FA Cup

JOE WILLOCK thought that 2020-21 was going to be his breakthrough year at Arsenal.
But that’s not the way things have worked out so far for the young midfielder.

Academy product Joe Willock rues his headed miss before the Gunners went on to beat Newcastle 2-0 after extra time in the FA CupCredit: AP:Associated Press

England Under-21 midfielder Joe Willock blew this big chance to seal it for Arsenal in normal time after his latest so-so displayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

And while his academy pals Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have emerged as key figures in the Gunners revival, Willock is suddenly left wondering where he figures in the manager’s plans.
Saka and Smith Rowe were both rotated to the bench as Arsenal kicked off their defence of the competition which they have won more times than any other club.
And that meant an overdue opportunity for Willock to make an impression in the middle of the park.
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Anchoring the midfield alongside Mohamed Elneny in a 4-2-3-1 formation wasn’t exactly the playmaker role which he craves.
But beggars can’t be choosers and Mikel Arteta was relying on Willock’s energy and athleticism to lead the press of which he is so keen.
He certainly had his work cut out against Newcastle’s five-man midfield but that didn’t stop him looking to break forward into the penalty-area at every opportunity.
Those late bursts from deep have been a feature of Arsenal’s play in this season’s Europa League campaign.

Willock has been the stand-out star in that competition so far, scoring three times to help his team win all six of their group games.
But running the show against the likes of Dundalk, Molde and Rapid Vienna is one thing.  
Doing it on a consistent basis in the Premier League is a totally different proposition and one which Arteta doesn’t yet trust Willock to carry out.

Scoring substitute Emile Smith Rowe made a much bigger impact than Joe Willock, while fellow youngster Bukayo Saka, left, has had a stunning seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Since the Spaniard took charge at the Emirates 13 months ago, Willock has managed just four starts in the League.
No wonder he could barely contain his frustration when he was hooked in the goalless draw at Leeds in November.
Because the suspicion remains that Arteta is still not totally convinced by a player who saw far more under action when Unai energy was in charge than he has this past year.
At just 21-years-old, there is still plenty of time for the young North Londoner to prove his worth to his manager.
But having seen brothers Chris and Matty both failing to make the grade in big-time football, you could forgive him for starting to worry about his own long-term prospects.
This was a game which he needed to take by the scruff of the neck in front of a nationwide TV audience on BBC1.
He saw plenty of the ball against a Newcastle team who were clearly happy to play with ten men in their own half and challenge Arsenal to break them down.
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But there were too many times when he was guilty of taking the safe option of a sideways pass rather than seeking to open the opposition up with something more imaginative.
There is a clearly a decent player in there, but without regular first team opportunities you do wonder if that talent will be allowed to blossom at Arsenal.
Maybe his confidence has taken a bit of a bashing as a result of spending more time on the substitutes’ bench than he expected.
His most memorable moment of this disappointing Cup tie was when he took an arm in the face from Andy Carroll as he contested an aerial challenge with the Newcastle striker.
But he was also guilty of conceding a number of free-kicks in his own half which invited Newcastle to test Arsenal’s ability to defend set-pieces.
He should have forced a breakthrough when he was picked out by Nicolas Pepe’s 64th minute cross right in front of goal.

But he sent his unchallenged header down into the turf to give keeper Martin Dubravka the extra split second he needed to make a crucial save.
It was to prove a disappointing final contribution to the match before being replaced by Granit Xhaka two minutes later.
And with Thomas Partey set to return from injury and Arsenal looking to sign a box-to-box midfielder this month, Willock knows he can’t keep allowing these chances to pass him by.

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EMILE SMITH ROWE saw red, then yellow and finally gave Arsenal’s FA Cup defence the green light with an extra-time breakthrough.
Second-half substitute Smith Rowe seemed set to miss the added 30 minutes after initially being sent off in stoppage-time for a foul on Sean Longstaff.

Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe hails his extra-time breakthrough after his VAR red card let-offCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Sub Emile Smith Rowe bags the Gunners’ opener with a neat finish, having earned a reprieve on VAR just before extra timeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Arsenal’s extra-time heroes Emile Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrateCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Emile Smith Rowe’s challenge barely made contact and was reduced from a red to yellow card offence after ref Chris Kavanagh watched replaysCredit: BBC

But the decision was reviewed and the Gunners midfielder made the most of his reprieve in the 119th-minute of a distinctly average game.
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added the second, but until then there had been little to warm the cockles on a bitterly cold evening.
In normal time, the strikers who had at one time or other been talismanic for their teams wasted the best openings.
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Aubameyang failed to convert two chances that you would have backed him to bury before his poor form began in the wake of him signing a lucrative new contract.
Newcastle’s Andy Carroll could not break the deadlock when presented with the kind of opportunities he used to make count when he was deemed worthy of a £35m move to Liverpool and an England place.

But when fellow substitutes Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette combined to help the ball on to Smith Rowe, he produced the moment of quality that the match had been so desperately lacking.
Taking the ball on his chest, the 20 year old took himself on the wrong side of a Newcastle defence that had worked so hard to keep Arsenal at bay.

And Smith Rowe found the finish that had eluded Aubameyang and Carroll.
Aubameyang tucked home a goal of his own from Kieran Tierney’s cross and the holders were through to the fourth round.
Nothing says the magic of the cup quite like two mid-table Premier League sides making seven changes each for a game in a 60,000-seater stadium without fans.
A couple of Newcastle’s alterations were at least positive.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watches as his sidefoot shot doubles Arsenal’s victory marginCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Bernd Leno brilliantly foils Newcastle striker Andy Carroll in stoppage time to the normal 90 minutesCredit: EPA

Joe Willock can’t believe after seeing Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka thwart his headerCredit: AP:Associated Press
Captain Jamaal Lascelles was back after being absent from the team since the end of November when Covid-19 swept through the club’s training ground.
And goalkeeper Martin Dubravka made his first appearance of the season following his recovery from a long-term heel injury.
But Bruce named only seven of his permitted nine substitutes to lay bare once more the challenges facing clubs in a congested winter schedule during a pandemic.
Arsenal themselves went down to eight when Gabriel Martinelli was injured in the warm-up.
Within a minute, late replacement Reiss Nelson found himself in space down the left only to hit a tame shot and Bruce turned the freezing air bluer still with a tirade against right-wing back Emil Krafth.
There was another warning for the visitors down the same flank when Lascelles was forced to take Nelson out with an agricultural challenge near the halfway line and earn an early booking. 
But after that the visitors looked pretty secure for the most part..
Happy to slip into a 5-4-1 when out of possession, they closed down the spaces where Arsenal’s forwards like to play.
Aubameyang had a particularly quiet opening quarter of the game before the best chance of the half fell to him.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang misses a golden chance before extra timeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta saw his side struggle to dominate vs NewcastleCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

 Cedric Soares and Joe Willock face up to Newcastle striker Joelinton Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
A quickly-taken free kick played him in down the right but Dubravka made a decent save and Willian sent the follow-up well high and wide.
Arsenal looked the more likely team to score but a combination of indecision and good defending stopped Nelson and Nicolas Pepe turning decent openings into something more.
The only thing working harder than Newcastle was Bruce’s voice, as louder cries of “Get out!” broke up a continuous stream of instructions to his team.
Carroll’s best first-half work had been in his own box, but he should have given Newcastle the lead after the break.
After sending a header wide and then producing his team’s first shot on target, the former England striker missed a gilt-edged chance. 
Assistant referee Ian Hussin wrongly flagged Carroll offside from Jeff Hendrick’s cross-shot but if the Newcastle forward had put the ball in the net, rather than wide, it would surely have been declared a goal by VAR.
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Fortunately for Carroll, Aubemeyang was also lacking conviction, making a mess of his finish after breaking the offside trap.
Dubravka then did wellkept out a Joe Willock header and other half-chances also came and went for the home team.
Elliot Anderson came on for his Newcastle debut in the hope he could provide a Louie Barry moment. In a frenzied climax to normal time, the 18 year old almost did.
When his initial shot was blocked, the ball fell for Carroll but Leno made a match-saving stop.

