Summary

  • Bournemouth stay second after goalless draw with Luton

  • Brentford beat Reading, Huddersfield lose at Watford

  • Also wins for Middlesbrough, Sheff Wed, Stoke & Swansea

  • Norwich beat Cardiff in early game to extend lead at top to five points

  • Rotherham-Derby off because of positive Covid-19 test in Millers squad

  • 19 fixtures across League One & League Two on Saturday

  • Get involved via #bbcefl on Twitter

  1. Postpublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    League Two update

    League leaders Newport have gone ahead against Oldham down in South Wales via Scott Twine.

    Meanwhile, Morecambe, who take two consecutive victories to Colchester today, lead in Essex with a goal from John O'Sullivan.

  2. Postpublished at 15:13 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Swansea 1-0 Barnsley

    Alex Mowatt stings the palms of Swansea goalkeeper Freddie Woodman from a free-kick.

    Barnsley are in good form so don't count them out of this one.

  3. Postpublished at 15:12 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    League One update

    Doncaster are hoping for a fourth straight win today and will be confident against beleaguered Burton, bottom of League One with only two wins all season.

    Donny have an early lead at The Pirelli through Fejiri Okenabirhie.

  4. goal

    GOAL: Brentford 1-0 Readingpublished at 15:12 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Mathias Jensen (11 mins)

    Seems like it's an afternoon for howlers doesn't it?

    Cabral this time, for Reading, sees a Mathias Jensen shot go straight through him and into the net.

    Neat build-up from Sergi Canos, rolling the ball into the box, and Dane Jensen wasn't closed down.

    If you're being kind... it was well-struck. But that's motherly-love levels of kindness to be fair.

  5. goal

    GOAL: Huddersfield 1-0 Watfordpublished at 15:11 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Fraizer Campbell (9 mins)

    Ben Foster won't want to watch this back.

    The former England goalkeeper receives a backpass under no huge pressure but, after plenty of dithering, his attempted pass is blocked and lands in at the feet of Fraizer Campbell with the goal absolutely gaping.

    Campbell doesn't miss those. In fact... even I don't miss those.

  6. Postpublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Sheff Wed 0-0 Coventry

    Coventry putting Sheffield Wednesday under the pump early on, Maxime Biamou forcing a save from Keiren Westwood.

    The corresponding corner is beautifully bent in and Leo Ostgaard heads just wide.

    Wednesday wobbling.

  7. goal

    GOAL: Stoke 1-0 Blackburnpublished at 15:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Nick Powell (7 mins)

    Too easy for the hosts.

    Nick Powell is unmarked to power home a header from Morgan Fox's cross six yards out.

  8. Postpublished at 15:06 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Luton 0-0 Bournemouth

    Bournemouth get a free-kick on the cusp of the Luton penalty area, but Junior Stanislas' free-kick is reeled in by keeper James Shea.

    Stanislas looking for seven in seven.

  9. Postpublished at 15:06 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Wycombe 0-0 QPR

    Early chance for the hosts as Adebayo Akinfenwa flicks on for Scott Kashket but he fires straight at the goalkeeper.

  10. Postpublished at 15:04 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    League One update

    How about this, the referee's whistle still ringing around Sixfields as Lincoln, who began the day in fourth, take the lead at Northampton through Anthony Scully!

    Cobblers in awful form after three straight defeats.

  11. goal

    GOAL: Swansea 1-0 Barnsleypublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Jamal Lowe (2 mins)

    Some start!

    Jamal Lowe tucks home after Barnsley fail to deal with a free-kick on a beach of a pitch.

    They're ripping it up and putting a new one down straight after this game.

  12. KICK-OFFpublished at 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    #bbcefl

    Right. Here we go.

    Every goal in the Championship and the best stories around Leagues One and Two as well.

    Let's have a good one.

  13. Fire up the wirelesspublished at 14:57 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    #bbcefl

    BBC local radio

    We can't bring you commentary online because of rights issues but all around the country you can listen to your local radio station.

    Commentaries, updates... the full shebang. Give it a whirl if you've got a wireless nearby.

  14. Elsewhere in the Championshippublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    #bbcefl

    Neil WarnockImage source, Getty Images

    Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough - just outside the top six - go to Birmingham City hoping to keep up their pursuit of the play-off places.

    Two sides looking to prove their promotion credentials meet at the Bet365 Stadium when Stoke entertain Blackburn.

    It's congested at the bottom end of the Championship table, and bottom-side Sheffield Wednesday have Coventry City coming to town.

    Wycombe just above them face a QPR side not out of it themselves and Nottingham Forest - fresh from ending their winless run in midweek - go to Millwall.

