Grady Diangana played a starring role as West Bromwich Albion came from behind to retain their unbeaten status in the Championship on Saturday.
Despite falling behind twice in the first half to winless Huddersfield, under new management in Danny Cowley, Diangana came off the bench at half-time to help his side to an impressive late comeback with two assists in a 4-2 victory.
His first came when he delivered a pinpoint cross onto the head of Darnell Furlong with 20 minutes remaining for the 2-2 equaliser, and his second just four minutes later, dribbling through the Terriers' defence before cutting back for Matt Phillips to grab his second goal of the game.
A late header from Semi Ajayi sealed the victory and boosted West Brom up to fourth in the Championship table, eight games unbeaten at the start of the season for only the fourth time in their history.
Darnell scores. ?
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) September 22, 2019
Grady celebrates. ??#WBA pic.twitter.com/JbaYPPqMZ8
Sitting just behind them in the Championship now are Jordan Hugill and Queen’s Park Rangers, who secured a 2-1 victory away at Millwall on Saturday.
While Hugill couldn’t add to his tally of five league goals so far this season, his burgeoning strike partnership with Nahki Wells was crucial to the victory.
Hugill started the counterattack that led to Wells’ first of the game on 56 minutes, and while Hutchinson then equalised for the home side at The Den, Wells was on the mark to take advantage of a goalkeeping error just moments later; he and strike partner Hugill have now recorded ten Championship goals between them so far this campaign.
The result lifts The R’s up to fifth in the Championship – level on points with Diangana’s West Brom, but behind by three on goal difference.
Enduring a more frustrating afternoon in England's second division were Josh Cullen and Charlton, who fell to a 2-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic.
The Republic of Ireland international midfielder played the full 90 minutes but was unable to put his usual stamp on proceedings as the Addicks went down to two set-piece goals from Chey Dunkley.
The Addicks’ second consecutive defeat in the Championship has halted the considerable momentum they'd built up on their return to the division, and sees Lee Bowyer’s side fall to seventh place in the standings.
In League One, goalkeeper Nathan Trott was also on the losing side as AFC Wimbledon suffered a 3-1 loss to Bristol Rovers at Kingsmeadow.
Wimbledon were dominating the contest when Marcus Forss curled home from 20 yards with a quarter of the match played, but the away side equalised against the run of play eight minutes later through a bullet header from Abu Ogogo that gave Trott little chance.
The on-loan Hammers keeper subsequently made a smart save in the 53rd minute, racing off his line to deny Ogogo his second, but the match turned when Forss was dismissed with 25 minutes remaining for two bookable offences.
Wimbledon would go on to concede twice – the first an awkward Clarke-Harris header on 75 minutes that bounced over the keeper and, despite Trott’s protests, was adjudged to have crossed the line, and the second a close-range header from Tony Craig – cutting the Dons adrift in 22nd place in League One with ten games played.
Defender Ajibola Alese, meanwhile, was an unused substitute for Accrington Stanley in their 1-1 draw at home to Blackpool, while in League Two, striker Oladapo Afolayan also remained on the bench as Mansfield Town drew 2-2 away to Port Vale.
In Scandinavia, Sead Haksabanovic was back among the assists as he twice set up Simon Skrabb – both through cute reverse passes, his sixth and seventh assists of the season – to give IFK Norrkoping at 2-0 lead over Orebro SK at half-time.
Norrkoping had slipped off the pace when they lost 1-0 to Malmo last weekend, but the on-loan No99 playmaker pulled the strings in a strong showing, ultimately winning 3-0 to remain in seventh in Allsvenskan.
Elsewhere, Haugesund stayed eighth in Norway’s Eliteserien after winger Martin Samuelsen again featured late from the bench in a 0-0 draw away at Brann.
