Norwich seem determined to stay in the news as the main story while on the field Huddersfield go goal crazy and MK Dons actually trouble the statisticians…
Fresh from sacking Bryan Gunn, Norwich wasted no time in unveiling his successor, Paul Lambert, who had resigned from his position as Colchester boss and took a watching brief at Brentford as Norwich under Ian Butterworth lost to the Bees. Dickson and Hunt gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before Tudor-Jones scored a consolation in second half injury-time.
Colchester, the club who inflicted the 7-1 defeat on Norwich and thus causing the chain of events to occur, found themselves 1-0 down at home to Gillingham thanks to Leeds old boy Curtis Weston’s 10th minute strike. However, Colchester, still riding the crest of a wave, fought back to win with goals from Scott Vernon and Kevin Lisbie to make it 2-1.
It appears 7-1 spankings are becoming the rage in this league as Huddersfield scored seven for the first time in a decade against hapless Brighton, who had the distinction of seeing goalkeeper Michel Kuipers sent-off for conceding a penalty at 2-1 and the replacement goalkeeper Smith booked straight away for time-wasting before the kick.
It made no difference; Novak dispatched the kick to add to goals by Kay and Clarke while Roberts, Drinkwater and a Theo Robinson double made it 7-1. Ex-Leeds loanee Liam Dickenson scored the (unknowingly) consolation goal and it could have been worse for the ‘gulls, as Smith saved another Huddersfield penalty in the second half from Rhodes.
We’re now changing direction from teams who can’t stop scoring to MK Dons, who until the 82nd minute at Tranmere had failed to trouble the goals for or against columns. That was until Jabo Ibehre slid home a cross to win the game for the Dons.
It was MK’s first win of the season, and Millwall also secured their first win of the season against Oldham, who missed a penalty at the New Den as two goals from Martin and Harris won the points for the Lions.
Bristol Rovers continued life after Lambert with a 2-1 victory at Hartlepool whilst Charlton did likewise at Leyton Orient to keep up their 100% record in this division. The third away 2-1 victory of the night belonged to Carlisle who won a (even at this early stage) vital relegation battle at Stockport to record their first win of the season.
Swindon also scored their first win of the season by beating Southampton 1-0 after a ninth minute winner to leave the Saints still marooned at the bottom of the table on -9 points, whilst the West Country derby between Exeter and Yeovil finished 1-1 (Yeovil scoring both goals) and the East of London suburbs vs. West of London suburbs kind-of-derby-but-not-really-unless-TV-try-to-hype-it-up (phew…) also ended 1-1, both goals coming in the first half as Wycombe and Southend cancelled each other out.
