EFL goals and round-up: Burnley win; Norwich held
Burnley restored their three-point lead over Sheffield United at the top of the Sky Bet Championship table with a 1-0 victory at Stoke, while Norwich were held 1-1 by Reading. Derby beat Cambridge 1-0 in League One, while League Two leaders Leyton Orient were held.
Friday 30 December 2022 22:32, UK
Burnley restored their three-point lead over Sheffield United at the top of the Sky Bet Championship table with a 1-0 victory at Stoke.
The only goal of the game came in the 61st minute from Josh Cullen, who tucked home after the Stoke defence failed to deal with a Manuel Benson shot.
Watford missed the chance to climb to third and were thumped 4-0 by Swansea in south Wales.
Liam Cullen set up Joel Piroe for the opener in the 39th minute and scored the second himself in the 74th minute.
Swansea then picked off Watford twice more, Piroe grabbing his second from outside the box in the 78th minute before Joel Latibeaudiere added a fourth.
Managerless Norwich were held to a 1-1 draw by Reading. After back-to-back defeats spelled the end for Dean Smith earlier this week, Adam Idah gave the Canaries hope with his first goal of the season in the 53rd minute.
But Andy Carroll equalised from the penalty spot seven minutes from time after Kieran Dowell felled Nesta Guinness-Walker.
Hull claimed an important three points at the wrong end of the table with a 1-0 victory at Birmingham.
Shortly after Ryan Longman had had an effort disallowed for offside, Oscar Estupinan tucked away the winner in the 77th minute.
Sky Bet League One
On-loan Everton teenager Lewis Dobbin's first senior league goal wrapped up a 1-0 home win for Derby against Cambridge.
Dobbin's second-half header extended the hosts' unbeaten league run to a 10th game against a visiting team who have now not beaten the Rams in seven contests since a 1989 League Cup tie when Peter Shilton was in goal.
Eoin Toal's first EFL goal earned Bolton a 1-1 comeback draw against 10-man Lincoln.
The former Derry City defender flicked in Aaron Morley's 58th-minute corner to cancel out Ben House's 10th-minute opener.
Wanderers then received extra incentive to claim victory as Joe Walsh's second booking in four minutes for a foul on Dion Charles led to his 61st-minute dismissal.
Instead, Mark Kennedy's home side held on for a point after bossing the first half of a spicy encounter.
Sky Bet League Two
Centre-back Carl Piergianni scored a brace as promotion-chasing Stevenage cruised to a 3-1 League Two victory over troubled Crawley at the Lamex Stadium.
The visitors, under the caretaker charge of Darren Byfield, were comfortably swept aside by the team second in the league table to round off a traumatic week for them, one day after the shock departure of manager Matthew Etherington.
Newport held leaders Leyton Orient to a 0-0 draw at Rodney Parade.