  15. Bees' Toney looking to put 'Lights Out' on Readingpublished at 14:51 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Brentford v Reading (15:00 GMT)

    Ivan Toney celebrates a goal for Brentford versus Watford in midweekImage source, Getty Images

    There hasn't been so much hype about a Toney since James 'Lights Out' Toney exploded onto the boxing scene in the early nineties with a crushing middleweight title win over Michael Nunn. (Read Donald McRae's book Dark Trade - cracking stuff).

    Only this Toney, Brentford's Ivan, does his talking with his feet rather than fists. But he's equally destructive. His 16 goals in all competitions have helped the Bees up to sixth in the Championship and into the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

    Today's game against Reading could be described as a heavyweight contest. It's fifth versus sixth. It's two challengers for promotion.

    And, the Royals have some knock-out talent of their own, Lucas Joao has rattled in 11 goals, and Michael Olise can certainly hit one. Should be a belter at the Brentford Community Stadium.

  16. A week is a long time in the Champ'published at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Swansea v Barnsley (15:00 GMT)

    Swansea boss Steve Cooper dejected after the defeat by DerbyImage source, Getty Images

    Former prime minister Harold Wilson is oft cited as the source of the phrase - 'a week is a long time in politics'. Well, if politics is seen as a fairly volatile environment, the Championship can certainly run it close.

    Just ask Steve Cooper at Swansea. This time last week he could have been forgiven for pouring himself a massive glass of 2012 Dom Perignon and devouring a family-sized chicken bucket after winning the derby against Cardiff, thanks to Jamal Lowe's sensational brace. (There's no way Steve would have celebrated like this, I know)

    Just four days later, the euphoric taste of victory turned to head-splitting hangover as the Swans lost at a resurgent Derby.

    The good thing about this league is there's always another game round the corner. The bad news is it's a Barnsley side under Valerien Ismael, who other than a 4-0 reverse against Bournemouth, have won all their games in December.

    It's stacking up at the top, points are at a premium.

  17. Deeney form helps Hornets find buzzpublished at 14:44 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Huddersfield v Watford (15:00 GMT)

    Watford players embrace captain Troy Deeney after his goal v BrentfordImage source, Getty Images

    Watford's promotion bid has been galvanised of late by that most precious commodity; a striker in form.

    Their talismanic skipper Troy Deeney has scored in his past three as Vladimir Ivic's Hornets put an unbeaten run together, beating Rotherham and Birmingham and earning a creditable draw with Brentford in midweek.

    Huddersfield are a little more upwardly mobile of late, certainly at home where they've won the past three.

    However they have failed to score in their past two matches, and the 5-0 thrashing at Bournemouth - which seemed to unravel in the blink of an eye - is a glaring blot on their copybook.

  18. Cherries hoping to Luton plunder pointspublished at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Luton v Bournemouth (15:00 GMT)

    Dominic SolankeImage source, Getty Images

    Bournemouth take their fine Championship form to the compact setting of Kenilworth Road, where Luton Town have been punching above their weight this season.

    Jason Tindall's side have lost just once on their travels, a surprise loss at Sheffield Wednesday, although were held to a goalless draw by Swansea on their last jaunt away from Dorset.

    Nathan Jones' Luton won't be cowed by that though. Leaders Norwich were beaten 3-1 here earlier in the month, while fans - who won't be allowed in today after a change in tiers - roared them onto a 3-0 victory against Preston in their last home fixture.

    Stopping the visitors scoring will be the biggest test - 35 goals in 19 games is the division's best tally.

  19. Rotherham Covid-19 case forces postponementpublished at 14:38 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Rotherham P-P Derby

    Rotherham's New York StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    As you'll have been reading this afternoon, the EFL has confirmed the postponement of Rotherham's game against Derby, after a positive Covid-19 case within the Millers squad.

    The club statement also confirms "further players within the first team bubble showing symptoms of the virus at present."

  20. League Two fixturespublished at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2020

    Finally, here are today's League Two games.

    A home win for Newport means there'll be top of the pile this Christmas,

    All games kicking off at 15:00 GMT:

    • Barrow v Cheltenham Town
    • Bolton Wanderers v Tranmere Rovers
    • Bradford City v Cambridge United
    • Colchester United v Morecambe
    • Forest Green Rovers v Carlisle United
    • Grimsby Town v Scunthorpe United
    • Harrogate Town v Salford City
    • Leyton Orient v Crawley Town
    • Mansfield Town v Southend United
    • Newport County v Oldham Athletic
    • Walsall v Port Vale