Sky Bet EFL: A look back at the best games of the 2019/20 season

Monday April 6

Huddersfield 4-0 Charlton

Karlan Grant scored twice and substitutes Steve Mounie and Juninho Bacuna were also on the scoresheet as Huddersfield eased their relegation fears with a 4-0 win at home to Charlton.

In-form striker Grant, signed by the Terriers from Charlton in January last year, took his tally for the season to 16 - four in his last five games.

Victory saw Huddersfield leapfrog the Addicks in the Sky Bet Championship and also moved them five points clear of the bottom three following successive victories.

A bad error from George Lapslie allowed Grant to pounce and put the hosts ahead. Lapslie's clumsy back pass put centre-back Deji Oshilaja under pressure and Grant pinched the ball to score.

Josh Cullen curled over as Charlton went close to levelling, but sub Mounie made an immediate impact, bundling in Toffolo's pinpoint left-wing cross to put the contest to bed.

Grant raced onto a Bacuna pass and slammed in a third from close range and Bacuna sealed the points with a superb strike from distance.

Sunday April 5

Sunderland 4-0 Wycombe

Chris Maguire scored twice as resurgent Sunderland made it three wins from six unbeaten matches by thumping Wycombe Wanderers.

Phil Parkinson had made an inauspicious start as Black Cats boss, winning two of his first 14 games, but his team have moved back into play-off contention.

Most of the action came in the first half, with Sunderland racing into a 3-0 lead inside the first 21 minutes.

Lynden Gooch slid the ball across the six-yard box for Charlie Wyke to tap in and open the scoring.

Denver Hume added a second when Jordan Willis played a low ball into the penalty area and the youngster steadied himself before rifling home his first senior goal.

The Black Cats were rampant, and a third goal came after Gooch was felled inside the box by Anthony Stewart. Maguire smashed home the penalty.

The rout was completed in the 78th minute when Maguire grabbed his second goal - a stunning free-kick which hit the underside of the woodwork before crossing the line.

Saturday April 4

Brentford 3-2 Millwall

Brentford scored three late goals to complete a dramatic comeback against Millwall in October.

Millwall looked like they were heading for all three points with a commanding 2-0 lead with 83 minutes on the clock after Tom Bradshaw and Jed Wallace had found the net.

Josh Dasilva scored what looked like a consolation goal for the Bees in the 84th minute but Bryan Mbeumo hit the equaliser in the 88th minute.

And Mbeumo then turned provider as he found Ollie Watkins for a dramatic winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Friday April 3

Luton 3-3 Fulham

Bobby Reid left it late to secure Fulham a 3-3 draw at Luton on Boxing Day.

Harry Cornick had made it 3-2 to the Hatters in the 82nd minute, only for Reid to strike to take the hosts into the drop zone with his 94th minute effort.

Kazenga LuaLua and James Collins scored either side of Bobby Reid's equaliser before Aleksandar Mitrovic's 18th goal of the campaign started the drama in the 77th minute.

Thursday April 2

West Brom 4-2 Cardiff

West Brom returned to winning ways and went top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 4-2 win against Cardiff.

Slaven Bilic's promotion chasers led 3-0 until the 75th minute but substitute Danny Ward's double made things nervy for the home fans until Romaine Sawyers scored the Baggies' fourth goal in the third minute of added time.

Charlie Austin also scored his first league goal for West Brom after first-half strikes from Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana.

Albion showed the midweek defeat at Leeds was a blip with their second successive 4-2 home win.

Wednesday April 1

Birmingham 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday

Garry Monk buried the hatchet with Pep Clotet on his first return to St Andrew's since he was sacked as Birmingham manager as they shared the points in an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Wednesday manager Monk warmly embraced his successor Clotet less than three months after refusing to shake his former long-term assistant's hand before the 1-1 draw at Hillsborough, then they were deep in conversation after the final whistle.

The Owls twice trailed, to a Jacob Murphy own goal and Lukas Jutkiewicz's 13th of the season as Barry Bannan and Fernando Forestieri's penalty levelled before Murphy put them ahead in the 65th minute.

But Scott Hogan's fourth goal in five games earned Blues a deserved point in the first minute of time added on to extend Wednesday's run to one win in 11 in the Championship and stretch Blues' sequence to 10 without loss in all competitions and eight in the league.

Tuesday March 31

Nottingham Forest 0-3 Millwall

Matt Smith destroyed Nottingham Forest with a 13-minute first-half hat-trick to boost Millwall's hopes of reaching the Sky Bet Championship play-offs with a rousing 3-0 triumph at the City Ground.

Forest went into the game with a chance of moving up to third place in the table and five points behind Leeds, currently occupying the second automatic promotion spot.

