Summary

  • 35 games across Championship, League One and League Two

  • Blackburn earn draw at runaway leaders Norwich

  • Second-placed Watford beat Birmingham 3-0

  • In-form Barnsley lose 2-1 to relegation-threatened Sheff Wed

  • Brentford held by Nottingham Forest in early Championship game

  • Portsmouth beat Ipswich in Danny Cowley's first game in charge of Pompey

  1. Postpublished at 31 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    You don't see this very often - Forest have had 62% possession at the Brentford Community Stadium!

    It shows the visitors are playing well to an extent, but we all know better than to be sucked in by too many stats.

  2. Postpublished at 30 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    Forest work a nice bit of space down the right but neither Sammy Ameobi or Cyrus Christie can get their crosses past the first man.

    Chris Hughton's side have looked a bit toothless in attack lately - the approach play is decent but the quality is lacking in the final third.

  3. YELLOW CARDpublished at 27 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    Another booking, this time for Brentford.

    The brilliantly-named Cafu gets past Vitaly Janelt in midfield and the Germany Under-21 international hacks him down.

    No complaints there.

  4. YELLOW CARDpublished at 26 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    Forest are at sixes and sevens trying to defend a Brentford corner, but the ref's whistle goes their way this time as a foul goes their way.

    At the other end teenage forward Alex Mighten skilfully gets into the Brentford box and goes down.

    Graham Scott is having none of it though and books the Forest player for diving.

  5. Postpublished at 22 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    Ivan Toney is packed full of confidence.

    The Championship's top scorer plays a one-two with Bryan Mbeumo and has a go from around 25 yards, his shot well off-target.

    Noticeably none of his team-mates criticise him for shooting, despite there being better options, such is Toney's goalscoring prowess.

  6. CLOSE!published at 18 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    Bryan Mbeumo has looked lively for Brentford and comes reasonably close to finding a second goal.

    He receives a pass from Sergi Canos and goes it alone, his low shot across goal going wide.

    Forest need to settle themselves again.

    Bryan Mbeumo goes closeImage source, Rex Features
  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 12:48 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    #bbcefl

    Jack Lovatt: Yes he goes down a bit easily, but if Bong doesn’t resort to holding then the ref doesn’t have a decision to make.

  8. Postpublished at 15 mins

    Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forest

    At this point on Wednesday Forest were already 2-0 down as they simply could not live with leaders Norwich.

    This has been a much more encouraging start, all undone by that moment of stupidity from Gaetan Bong - who gave referee Graham Scott the option of giving that penalty.

  9. goal

    GOAL: Brentford 1-0 Nottm Forestpublished at 12 mins

    Ivan Toney pen

    Ivan Toney scores a penaltyImage source, PA Media

    That's a remarkable 28th Championship goal of the season for Ivan Toney.

    The Brentford striker takes his usual two-step run-up and casually rolls the penalty in, sending Forest keeper Brice Samba the wrong way.

    He continues his 100% record from the spot this season and the Bees are gifted the lead.

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  10. PENALTY TO BRENTFORDpublished at 11 mins

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    From the corner Forest full-back Gaetan Bong has his arms around Brentford's top scorer Ivan Toney and brings him to the ground.

    The referee doesn't hesitate and points to the spot.

  11. Postpublished at 11 mins

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    The home side nick the ball in midfield and Mathias Jensen plays a lovely reverse pass to release Bryan Mbeumo down the right, but he can't find a Brentford team-mate with his cutback.

    The Bees have now won the first corner of the game...

  12. Postpublished at 8 mins

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    Forest are looking to play Brentford at their own slick passing game.

    That may seem a questionable tactic but Chris Hughton's side have started brightly, finding pockets of space in attack and are taking the match to their hosts.

  13. Postpublished at 12:39 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    Steve Hodge
    Former England and Forest midfielder on BBC Radio Nottingham

    As a team, Forest have to get close to people and ruffle their feathers a little bit. Make life uncomfortable for these players, because once they get in the rhythm this team can be as good as Norwich.

  14. Postpublished at 5 mins

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    On-loan Manchester United midfielder James Garner is allowed to dribble the ball forward almost 40 yards for Forest and tries his luck from range, though the shot rises comfortably over.

    It was certainly worth a go.

  15. Postpublished at 3 mins

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo is unleashed down the right-hand side but his cross is cleared, with Mathias Jensen's follow-up ball into the box also dealt with.

    Forest are trying to play out from the back and the hosts seem happy to let them have it in their own half in the early exchanges.

  16. KICK-OFFpublished at 1 min

    Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest

    Here we go then.

    How will both sides react to their midweek setbacks?

    The visitors get things under way.

  17. Bees learning the hard waypublished at 12:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    Brentford v Nottm Forest (12:30 GMT)

    Brentford's Vitaly JaneltImage source, Rex Features

    Brentford so often look like the best footballing side in the Championship, but they've now squandered 16 points from winning positions this season.

    They were imperious in the first half at Derby on Tuesday but lost their way after the break, to the extent that Louie Sibley's late equaliser was no surprise.

    The Bees sit fourth, comfortably in a play-off place and five points behind second-placed Watford with a game in hand.

    Forest, meanwhile, are on a five-game winless run - scoring just twice in that time - and sit 18th, a nervy nine points above the relegation zone.

  18. Team newspublished at 12:23 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    Brentford v Nottm Forest (12:30 GMT)

    Despite throwing away a two-goal lead at Derby in midweek, Brentford boss Thomas Frank names an unchanged side - with Ethan Pinnock and Tariqe Fosu still among the substitutes.

    Nottingham Forest make four changes to the team comfortably beaten by leaders Norwich on Wednesday, with Brice Samba returning in goal after injury and Alex Mighten recalled to help give Chris Hughton's side more attacking thrust.

    Brentford: Raya, Reid, Jansson, Dalsgaard, Sorensen, Jensen, Janelt, Norgaard, Mbeumo, Canos, Toney.

    Nottm Forest: Samba, Christie, Figueiredo, McKenna, Bong, Cafu, Garner, Mighten, Krovinovic, Ameobi, Grabban.

  19. What's to come?published at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    Saturday's EFL action

    There are 11 games across the Championship as we enter the business end of the season. Look at that tasty tea-time tussle!

    (15:00 GMT kick-off unless stated):

    • Brentford v Nottm Forest (12:30 GMT)
    • Barnsley v Sheff Wed
    • Bristol City v Rotherham
    • Coventry v Wycombe
    • Millwall v Middlesbrough
    • Norwich v Blackburn
    • Preston v Luton
    • Reading v QPR
    • Stoke v Derby
    • Watford v Birmingham
    • Swansea v Cardiff (17:30 GMT)

    There's also a full programme of fixtures across League One and League Two, and we'll bring you the key updates here as they happen.

  20. A rest in sightpublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2021

    Saturday's EFL action

    Brentford Community StadiumImage source, Rex Features

    Regular EFL followers will know how relentless the fixture schedule has been over the past few months.

    But while League One and League Two will trudge on, the Championship will go on a THIRTEEN day break after today for the first international break since November.

    Who will go into that on a high, and which teams will be left licking their wounds as they wait for that next league game to come along?

    We'll soon start to find out, with Brentford's game against Nottingham Forest kicking off in 15 minutes.