EFL Weekend round-up: Millwall boost promotion push as Lincoln City go top

By Holly Wright

The battle for promotion and survival intensified across the EFL this weekend, with Millwall strengthening their push at the top of the Championship while Lincoln City seized control of the League One title race.

The Lions kept up the pressure near the top of the Championship with a vital win over Hull City, while Ipswich Town and Leicester City shared a point in a tense encounter.

League One offered its own set of storylines. Lincoln overtaking Cardiff City to jump up to first, while Bradford City extended their home winning streak despite being reduced to ten men.

In League Two, MK Dons and Salford City bounced back with convincing victories, while Crawley Town and Fleetwood Town earned dramatic late points to strengthen their survival bids.

Holly Wright picks out some of the key results from an action-packed weekend across the EFL.

Championship

Ipswich hold Leicester to a late draw

Ipswich were denied a chance to move into the automatic promotion spots as Leicester fought to secure a point at Portman Road.

Leicester took the lead just before half-time when Patson Daka volleyed home expertly from Luke Thomas’s free-kick delivery, following an earlier save from Harry Winks.

Ipswich had several opportunities to go ahead, including a free header from captain Dara O’Shea that struck the outside of the post from a Marcelino Nunez corner.

In the second half, manager Kieran McKenna introduced George Hirst, Sindre Walle Egeli, and top-scorer Jack Clarke, which gradually shifted the momentum.

Their persistence paid off 14 minutes from time as Egeli fired in a rebound past Jakub Stolarczyk, ensuring both sides left with a point in a match that highlighted how small details can define a game.

Millwall’s late surge seals vital win

Millwall produced a thrilling finish to beat Hull and move within touching distance of the Championship’s top two.

Despite being second-best for much of the match, the Lions stayed resilient.

Jake Cooper volleyed in Tristan Crama’s knockdown to give Millwall the lead, only for Hull’s Joe Gelhardt to equalise moments later.

The Tigers had hit the woodwork twice in the first half, including Kyle Joseph and Charlie Hughes, but Millwall stayed patient.

Their efforts were rewarded late, when Femi Azeez delivered a low ball for substitute Mihailo Ivanovic, and another late introduction, Josh Coburn, wrapped up the win.

The result marks the Lions’ fifth victory in six games and strengthens their bid for automatic promotion.

Blackburn snatch stoppage-time equaliser

Blackburn Rovers rescued a dramatic late point against Portsmouth at Ewood Park thanks to Hayden Carter’s stoppage-time header.

The first half was tight and largely uneventful, with the game’s opening shot on target coming in the 81st minute when Connor Ogilvie rifled Portsmouth ahead.

Blackburn struggled to create clear chances but continued to probe late, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Yuri Ribeiro both going close.

In the final moments, Carter rose above the Pompey defence to nod home, rescuing a point for the hosts under interim boss Michael O’Neill.

Portsmouth also earned a rare away point, ending a run of consecutive defeats, leaving both sides still hovering just above the relegation zone.

Swansea strike late to beat 10-man Stoke

Swansea City extended their unbeaten home league run to ten games with a hard-fought win over Stoke City, who were reduced to ten men after Sorba Thomas was harshly sent off in the 36th minute.

Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik broke the deadlock seven minutes after the restart, glancing in Josh Tymon’s corner.

Stoke threatened early, with Ashley Phillips and Gustavo Nunes spurning opportunities, but Swansea maintained their composure.

Liam Cullen sealed the victory in stoppage time with a stunning lob from just inside the Stoke half.

The win under Vitor Matos highlights Swansea’s impressive home form, moving them 14th in the table and eight points off the play-offs.

League One

Lincoln topples Cardiff in top-of-the-table clash

Lincoln delivered a statement performance at the Cardiff City Stadium, defeating the hosts 2–0 to claim top spot in League One.

Goalkeeper George Wickens kept Lincoln in the game with key first-half saves from Ollie Tanner and Rubin Colwill, frustrating Cardiff’s attacking efforts.

The deadlock was broken in the 55th minute when Ben House’s flick-on created a perfect chance for Lincoln’s Rob Street to find the bottom corner.

Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy brought on Callum Robinson and Chris Willock in an attempt to spark a response, but it was Lincoln substitute Dom Jeffries who doubled the advantage late on with a clinical counter-attack finish.

The Welsh side could not find a breakthrough, and the defeat saw them surrender top spot for the first time since November.