Almost immediately Arsenal’s task seemed to have become harder, when referee Chris Kavanagh showed Emile Smith Rowe a red card for a challenge on Sean Longstaff.
But Kavanagh downgraded it to a yellow after being advised to look at a replay by the VAR and it remained 11 v 11.
Dubravka made a brilliant save to keep out Granit Xhaka’s fine effort early in the first period of extra time but Arsenal’s pressure finally told.

Willian fires an early effort for Arsenal at home to NewcastleCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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EVERTON striker Cenk Tosun has denied making the far-right ‘Grey Wolves’ gesture after scoring against Rotherham.
The 29-year-old wheeled away after scoring what he thought was his second goal to put the Toffees 2-1 in the FA Cup third round clash.

Everton striker Cenk Tosun has denied making the ‘Grey Wolves’ sign

This is the sign to show support for the Grey WolvesCredit: AFP – Getty

The Turkish international held his arms apart before pointing them at the sky, with his fingers in a similar form to the sign made by members of the extremist group.
The goal ended up being disallowed, but Everton scraped through in the end thanks to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s extra-time winner.
But much of the talk after the game was around Tosun’s celebration.
However, according to the Liverpool Echo Tosun ‘made it clear he had not made the gesture, or even being aware of the group based in Turkey’.

He claimed “he was simply pointing to the sky in thanks”.
The Grey Wolves are an ultra-nationalist neo-fascist group based in Turkey.
They are the largest right-wing extremist organisation in Germany and were banned by the French government last year.
Tosun had ended a 14-month goal drought inside ten minutes at Goodison Park by dinking the ball past Chelsea loanee Jamal Blackman, after Anthony Gordon’s lovely turn and pass split the Rotherham defence open.

Devlet Bahceli, leader of Turkeys Nationalist Movement Party, has been known for supporting the far-right movementCredit: Getty Images – Getty

But Carlo Ancelotti’s side did not use the early lead to their advantage and let Rotherham back into the tie.
The Millers put a complacent Everton under huge pressure and finally were rewarded when Matthew Olosunde rolled the ball into the corner of the net 11 minutes into the second-half.
But they could not make the most of their VAR reprieve and Rodriguez eventually did turn provider for former Watford midfielder Doucoure – who smoothly stroked the ball home three minutes into extra time to put Everton in the fourth round.

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JAMIE VERMIGLIO hailed “incredible” Chorley groundsman Ben Kay.
Kay slept overnight on the PITCH to save the FA Cup dream of the National League minnows.

Chorley groundsman Ben Kay went above and beyond to ensure the FA Cup shock went ahead

The game was in doubt after snow and a blown heaterCredit: PA:Press Association

And his hard work allowed Vermiglio’s men to KO Covid-hit Derby to reach the fourth round and bag a £500,000 jackpot. But not before a blown heater threatened to KO the tie.
Boss Vermiglio revealed the late scare which went close to wrecking their giant-killing hopes.
He said: “Last night, I’m on my laptop watching Derby’s Under-23s and I get a message saying it’s in doubt.
“I phoned groundsman Ben Kay, who said it was 50-50. I FaceTimed him at 2am knowing he was staying at the stadium and he wasn’t positive.

“One of the heaters had blown and he was worried we wouldn’t get the tie on.
“I FaceTimed him again at 6am and someone else answered the phone and showed him fast asleep in the middle of the pitch.
“He’d slept here to make sure we got it on — it’s incredible really.”
Goals from Connor Hall and Mike Calveley saw off a Rams side made up of U23 and U18 kids, with all the seniors missing because of Covid.

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Chroley boss Jamie Vermiglio hailed the ground staff after recording a famous FA Cup win over Wayne Rooney’s Derby CountyCredit: Reuters
Interim manager Wayne Rooney was another absentee — but the England legend still found time to give the Chorley chief a pre-match call.
Vermiglio added: “Credit to Wayne, I don’t know him personally but he phoned before the game and apologised that he couldn’t be here.
“That was really humble and a surprise. I was wondering where Coleen was because the kids were shouting down his ear!

“I wanted to compete against him — but I would not swap that now for us getting through to the fourth-round proper.
“The only unfortunate thing is if this was two seasons ago, this ground would’ve been absolutely pumping and jumping.
“Now if you can organise it, I’d like Liverpool away in the next round please!”

