EFL goals and round-up: Blackburn win; Millwall and Luton into top six
Blackburn returned to winning ways, Millwall cruised past Rotherham 3-0 to move into fourth place in the Sky Bet Championship, while Luton's comeback 2-1 win at Huddersfield saw them move up to fifth. League One leaders Plymouth also won
Sunday 1 January 2023 21:45, UK
Blackburn got their faltering Sky Bet Championship promotion push back on track thanks to a 1-0 win which heaped more misery on struggling Cardiff.
Bradley Dack claimed the second-half winner at Ewood Park as third-placed Rovers bounced back from successive defeats to move eight points behind the automatic promotion places.
Cardiff sit just two points above the relegation zone after their alarming winless run stretched to seven games.
Tom Bradshaw's double helped Millwall climb into the play-off places courtesy of a resounding 3-0 victory over lowly Rotherham.
Bradshaw struck either side of Cameron Humphreys' own goal at the Den to propel the Lions into fourth spot, while the Millers are languishing a place outside the drop zone having taken only two points from the last 24 available.
Luton also moved into the top six after coming from behind to win 2-1 at second-bottom Huddersfield.
Second-half goals from defenders Amari'i Bell and Reece Burke overturned Duane Holmes' opener at the John Smith's Stadium.
Sunderland slipped to sixth, despite rescuing a 1-1 draw at Blackpool thanks to Ross Stewart's ninth goal of the season.
Shayne Lavery opened the scoring for the hosts, who had Callum Connolly sent off for a second bookable offence in added time.
In the day's other game, Jake Bidwell registered his first Coventry goal but his side had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Bristol City following Antoine Semenyo's leveller.
Sky Bet League One
League One leaders Plymouth extended their advantage at the top to seven points after a 3-1 win over MK Dons.
James Wilson's first goal since March 2021 set Argyle on the way to their fourth successive league win in the fourth minute and although Nathan Holland equalised, Niall Ennis put the hosts ahead again before half-time.
Morgan Whittaker's second in three matches secured victory early in the second half.
At the other end of the table, Morecambe's upturn in form continued as they hammered fellow strugglers Burton 5-0 to lift themselves off the bottom.
Kieran Phillips and Caleb Watts both scored twice with Jensen Weir the other player on the scoresheet as the hosts won back-to-back games for the first time in almost eight months.
Peterborough missed the chance to move into the top six as they lost 3-0 at home to Wycombe, who leapfrogged them courtesy of two Lewis Wing goals either side of one from Ryan Tafazolli.
Charlton recorded their first league win since October with a 3-1 victory over 10-man Portsmouth.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's 23rd-minute opener was cancelled out in first-half added time by Connor Ogilvie but Scott Fraser put the visitors ahead soon after the interval and after Marlon Pack's dismissal for a second yellow card, Owen Dale's own goal clinched a much-needed three points for the Addicks.
Shrewsbury defender Matt Pennington's 22nd-minute sending-off paved the way for Fleetwood's Admiral Muskwe, via a penalty, and Promise Omochere to score in quick succession with Chey Dunkley's late own goal making it a miserable afternoon for the hosts, who lost 3-0.
Port Vale recovered from conceding a second-minute goal to Forest Green's Kyle McAllister to win 3-1 after twice scoring in second-half stoppage time.
Substitute Mipo Odubeko equalised in the 86th minute before, in 14 minutes added on after a lengthy delay due to a serious injury to Lewis Cass, Ellis Harrison converted a penalty and Dennis Politic added the third.
Sam Nombe's 13th goal of the season earned Exeter a 1-0 victory at Oxford in the 79th minute, while Aaron Collins and Josh Coburn's first-half goals were enough to see Bristol Rovers beat Cheltenham, for whom Alfie May pulled one back, 2-1.
Sky Bet League Two
Carlisle missed the chance to close the gap on the League Two automatic promotion places to a single point with a 2-1 defeat to Doncaster.
James Maxwell and Kyle Hurst put the hosts in full control before Kristian Dennis' late consolation for the visitors.
They now lead fifth-placed Bradford only on goal difference after they beat fellow play-off hopefuls Salford 3-2. Abo Eisa's goal with his first touch proved enough to earn Mark Hughes' side a second consecutive victory.
It was a tough afternoon for most of the teams in the play-off spots with Swindon beaten 1-0 by lowly Colchester, who moved five points clear of the bottom two, and Mansfield falling to a 2-1 defeat at Walsall.
Hartlepool now sit third bottom after they were denied victory over Harrogate as George Thomson's late equaliser earned the visitors a 3-3 draw at the Suit Direct Stadium.
Omar Bugiel's 69th-minute finish earned Sutton a 2-1 home win over AFC Wimbledon, after Will Randall's opener for the hosts had been cancelled out by Josh Davison.
Grimsby beat Stockport 1-0 courtesy of Otis Khan's winner and Charlie Colkett's goal steered Crewe to a 1-0 victory over Tranmere.