Bradford overcome 10-men drama

Bradford extended their home winning streak to five games in a dramatic encounter against Leyton Orient, despite being reduced to 10 men when Aden Baldwin was sent off in the 75th minute.

Tyreik Wright and Antoni Sarcevic created early opportunities, with Sarcevic opening the scoring in the 33rd minute with a precise near-post finish.

Orient responded ten minutes later through Ollie O’Neill, but Bradford held firm.

Late in the match, Sarcevic scored his second after a through ball from Stephen Humphrys, securing a hard-earned victory.

The result demonstrates Bradford’s resilience, showing they can maintain composure even when forced to play with a numerical disadvantage.

Reading comeback stuns Luton

Reading pulled off a stunning comeback at Kenilworth Road, highlighted by Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s first senior hat-trick.

Luton Town initially took the lead through a defensive miscue from Isaiah Jones, but Reading gradually regained control.

Kamari Doyle came close on several occasions, while Luton levelled before half-time via Nigel Lonwijk.

Early in the second half, George Saville put Luton ahead again with a powerful header from a corner.

Reading’s late surge saw Ehibhatiomhan score twice in the closing 10 minutes, capitalising on mistakes by Joe Johnson and Kal Naismith to complete his treble and snatch a remarkable victory for the visitors.

Huddersfield edge past relegation-threatened Rotherham

Huddersfield Town claimed a narrow 1–0 win over Rotherham United, thanks to an own goal from Lenny Agbaire.

Rotherham started brightly, with Liam Kelly and Zak Jules creating early chances that were kept out by Lee Nicholls.

Huddersfield’s best early opportunity fell to Ryan Hardie, who miscontrolled a through ball from Antony Evans.

The breakthrough came in the 76th minute when Agbaire inadvertently looped a header past his own goalkeeper from Sean Roughan’s cross.

The hosts held on to claim the points, keeping their play-off hopes alive despite a largely unconvincing performance.

League Two

MK Dons overturn deficit to claim victory

MK Dons extended their unbeaten League Two streak to 11 matches with a 4–1 win over Harrogate Town at Stadium MK.

Harrogate initially led through Tobias Brenan, who finished a rebound after Craig MacGillivray had saved Jack Evans’ deflected shot.

The home team responded swiftly as Rushian Hepburn-Murphy converted on the second attempt.

Luke Offord glanced in a Dan Crowley corner to take the lead before the break.

In the second half, Aaron Collins curled home after cutting inside, and Ben Wiles added a fourth from a Liam Kelly cross.

The win lifts MK Dons into second place, while Harrogate remain at the foot of the table.

Crawley snatch last-minute point

Crawley earned a dramatic late draw with promotion-chasing Swindon Town thanks to Kellan Gordon’s stoppage-time equaliser.

Crawley had opened the scoring through Klaidi Lolos, only for Aaron Drinan to level with a penalty after Scott Malone fouled Filozofe Mabete.

In first-half stoppage time, Billy Bodin gave Swindon the lead, but Gordon rescued a point in the eighth minute of added time with a close-range strike.

Key blocks from Dion Pereira and goalkeeper Jacob Chapman helped keep Crawley in the game, earning them a valuable point in their fight against relegation.

Salford bounce back against Barnet

Salford returned to winning ways with a 2–0 home victory over Barnet.

After a largely quiet first half, Rosaire Longelo opened the scoring in the 39th minute, capitalising on slack defending from Jorge Grant’s cross.

Minutes later, Matt Butcher doubled the lead following a well-worked set-piece involving Ryan Graydon and Cole Stockton.

Barnet offered little threat, with Nnamdi Ofoborh’s tame shot the closest they came. Salford controlled the game comfortably, with Graydon and Prince Ehibhatiomhan coming close to adding further goals.

The win marked their first home victory in four league matches.

Fleetwood fight back for a late draw

Fleetwood salvaged a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Gillingham, extending their unbeaten League Two run to six games.

Gillingham went ahead through Seb Palmer-Houlden, whose deflected strike beat Jay Lynch, but Fleetwood rallied late.

They hit the bar and forced key saves from the keeper before Shaun Rooney headed home a Mark Helm cross in stoppage time to secure a deserved point.

Both sides had chances throughout, with Euan Williams and Esapa Osong coming close for Fleetwood.

The draw maintained their unbeaten streak while frustrating Gillingham, who had started strongly.

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