Summary

  • Coventry claim late winner at Stoke to go five points clear at top

  • Middlesbrough stand down boss Rob Edwards for game with Birmingham and grant him permission to speak to Wolves

  • Boro still win 2-1 despite off-field saga; Leicester come from behind to beat crisis club Norwich

  • Southampton triumph 3-1 against bottom side Sheff Wed as Ipswich, Wrexham & WBA all win too

  • Earlier, Derby win at Blackburn on Rams boss Eustace's return to former club

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  1. Postpublished at 15:07 GMT

    Swansea 0-0 Ipswich

    The Tractor Boys have begun the brighter and Kasey McAteer has raced away before crossing for Jack Clarke, who is crowded out by Swans defender Josh Key as he pulls the trigger and can only divert wide.

  2. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 15:07 GMT

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Birmingham

    The away side forced into a very early change as Paik Seing-Ho is forced off with what looks like a shoulder injury after going up for an aerial challenge.

    Marc Leonard on in his stead.

  3. Postpublished at 15:06 GMT

    Southampton 0-0 Sheff Wed

    Bright start from the Owls and they cause the Saints defence problems with a Svante Ingelsson long throw.

    It causes mayhem in the box and Gavin Bazunu can only punch it as far as Barry Bannan.

    But the Wednesday skipper's effort goes wide.

    Sheffield Wednesday fans prior to kick-offImage source, PA Media
  4. 'Bright start for Norwich'published at 15:05 GMT

    Norwich 0-0 Leicester

    Flo Allen
    Norwich Women general manager on BBC Radio Norfolk

    This is the brightest Norwich have started a game all season. The four at the back and two up top looks like it is giving a fresh look.

  5. Postpublished at 15:05 GMT

    Stoke 0-0 Coventry

    Bright start from the hosts in a cauldron of noise as Bae Junho sees a shot from just outside the box deflected past Carl Rushworth's post before Sorba Thomas whips in a low cross from the resultant short corner which evades everyone in a Potters shirt and is gathered by the keeper.

  6. Watch Final Scorepublished at 15:05 GMT

    Don't forget, you can keep track of all of today's action by clicking the 'Watch live' play icon at the top of the page to tune into Final Score.

  7. Postpublished at 15:04 GMT

    Wrexham 0-0 Charlton

    Early chance for the visitors as Sonny Carey flashes a shot across goal and Arthur Okonkwo touches it behind, with the ball just evading Tanto Oloafe.

  8. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 15:03 GMT

    Use button at top of page or #bbcefl on X

    Why are people confused at Edwards wanting to join Wolves? Anyone would join the team they grew up watching for at least triple the salary in the best league in the world. It’s a no brainer.

    Mitchell, Barnsley

  9. KICK-OFFpublished at 15:00 GMT

    #bbcefl

    EIGHT more games are getting under way right, NOW.

    Lunchtime set the bar pretty high, how will the traditional Saturday 3pm tranche respond?

    Only one way to find out...

  10. Two out of form teams hunt for pointspublished at 14:59 GMT

    Sheffield United v QPR (15:00 GMT)

    Adam Whitty
    BBC Final Score

    Normally when I say I am going to a game at the weekend, my friends will (just to amuse me, presumably), look relatively excited. For this game, I got grimaces.

    These are two teams who have lost their last three, in desperate needs of points for very different reasons.

    Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says January "can’t come soon enough" to bring in new recruits. They have lost 11 of 14 all season and sit second bottom, and a positive start after his return has been put to bed.

    QPR were sixth a month ago, but four defeats in five have meant they’ve dropped to 16th.

    I fear both teams might look out of form, but you never know.

  11. Saints look to continue revival against Owlspublished at 14:59 GMT

    Southampton v Sheff Wed (15:00 GMT)

    Tonda EckertImage source, Getty Images

    Southampton picked up their first win since September against QPR at Loftus Road in midweek, in what was the club's first win since sacking Will Still.

    Interim boss Tonda Eckert will want to continue that momentum against the Championship's bottom club, Sheffield Wednesday.

    The struggling Owls have been cut well adrift at the bottom with their 12-point deduction for entering administration.

    Wednesday have not won at St Mary's since 1997.

    A second successive win for Eckert could lift the south coast club as much as nine points clear of the drop zone.

  12. Albion seek home comforts against U'spublished at 14:57 GMT

    West Brom v Oxford United (15:00 GMT)

    West Bromwich Albion will seek to get back on track as they welcome struggling Oxford United to The Hawthorns.

    The Baggies have slipped to 15th in the Championship off the back of one point from their past four games, though all three defeats came on the road.

    Ryan Mason's men are unbeaten in their past three at home, but haven't scored in 326 minutes - their worst run since February 2022 - and were stung by a stoppage-time 1-0 defeat at Charlton on Tuesday.

    After picking up four points from their previous two games the U's were beaten 3-0 at home by Stoke the same night and lie six places and five points below Albion, four points above the drop zone.

    Oxford have only won at The Hawthorns once in the league, more than 28 years ago, while no Gary Rowett side has ever scored against Albion in three previous attempts with the U's and Millwall.

    Quirky stat to make you aware of... Oxford have scored 12 first-half goals this season, third most in the Championship, but only three after the interval, worst in the division.

  13. 'You can't make this up' - Robins v Lampard one year onpublished at 14:55 GMT

    Stoke v Coventry (15:00 GMT)

    Mark Robins of Stoke City and Frank Lampard of Coventry City stand in front of red and blue squares respectively wavingImage source, Rex Features

    It is anniversary month.

