Summary

  • Preston go top of the Championship with win over Plymouth

  • Ipswich and Norwich continue good starts with respective wins over Sheff Wed and Stoke

  • Blackburn win 5,000th league game, beating Middlesbrough at Ewood Park

  • Exeter go top of League One with win over Cheltenham; pre-game leaders Stevenage held by Charlton

  • Gillingham beat Morecambe to go back to the top of League Two

  • Cardiff host Swansea in south Wales derby at 19:45 BST

  • Get involved using #bbcefl on X, formerly known at Twitter

  1. That's all... for nowpublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    It's been another hectically riveting afternoon of English Football League action.

    We've seen Preston reclaim the Championship lead, Sunderland fight back to beat QPR, late drama as Watford overcame Birmingham and much, MUCH move.

    You can relive all the action as it happened below.

    But, of course, that's not all from us as we still have fierce Welsh rivals Cardiff and Swansea coming up against one another in the late kick-off.

    For now, it's goodbye from us.

  2. Still to come...published at 17:32 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Cardiff City v Swansea City (19:45 BST)

    General view of Cardiff City StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    The EFL action is not over for today. No, there's a big game in the Championship still to come this evening as south Wales rivals Cardiff and Swansea meet at the Cardiff City Stadium (kick-off 19:45 BST).

    The Swans have had the better of the meetings over the past two seasons - winning all four of them - so the Bluebirds might fancy a bit of revenge against a team that is still searching for their first league victory under new boss Michael Duff.

    Our colleagues at BBC Sport Wales will be starting coverage at 19:15 BST and you can follow the action by clicking on the link below.

    Ramsey penalty seals derby victory for Cardiff over Swansea

    Relive Cardiff's south Wales derby victory over Swansea as Aaron Ramsey's penalty seals win for hosts.

    Read More
  3. League Two full-time headlinespublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    • Gillingham go top after scoring twice in a game for the first time this season, beating 10-man Morecambe 2-1.
    • Swindon are in to the top three with a comfortable 2-0 win over Walsall.
    • Wrexham are hot on their heels in fourth after a routine 3-0 victory over Grimsby.
    • Mansfield hit back late on to pick up a point from their trip to Colchester.
    • Crewe score a very late injury-time equaliser at Wimbledon.
    • MK Dons suffer a 2-1 reverse at home to Stockport.
    • Accrington sit just outside the top seven as they record a 4-1 win against struggling Sutton.
    • Bottom-side Doncaster pick up their first victory of the season with a late winner at Forest Green.
    • The points are shared between Bradford-Harrogate, Crawley-Tranmere and Newport-Barrow.
  4. League One full-time headlinespublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    • Exeter go top with a 1-0 win over Cheltenham as Stevenage are held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Charlton.
    • Port Vale move into second as Ben Garrity's late goal gives them a 1-0 win over Northampton.
    • Oxford are up to third with a comfortable 3-0 win at the seaside over Fleetwood.
    • Devante Cole's double sees Barnsley move up to fifth, defeating Burton 2-0.
    • After a turbulent week, Reading come from behind to beat Bolton 2-1.
    • Wycombe sit just outside the top six after a 2-0 win over Blackpool.
    • Colby Bishop scores a late equaliser for Portsmouth at Derby.
    • Bristol Rovers score late twice to pick up all three points at Shrewsbury.
    • Wigan's good start continues with a 2-1 win at home to Cambridge.
    • The points are shared with 1-1 draws between Lincoln-Carlisle and Peterborough-Leyton Orient.
  5. View from the bottom...published at 17:21 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Graphic of the bottom of the Championship tableImage source, .

    Defeats for Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday leave them both with just a solitary point at the bottom of the table.

    Huddersfield Town are the day's big movers, leaping up from 21st to 16th with their victory against Rotherham.

  6. The view at the top...published at 17:18 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Graphic of top end of the Championship tableImage source, .

    Things are looking pretty for Preston at the top of the Championship after their 2-1 win against Plymouth.

    Leicester City slip to second spot, with Ipswich Town now equal on points with the Foxes.

    Norwich's narrow win against Stoke moves them up to fourth, while Birmingham's defeat by Watford drops them to sixth.