Chorley’s love affair with FA Cup goes on as they beat Rooney’s Derby and celebrate by singing Adele’s Someone Like You More

NON-LEAGUE Chorley kept their heroic FA Cup dream alive by beating Wayne Rooney’s Covid-hit Derby 2-0.
The Rams were forced to field the kids as – similarly to Midlands rivals Aston Villa – the whole first-team set-up are in self-isolation with Manchester United legend Rooney watching on from home.

Connor Hall continued his goalscoring FA Cup exploits for ChorleyCredit: Reuters

Mike Calveley stabbed home to secure Chorley’s spot in the fourth roundCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Chorley celebrate their second goal against DerbyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Eight groundsmen camped out overnight at Chorley to defy bitterly cold conditions and get the game on following a pitch inspection.
And they were rewarded when top scorer Connor Hall bundled in after ten minutes to become the first player to net in the first three rounds of the FA Cup in three years.
Rooney’s side struggled in his absence, failing to muster a single effort on goal in the first 45.
They came back into it after the break but struggled to create enough chances.

And Chorley finally put the result beyond doubt when Mike Calveley stabbed in the all-important second goal after 84 minutes.
National League North mid-table Chorley celebrated progressing in the last round by belting out Adele’s Someone Like You so perhaps the third-round victory over Rooney’s Derby calls for a special rendition of Set Fire to the Wayne.
Blackpool 2-2 West Brom (3-2 pens) AET
Sam Allardyce’s nightmare start to life in charge of West Brom continued with a poor defeat to Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
The hosts went ahead through Jerry Yates’ unmarked finish at the far-post before a Semi Ajayi header put the Baggies level.

Blackpool pulled of a big upset against struggling West BromCredit: Reuters

Sam Allardyce remains winless in charge of the BaggiesCredit: AFP or licensors
Yates managed to fluff a huge opening after a cross from the right as the third-tier team pushed to lead once again.
Fortunately for the forward, his miss meant little as Gary Madine slotted home his seventh of the season soon after.
A clear handball allowed Matheus Pereira an 80th-minute chance from the spot, which he duly converted.
Extra-time came and went as the game headed to a shootout, with Yates being denied by David Button at the first penalty.
But Chris Maxwell denied Kyle Edwards and Darnell Furlong to put the Tangerines on the edge of an upset.
Sulley Kaikai had the chance to seal the win but agonisingly hit his attempt against the post.
And yet Maxwell stepped up once again to parry Pereira’s effort away, pulling off a huge victory for Neil Critchley’s men.
Burnley 1-1 MK Dons (4-3 pens) AET
Will Norris saved Burnley’s blushes on his Clarets debut with two saves in a penalty shootout win over MK Dons.
Cameron Jerome had earlier rolled back the years as the Dons came within seconds of one of the upsets of the day.

Cameron Jerome set MK Dons on the way to a potentially big winCredit: Reuters

Burnley made amends after Matej Vydra’s late lifelineCredit: Reuters
At 34, the ex-Norwich forward has been quietly putting together a fine season at MK Dons after two seasons in Turkey.
And he latched onto a fine Scott Fraser flick-on to head home a first-half opener at Turf Moor.
The League One side were handed a reprieve by VAR at the end of the half when Richard Keogh’s red card was overturned on review.
Burnley fought for a leveller to begin life under new owners ALK Capital and Matej Vydra slid in to make it 1-1 with the final kick of regular time.
Dons boss Russell Martin was sent off for remonstrating with officials ahead of the added half hour.
Unperturbed, the visitors whacked the post from Ben Gladwin’s fine strike and the tie was forced into a shootout following Dale Stephens’ effort being deflected inches wide.
Vydra could not replicate his injury-time heroics from the spot as Lee Nicholls save Burnley’s first penalty.
It was then Norris’ turn to become the hero as he palmed away Lasse Sorensen’s and Gladwin’s attempts, before Phil Bardsley slammed home the decisive kick.

Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle AET
It took until the 109th minute for Arsenal to make the breakthrough against Newcastle – read our full match report from the Emirates Stadium here.
Everton 2-1 Rotherham United AET
Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton needed an extra-time winner from Abdoulaye Doucoure to scrape past a spirited Rotherham United at Goodison Park.
The Toffees thought they had won the game in normal time when Cenk Tosun reacted fastest to poke home from James Rodriguez’s free-kick with five minutes to play.
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Cenk Tosun dinks over Chelsea loanee Jamal Blackman in the Rotherham goalCredit: Reuters

Matthew Olosunde slides the ball past Robin OlsenCredit: PA:Press Association
But the VAR graph lines proved that Tosun was millimetres offside and the goal was scrubbed off – some beginners luck for VAR newbies Rotherham, playing their first game with the controversial technology.
Tosun had ended a 14-month goal drought inside ten minutes at Goodison Park by dinking the ball past Chelsea loanee Jamal Blackman, after Anthony Gordon’s lovely turn-and-pass split the Rotherham defence open.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side did not use the early lead to their advantage and let Rotherham back into the tie.
The Millers put a complacent Everton under huge pressure and finally were rewarded when Matthew Olosunde rolled the ball into the corner of the net 11 minutes into the second-half.
But they could not make the most of their VAR reprieve and Rodriguez eventually did turn provider for former Watford midfielder Doucoure, who smoothly stroked the ball home three minutes into extra-time to put Everton in the fourth round.

Manchester United 1-0 Watford
An early Scott McTominay goal did the trick for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side – read our full match report from Old Trafford here.
Stoke City 0-4 Leicester City
The Foxes clearly fancy themselves for a first-ever FA Cup crown and Brendan Rodgers picked a strong side for this trip to the Bet365 Stadium.
James Justin showed that Premier League quality with a stunning opener, cutting onto his right-foot and curling home from range.
Sam Vokes had just squandered a great opening from close-range for the hosts but Marc Albrighton popped up to make it 2-0 after 59 minutes.
Ayoze Perez took advantage of Stoke giving away the ball cheaply, allowing a counter-attack to be finished off by the Spaniard, before Harvey Barnes’ powerful effort rounded off a clinical performance.

Bristol Rovers 2-3 Sheffield United
Chris Wilder’s side battled to a much-needed victory at League One Bristol Rovers after a mad four minutes at the Memorial Stadium.
Lys Mousset and Joe Day competed for a cross in the Blades’ opener, which went down as an own-goal by the Rovers man.
But Alfie Kilgour put the hosts on the board with his own towering header, sending the sides into the break level.
An end-to-end tie was turned back towards the Premier League side on 59 minutes when Oli Burke raced through on the break to bury a one-on-one.
Max Ehmer popped up for a 62nd-minute strike from a set-piece and yet United were ahead again mere seconds later.
A smart move down the right saw Jayden Bogle race into the box for a near-post finish.

Chris Wilder watched his side claim a first win of the campaignCredit: Alamy Live News

Jayden Bogle rolled home the second-half winnerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Fulham AET
Scott Parker’s men avoided their fourth third-round exit in five years despite making seven changes at their West London neighbours.
Aleksandar Mitrovic saw a second-half effort cleared off the line as a quiet affair headed into an extra half hour.
Bobby Decordova-Reid opened the scoring via some smart combination play with Mitrovic on 104 minutes, slotting home from 20 yards out.
The same players were involved in a patient move in stoppage-time that ended with Neeskens Kebano hammering home at the near-post.

Huddersfield Town 2-3 Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth beat Huddersfield in the FA Cup at the fifth time of asking in an exciting game at The John Smith’s Stadium.
Romoney Crichlow opened his Terriers account before Ryan Hardie struck a speedy leveller.
A mad first-half saw Aaron Rowe bury a fantastic effort from distance before Panutche Camara collected a cross and rolled Plymouth back into the game.
The visitors led for the first time after 70 minutes, through Joe Edwards’ finish from a fine Danny Mayor run and cross, and held on to see out another of the day’s upsets.
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
An upset at Ewood Park with Taylor Richards the Donny hero after being allowed all the time and space he could possibly need to race up the middle of the pitch.
The young midfielder then unleashed a fizzing effort that beat the outstretched palms of Aynsley Pears.
Blackburn knocked on the door and fired off 20 shots to five, but could not find an equaliser as their Carabao Cup win over Doncaster in August was avenged.

