester)
17: Kenny Miller (Wolves)
16: Richard Cresswell (Preston)
16: Neil Shipperley (Franchise)
14: Andy Gray (Bradford)
14: Steve Kabba (Sheffield United inc. 1 for Palace & 6 for Grimsby)
14: Alan Lee (Rotherham)
14: Gareth Taylor (Burnley)
13: Michael Brown (Sheffield United)
13: Darren Byfield (Rotherham)
13: Pablo Counago (Ipswich)
13: Nicky Forster (Reading)
13: Paul McVeigh (Norwich)
12: Nathan Blake (Wolves)
12: Brian Deane (Leicester)
12: Paul Shaw (Gillingham)