  7. Championship full-time headlinespublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    Jack Clarke celebrates scoring for Sunderland at QPRImage source, Getty Images
    • Sunderland fight back from a goal down to beat 10-man QPR 3-1 at Loftus Road
    • Preston North End's flying start is enough to see off Plymouth and take them back to the top of the league, despite a second-half rally and goal from Ryan Hardie
    • Two stoppage-time goals hand Watford victory and give Birmingham a first league loss of the season.
    • Jack Stacey earns Norwich a 1-0 win against Stoke, while Connor Chaplin gives their East Anglian neighbours Ipswich a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday
    • Blackburn celebrate 5,000 league games with victory over a Middlesbrough side still awaiting a first win of the season in the Championship
    • Huddersfield beat Rotherham with a goal in each half, from Josh Koroma and Sorba Thomas
    • Fans at Ashton Gate saw a stalemate between Bristol City and West Brom
  8. Postpublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Now that the final whistles have sounded up and down the land, let's remind you of today's headlines....

  9. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:09 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    QPR 1-3 Sunderland

    Sunderland were trailing when old boy Jack Colback was dismissed for QPR but roared back to win this one comfortably.

    Kenneth Paal's opener for Rangers was a real rocket, but the response from the visitors was excellent.

    Jack Clarke struck before half-time while Dan Ballard and Abdoullah Ba goals ensured the points would head the long journey back to the north east with the Wearsiders.

  10. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:09 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Sheff Wed 0-1 Ipswich

    Conor Chaplin's low strike just before half-time is enough to secure the points and keep Ipswich among the pacesetters in the division.

    If it weren't for Devis Vasquez in the Owls goal it would have been more convincing.

    Wednesday remain second-bottom with a single point.

  11. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Blackburn 2-1 Middlesbrough

    Sammie Szmodics (right) scored twice in Blackburn's win over MiddlesbroughImage source, Rex Features

    Middlesbrough's winless run continues, as Blackburn mark 5,000 league games with victory.

    They did it tough, as Boro fought back, but Sammie Szmodics' two goals ensured Matt Crooks' effort was academic.

  12. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Watford 2-0 Birmingham

    They left it late but the Hornets are back to winning ways thanks to Mileta Rajovic's injury time header - his third in three games - and Ryan Andrews' deflected strike in the dying seconds. Blues suffer their first defeat of the season.

    Birmingham have lost six in a row at Vicarage Road without scoring a goal.

  13. Postpublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Sheff Wed 0-1 Ipswich

    Nathan Broadhead has come close to a second for the visitors but keeper Devis Vasquez has produced his umpteenth crucial save.

    It remains a one-goal game.

  14. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Huddersfield 2-0 Rotherham

    Goals from Josh Koroma and Sorba Thomas either side of the break earns Neil Warnock's Huddersfield a deserved 2-0 Yorkshire derby triumph against Rotherham.

  15. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Preston 2-1 Plymouth

    Preston celebrate Liam Millar's goal against PlymouthImage source, Getty Images

    Preston hang on to beat Plymouth and head back to the top of the Championship.

    That's five successive wins for Ryan Lowe's Lilywhites.

  16. League One updatepublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    Corey Blackett-Taylor has scored a very late equaliser for Charlton at Stevenage.

  17. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Bristol City 0-0 West Brom

    Albion wanted a penalty after Kai Naismith's last-gasp challenge on Josh Maja in stoppage time but the two teams will have to settle for a share of the points.

    Chances at both ends but neither side could find a breakthrough.

  18. League Two updatepublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    Jamie Walker has scored a very late equaliser for Bradford at home to Harrogate in the Yorkshire derby.

  19. goal

    GOAL: Watford 2-0 Birminghampublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

    Ryan Andrews (90+6 mins)

    Ryan Andrews picks up his first goal for the Hornets with a 20-yard drive which takes a wicked deflection off a defender to beat John Ruddy.

    That, as they say, is that.

  20. League One updatepublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 16 September 2023

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    Aaron Collins has made the points safe for Bristol Rovers with an injury-time second at Shrewsbury.