Instead, it was Gary Rowett's Lions who came away with only their second win from their past nine league matches to lift themselves to within two points of the top six, and their biggest away win since a 4-1 victory - again at Forest - in November 2012.

Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi's side had no answer for the visitors' penetrative cut-and-thrust football in the opening half that allowed Smith to score the second hat-trick of his nine-season career, and his first in the league.

Monday March 30

Leeds 3-3 Cardiff

Leeds threw away a three-goal lead as they were held to a 3-3 draw against Cardiff at Elland Road in December.

United had taken a firm grip on the game when Helder Costa and Patrick Bamford scored within the first eight minutes.

They looked to be cruising when Bamford converted a penalty that he had won seven minutes into the second half.

Lee Tomlin pulled a goal back after 60 minutes after Kiko Casilla failed to claim a cross.

Sean Morrison pulled another back with eight minutes to go before he was red carded for violent conduct four minutes later.

But the 10 men shrugged off the setback and pulled level through Robert Glatzel with two minutes to go.

Sunday March 29

QPR 6-1 Cardiff

Nahki Wells scored a hat-trick as QPR began the new year with a 6-1 mauling of Cardiff.

The outstanding Bright Osayi-Samuel netted twice and there was also a goal for Ebere Eze in a one-sided match at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Will Vaulks scored a consolation goal for Cardiff with the final kick of the game.

Saturday March 28

Mansfield 3-4 Forest Green

Aaron Collins grabbed a dramatic injury-time winner to seal the points for Forest Green in a thrilling 4-3 win at Mansfield.

The Stags, who have only won twice at home in the league all season, took a third-minute lead when Alex MacDonald chested down Mal Benning's cross and CJ Hamilton beat everyone to it and made space to tuck home.

Danny Rose made it 2-0 as he glanced home a header from a long MacDonald throw.

A thrilling end to the half saw Hamilton hit a post before Farrend Rawson gave Rovers a lifeline in the fifth added minute as he headed home a Joseph Mills free-kick.

Seven minutes after the break Rawson levelled with a near-post header from a Jack Aitchison corner.

Rovers then went ahead on the hour as Carl Winchester rifled home a low shot from 20 yards.

But Nicky Maynard drove home from James Clarke's fine pass in the 90th minute to seemingly snatch a point only for Collins to pop up and rifle home a low Mills cross in the sixth minute of added time.

Friday March 27

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Derby

Lewis Grabban's second-half goal ensured Nottingham Forest beat arch-rivals Derby 1-0 at the City Ground back in November.

Forest's top scorer won it in the 56th minute with his seventh goal of the season when he pounced on Jayden Bogle's error to beat Kelle Roos.

The hosts were the better side in the second half and deserved the win overall, although Jack Marriott should have earned a point for Derby when he scuffed a 76th-minute shot.

Thursday March 26

West Brom 0-2 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough ended their 2019 in the best possible way with a surprise 2-0 victory over high-flying West Brom.

Jonathan Woodgate's men had struggled on the road but secured all three points on offer thanks to goals from Daniel Ayala and Ashley Fletcher.

Ayala headed Boro into the lead as he connected with Lewis Wing's cross in the first real opportunity of the contest.

Then, with the Baggies pushing for an equaliser, Fletcher scored a Goal of the Season contender with a spectacular late strike from distance.

Wednesday March 25

Lincoln 5-3 Ipswich

We're heading back to December where Lincoln overcame Ipswich 5-3 after an incredible eight-goal thriller at the LNER Stadium.

The Imps made a dream start, taking the lead after just seven minutes. A fantastic layoff from Jake Hesketh opened up the Ipswich defence and Harry Anderson fired home. The visitors equalised on 32 minutes when Joe Morrell was adjudged to have committed a foul 25 yards from goal, allowing Luke Garbutt to whip the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net.

After Anderson struck the post from Jorge Grant's cross, City retook the lead in added time. Neal Eardley found Tyler Walker, who beat the offside trap and produced a fantastic lob over the onrushing Norris. The Tractor Boys equalised just before the hour mark. Following a corner, the ball was diverted into the net with James Norwood receiving the congratulations but Lincoln's Harry Toffolo recorded as the unfortunate scorer of an own goal.

The Imps restored their lead on 72 minutes when Morrell's cross was turned home by Walker from close range, and Morrell was the provider again as Michael Bostwick made it 4-2 seven minutes later. Substitute Will Keane set up a tense finish when he fired home on 83 minutes but Hesketh made it 5-3 on the break in added time.

Tuesday March 24

Hull 4-4 Swansea

Hull and Swansea played out a remarkable 4-4 draw in their Sky Bet Championship clash in February.

Leonardo Da Silva Lopes gave the hosts the lead with six minutes on the clock before Wayne Routledge levelled less than ten minutes later.

