EFL: Tomas Kalas' 39-second red card among five things you may have missed

  • Published
Tomas Kalas sent off after just 39 seconds for Fulham v ReadingImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Tomas Kalas (laying down) lasted just 39 seconds of Fulham's visit to Reading before his sending off

The second Saturday of the EFL season produced plenty of talking points after the big scorelines and memorable moments of the opening weekend.

There was a very early sending off and a quick-fire hat-trick, plus another tough day for former Premier League champions adjusting to a new division.

BBC Sport rounds up the stories you might have missed from Saturday's action.

A very early bath for Kalas

Fulham centre-back Tomas Kalas and Reading's Madejski Stadium clearly don't get on.

The Chelsea loanee found himself at fault when the two sides met in May's Championship play-off semi-final second leg when his handball conceded what proved to be the decisive penalty for the Royals.

Less than three months later, the Czech Republic international was back in Berkshire looking to make amends and inspire his side to a first win of the campaign.

But, within 39 seconds of kick-off, he was sent off.

A foul on Reading striker Mo Barrow when the 24-year-old was the last man was enough evidence for referee Simon Hooper to show him a straight red.

But Kalas's team-mates battled back despite playing most of the game with 10 men as former Reading loanee Lucas Piazon popped up with a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Sorry, we can't display this part of the article any more.

Title favourites Villa downed in South Wales

Steve Bruce's Aston Villa, led by captain John Terry, have been many pundits' tip for the Championship title this season, but two games in, they are still searching for a win.

A ruthless Cardiff City beat the visitors 3-0, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing netting in each half alongside Junior Hoilett's strike on the hour.

Media caption,

Steve Bruce on the 3-0 defeat by Cardiff

"It really, really is awful," Bruce told BBC WM of his side's performance after the game.

"It's the same old 'Go away from home, don't do the basics against a big physical team'. Once we don't score and we've conceded again, we can't respond in the right manner.

"We have to look at each and every one of ourselves. That simply wasn't good enough."

For boyhood Birmingham City fan Mendez-Laing, scoring against their arch-rivals was no doubt a happy feeling. The 25-year-old now has three goals in two games for his new club after making the switch from Rochdale over the summer.

For Cardiff manager Neil Warnock, celebrating 50 years in football this season, his Bluebirds are off to a perfect start with two wins in two games.

Blackburn still pointless in third tier

The Premier League has been marking its 25th anniversary this week, but one of the teams to win the title will be giving that little thought as their search for a first point of the campaign continues.

Blackburn Rovers, top-flight champions in 1994-95, started life in League One last weekend with a 2-1 defeat by Southend United and there was little comfort at home for Tony Mowbray's side when they hosted Doncaster Rovers.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Blackburn Rovers' striker Bradley Dack cut a forlorn figure on full-time at Ewood Park

These two sides were two divisions apart last season, but it was the team promoted from League Two in May who dominated at Ewood Park, winning 3-1.

John Marquis, James Coppinger and Alfie May's goals had the points wrapped up for Doncaster by 82 minutes before Dominic Samuel's late consolation for Blackburn.

Millers fans get Moore, Moore, Moore for their money

At 25, Kieffer Moore has represented his fair share of clubs in a relatively short career.

The striker, at Rotherham on a season-long loan from Ipswich, has an impressive full name - Kieffer Roberto Francisco Moore - and has already etched it in New York Stadium history.

A first-half hat-trick in the space of 32 minutes in a 5-0 win against Southend United was the first treble scored in a competitive game at the ground Rotherham have called home since 2012.

Sorry, we can't display this part of the article any more.

It was an afternoon for Southend to forget after the high of their opening weekend win against Blackburn as Phil Brown found his side 4-0 down at half-time.

Brown's half-time team talk could not spark a recovery, as Rotherham added a fifth goal without reply after the break.

"I'm embarrassed, a lot of embarrassment, apologies to the fans for the way we performed," Brown said afterwards.

"The manner of which we got beat was totally, totally unacceptable. The Southend supporters can know full well we'll be doing something about this."

What a difference a week can make

Cast your minds back seven days and the opening Saturday of the EFL season was one of starkly-contrasting fortunes for Luton Town and Yeovil Town.

The Hatters were 8-2 victors over the Glovers at Kenilworth Road in a game which led to Yeovil players reimbursing the 258 travelling supporters who sat through the drubbing.

But a week on, results were somewhat different for the two clubs.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Yeovil players were all smiles against Accrington after their opening day thrashing at Luton

Yeovil showed there was no hangover from their first-day defeat as Southampton loanee Olufela Olomola netted twice in a 3-2 win at home to Accrington.

Luton, meanwhile, made the relatively short trip to north London to face Barnet, but left their goalscoring touch of the week before back in Bedfordshire.

Jack Taylor was the injury-time match winner for Barnet with his 25-yard effort for the game's only goal at The Hive.

A new coach needed already?

And finally, a little bonus story for this week from just outside the EFL.

National League North club Spennymoor Town may already be contemplating a change of coach before playing their first competitive match.

Spennymoor's motorised coach never made it as far as Boston United's Jakemans Stadium after suffering a mechanical failure on the A1., external

Despite a delayed kick-off, replacement transport could not be found in time and the match was postponed.

Not the greatest of weeks for Spennymoor after the breakdown of a supporters' coach in midweek for a match at FC United of Manchester.

Sorry, we can't display this part of the article any more.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.