    Two dates. Two bosses. Two stories, inextricably linked, that have had everything over the past year and look like delivering a blockbuster finish.

    The revivals of Stoke City under Mark Robins and Coventry City, under his successor Frank Lampard, have been been the talk of the Championship thus far and this afternoon the top two teams in the division meet.

    BBC Sport delves deeper into what Robins and Lampard have done, and how they have done it.

  14. Robins flying with only Sky Blues aheadpublished at 14:53 GMT

    Stoke v Coventry (15:00 GMT)

    Yesterday was one year to the day since Mark Robins was sacked by Coventry to end a seven-and-a-half year stay at the Sky Blues, having steered them within a penalty shootout of promotion to the Premier League the previous year.

    Frank Lampard was named City boss three weeks later while Robins joined the Potters in January, and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Today the two clubs meet with Coventry four points clear at the top after a blistering start to the season, though their unbeaten run was ended at Wrexham last week before they bounced back to come from behind and beat Sheffield United on Tuesday.

    Three straight wins for Stoke, with nine goals scored and just one conceded, took them into second ahead of this clash of the meanest defence in the division, with just nine goals conceded by Stoke in 14 games, against the leading scorers, with Coventry netting an astonishing 39 goals.

    There was a sting in the tail for Robins on his first return to the CBS Arena last March when Sam Gallagher's double looked to have ensured the Potters a late 2-2 draw, only for Bobby Thomas to win it for Coventry in the 97th minute.

    What we'd give for more drama like that this afternoon...

  15. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:52 GMT

    Use button at top of page or #bbcefl on X

    Can’t personally understand why Edwards wants to leave Middlesbrough. He has a system that works, and knows his team inside out. Leaving for a new club mid season is very high risk. Saying that, faint heart never did win fair lady, and Rob clearly feels it’s a risk worth taking. I hope it works out for him.

    Daniel Herbert, Isle of Wight

  16. Buoyant Blues visit bossless Boropublished at 14:51 GMT

    Middlesbrough v Birmingham (15:00 GMT)

    Middlesbrough first team coach Harry Watling (left) and first team coach Adi ViveashImage source, PA Media

    All the real focus before this game has been about a man who isn't there.

    Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards has been given permission to talk to Premier League strugglers Wolves and is not in the home dugout today.

    Adi Viveash leads the Teessiders, who could move back into the top two with a win.

    Birmingham City are unlikely to be sympathetic to the home side's fairly chaotic plight.

    They've won their past two matches 4-0 and are, very unsurprisingly, unchanged.

  17. Beleaguered Blades host out-of-form R'spublished at 14:49 GMT

    Sheff Utd v QPR (15:00 GMT)

    It's been a dire start to the season for Sheffield United.

    Tuesday's defeat at Championship leaders Coventry was an 11th in 14 league games this season, the first time any team has lost so many at this stage of a second tier season since Wimbledon in 2003-04.

    The Blades, beaten in last season's Championship play-off final, will spend the international break in the relegation zone even with a win.

    Today's visitors QPR have lost their past three games and boss Julien Stephan said his side need to be more clinical after losing to Southampton on Wednesday in a game where they had twice as many shots as the Saints.

  18. 'The meeting of the miserable'published at 14:47 GMT

    Norwich v Leicester (15:00 GMT)

    Marc Webber
    BBC Final Score commentator

    Welcome to the meeting of the miserable.

    Both sides struggling to win games and win over fans.

    Norwich have lost all their home matches so far this season; Leicester only one win in 10.

    The Canaries made a statement this week telling fans not to abuse players or their relatives following an incident after their game with Hull City, and it has annoyed some fans even more.

    The fan response to what happens on the pitch maybe as interesting as the game itself.

  19. Manning and Cifuentes in spotlight as struggling pair meetpublished at 14:46 GMT

    Norwich v Leicester (15:00 GMT)

    Stephy Mavididi of Leicester City arrives at Carrow RoadImage source, Getty Images

    Whichever way you look at it this is a huge game for the two men in the dugouts this afternoon, both of whom only took charge in the summer.

    Liam Manning's time at his hometown club has been pretty disastrous so far and regardless of their result today they'll spend the next fortnight in the relegation zone.

    Norwich have failed to win any of their past 10 league games and, even more damningly, have lost all six of their home matches so far this season.

    Marti Cifuentes took over at Leicester in July hoping to lead them to an immediate return to the Premier League.

    It's not shaping up like that so far though, with the Foxes now winless in their past nine games after Luke Ayling's late equaliser for Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

    A win either way today could spell the end of a short tenure for the manager on the losing side.

  20. Tractor Boys aim to keep rolling in Walespublished at 14:44 GMT

    Swansea v Ipswich (15:00 GMT)

    Ipswich will seek to keep building momentum as they head to Swansea.

    Kieran McKenna's men began today 10th and within three points of the play-off places, with a game in hand, after a 1-1 draw at home to Watford on Tuesday, which will perhaps be best remembered for an argument between Town teammates Jaden Philogene and Azor Matusiwa.

    It made it seven points from their past three games, including a 4-1 win at QPR in their most recent away game last Saturday, though it extended their streak without a clean sheet on the road to 22 games.

    The Swans are three points back in 17th and have been consistently inconsistent, failing to record consecutive results of any kind in their 14 games so far this season.

    They fell to a battling 2-1 defeat at Preston on Wednesday having grabbed a point at Charlton last Saturday but won their most recent home game against Norwich 2-1.