Remarkably, the game was 1-1 at half-time but an explosive second-half saw the net hit on six different occasions.

Marcus Maddison put the Tigers back in front with 50 minutes on the clock but Kyle Naughton answered five minutes later. Malik Wilks regained the home side’s advantage just past the hour mark but that was again cancelled out, this time by Jordan Garrick in the 77th minute.

Then, with six minutes of normal time remaining, Rhian Brewster looked like he had won it for Swansea by putting them 4-3 up on the scoreboard.

However, Tom Eaves popped up to score from close range in the 95th minute to ensure the points were shared in a memorable contest.

Monday March 23

Luton 3-3 Middlesbrough

James Collins' late goal earn Luton a deserved point from a thrilling Sky Bet Championship game with Middlesbrough at Kenilworth Road.

Boro hit back from 2-1 down to lead 3-2 and Britt Assombalonga had the chance to increase that advantage from the penalty spot - but he missed.

And Collins made them pay five minutes from time when he swept in a loose ball to ensure a 3-3 draw for the Hatters on their return to the second tier of English football.

Sunday March 22

Fulham 0-3 Barnsley

Cauley Woodrow delivered a blow to former club Fulham's promotion challenge as he scored twice in a 3-0 win which keeps alive Barnsley's hopes of pulling off an unlikely survival bid.

Gerhard Struber's side arrived at Craven Cottage positioned at the foot of the Championship table and having collected just one point from their previous five games.

But Woodrow's first half penalty and excellent late strike, together with Jacob Brown's goal early in the second half, ensured the Tykes staged a repeat of their opening weekend victory over Scott Parker's high-flying side to claim only their sixth win of the season.

Saturday March 21

Sheffield Wednesday 0-5 Blackburn

Blackburn secured a result to remember as they hammered Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 at Hillsborough.

A Lewis Holtby brace and an unfortunate Cameron Dawson own-goal had all but sealed the points for Blackburn in a first half which saw Massimo Luongo dismissed for a high tackle.

Captain Darragh Lenihan and Sam Gallagher added to the score in the second half.

Friday March 20

Ipswich 1-4 Peterborough

Peterborough and Ipswich met at Portman Road in February with both sides sitting in the top-six of Sky Bet League One.

It was the visitors who leapfrogged their opponents though with a convincing 4-1 victory on the road.

Ivan Toney, Sammie Szmodics and Siriki Dembele were all on the scoresheet in a memorable victory for the Posh.

Thursday March 19

Huddersfield 2-5 Stoke

Stoke started 2020 in the best possible fashion as they sealed a 5-2 win in a topsy-turvy game at Huddersfield on New Year’s Day.

Michael O'Neill's side had led 1-0 before trailing 2-1, only to come from behind themselves as they moved up to 21st in the table.

Tyrese Campbell's brace added to goals from Sam Vokes, Nick Powell and Lee Gregory - with Town's strikes coming from Steve Mounie and a Danny Batth own goal - to seal a first Stoke win in Huddersfield since 1992.

Wednesday March 18

Preston 3-2 Blackburn

Wednesday brings us a Lancashire derby where Preston secured the bragging rights with a second-half fightback against Blackburn.

A Declan Rudd own goal, combined with Sam Gallagher's effort, gave Rovers a commanding 2-0 lead after just eleven minutes.

But North End came out fighting in the second-half. Tom Barkhuizen struck with 53 minutes on the clock before Daniel Johnstone converted a penalty 12 minutes later.

Then, in the final ten minutes, Barkhuizen netted the winner as Alex Neil's men left with all three points on offer.

Tuesday March 17

Birmingham 4-5 Leeds

We have a nine-goal thriller to look back on from the Christmas period as Leeds managed to get the better of Birmingham with a 5-4 scoreline from the West Midlands.

Helder Costa and Jack Harrison had fired Leeds into a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes but Jude Bellingham grabbed one back for Birmingham six minutes later.

Lukas Jutkiewicz then equalised for the hosts on the hour mark before Lule Ayling gave Leeds their lead back on 69 minutes.

Jeremie Bela made the score 3-3 in the 83rd minute but Stuart Dallas made it 4-3 around 60 seconds later.

Jutkiewicz thought he had snatched a point for the hosts in the 91st minute but Wes Harding's own goal, with virtually the last kick of the game, gave Leeds a 5-4 victory in one of the greatest games the Sky Bet Championship has ever seen.

Monday March 16

Brentford 7-0 Luton

We start at the end of November, where promotion hopefuls Brentford hammered Luton 7-0 in their meeting at Griffin Park.

The game marked a first Football League hat-trick for Josh Dasilva as the Bees ran riot - with the scoring sitting at 5-0 at half-time.

Bryan Mbeumo, OIlie Watkins, Mathias Jensen and Said Benrahma also got onto the scoresheet.

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