Boreham Wood 0-2 Millwall
Kenneth Zohore’s 31st-minute effort gave Millwall a half-time lead away at National League Boreham Wood.
Boreham Wood were playing in the first third-round FA Cup tie of their history.
But Shaun Hutchinson dashed their dreams of progression by heading in for the Lions after 74 minutes.
Scott Malone was a creative bright spark for the men from The Den, assisting both goals in the 2-0 win.
Bournemouth 4-1 Oldham Athletic
After the tie was swapped from a frozen Boundary Park to the South Coast, Bournemouth feasted on their lower-league opponents.
David Brooks opened the scoring via a deflection before Oldham went into the break level thanks to Dylan Bahamboula.
In the second-half, the Cherries made their superiority count with Rodrigo Riquelme scrambling home a winner.
West Ham target Josh King scored twice late on to seal Bournemouth’s spot in Monday’s draw.

Stevenage 0-2 Swansea City
Championship high-flyers Swansea carried their strong form into the FA Cup and led early on thanks to Wayne Routledge’s close-range finish.
Stevenage have become something of a cup specialist in recent years and gave a good showing at a misty Lamex Stadium.
But Viktor Gyokeres sealed the Swans’ passage to the fourth round with his first goal since joining on loan from Brighton.
Stevenage debutant Luke Norris had a low penalty saved by Freddie Woodman late on.
Exeter City 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls secured their first-ever win at Exeter with goals in either half.
Adam Reach buried a powerful effort after 27 minutes and Tony Pulis’ men left it late to seal the victory.
Callum Paterson waited patiently for Liam Shaw’s cross to roll home the second in stoppage time.

Liam Shaw and Callum Paterson combined for Sheffield Wednesday’s second in DevonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Norwich City 2-0 Coventry City
Norwich scored two goals in the first seven minutes of a barnstorming opening to their victory against Coventry.
Kenny McLean and Jordan Hugill scored within one minute of each other on six and seven minutes to give the Canaries a flying start at Carrow Road.
Daniel Farke’s 20-year-old shot-stopper Daniel Barden kept Norwich in front in the second-half denying Maxime Biamou on multiple occasions.
Brentford 2-1 Middlesbrough
An all-Championship affair rocked by coronavirus saw Brentford B boss Neil MacFarlane lead the Bees to the fourth round, after Thomas Franks tested positive for the illness.
With two debutants in a much-changed team, Brentford led through Halil Dervisoglu’s accurate finish in the first-half.
An outbreak in the Middlesbrough team meant they travelled to the capital with a team of kids, and Sam Folarin came off the bench to level the score.
The winger had replaced Marcus Browne after a nasty injury to the 23-year-old, who was stretchered off and required oxygen in a seven-minute stoppage.
Halil turned provider for Saman Ghoddos to score his first Brentford goal, and the winner, in the second-half.

Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End
Wycombe put away Championship rivals Preston early on at Adams Park, Fred Onyedinma notching a third-minute header.
Joe Jacobson and Josh Knight then scored to kill the tie in the first-half, sending the Wanderers through to the fourth round for only the third time.
Preston had nicked a point late on in their league meeting last month but there were no such heroics this time around, Emil Riis Jakobsen scoring a consolation from the spot.
Alex Samuel buried a quick move to confirm the win on 82 minutes.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Cardiff City
Lyle Taylor’s thumping volley gave Nottingham Forest the lead against Cardiff.
A side-footed slammer after just three minutes from Gaetan Bong’s cross into the box, caught Neil Harris’ Bluebirds off guard.
And they never recovered with Michael Dawson’s side taking a spot in the fourth-round draw.

Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor smashed home a rocket after just three minutesCredit: Alamy Live News

Luton Town 1-0 Reading
Luton had the better of the all-Championship clash at Kenilworth Road.
George Moncur’s effort after 30 minutes gave Nathan Jones’ side a deserved win against familiar foes in the shape of the Royals – it was the third meeting between the sides already this season.

National League Chorley belt out Adele’s someone like you in the changing room More