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This is the best division in the world, isn't it?

We've had 30 goals across 11 games today and as matchweek 12 comes to an end, only five points separate Middlesbrough at the top from Stoke in ninth.

Not to mention the narratives unfolding at the bottom, with Burnley - in the Premier League last season - struggling in the drop zone after a hammering at Lincoln City.

It's anyone's guess who will finish where in the Championship this season.

Thank you for joining us today and for all your messages. It's been a pleasure.

That's us done on this live page now. Join us again for Walsall's clash with League Two leaders Salford on Monday night.

The Saddlers will be trying to preserve the last standing unbeaten record in the top four divisions...

Good night!

Mark Elliott
Stoke City commentator on BBC Radio Stoke

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This one finished Stoke and Bristol City 0-1 Storm Boelo.

The weather might have won the day but a point for the Potters will feel like one gained if they can follow it up with a win against struggling Preston next week.

The wind played havoc with both teams attempts to break the other down but it was a compliment to Stoke that the visitors changed to a back five and by the end only one team looked like they really wanted a winner.

The game was a learning curve for players like Luca Bombino who won’t have encountered conditions like this too often in California and Stoke’s other MLS import Jack McGlynn.

Losing Lamine Cisse to injury early in the game was a blow but Stoke carried enough of a threat to move on from this one with confidence intact.

Championship teams are judged on sequences of results and with three more fixtures to come that look reasonably winnable on paper they’ll hope that this draw forms part of an unbeaten run in the same way the draw at Cardiff earlier in the season did.

Niall McCaughan
BBC Final Score at Loftus Road

The Championship's tightest defence met the top half's leanest attack at Loftus Road on Saturday.

Games involving Swansea had yielded the fewest goals so far this season and all the stats pointed to it being a close affair against QPR.

It wasn't.

It took just 14 minutes and 40 seconds for QPR to take a 3-0 lead, with striker Richard Kone getting all of them.

The Ivorian was so out of form and favour earlier this season, he wasn’t even making the QPR squad, but in the midst of an injury crisis he answered his managers call emphatically.

It's the earliest hat-trick in any of English football’s top four divisions since Opta started keeping records in 2004.

This QPR side are missing attacking players like Madsen, Burrell and Chair, with Dembele only just returning from a long term knee issue which has kept him out of the side since January.

To put five past a Swansea side who had only conceded eight goals all season before the weekend is impressive in its own right, let alone with what feels like a perpetual injury crisis for manager Julien Stephan.

Richard Kone told me after the game he will be keeping his hat-trick ball on top of the brand new cupboard he recently bought, which to me seems pretty good timing.

But you could argue it's not perhaps as timely as his welcome return to form for this depleted QPR squad as they move just three points from Swansea in the automatics.

Wolves

Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto speaking to BBC Radio WM:

"Today we saw a team with more mobility, who attacked the space, who took more shots, had more people inside of the box and created more chances to score.

"We have to score more. The goalkeeper made a lot of good saves as well. It is a good victory for us, an important three points at home.

"We have mostly played teams in the top half of the table [so far]. We are two points from second and four points from first. We keep pushing - the Championship is like that."

Burnley

Burnley's dismal start to the season continued as they led a one-goal lead slip to fall to a 4-1 thumping at Lincoln.

Clarets head coach Nicky Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We actually did OK [in the first half], they didn't create a really big opportunity. We didn't play our best football ourselves in the first half but we created two corner kicks as we had in the training session, had one saved on the line and the second was a goal.

"Then we concede another easy goal, a throw-in goes towards the second post and no-one takes responsibility to clear it, and they react quicker than us.

"Then it's another easy goal, and it's the story of the season - you feel it in the confidence, and in the second half you saw it."

[Asked if he will be in charge next week] "I don't know. I know it's a really hard defeat and something to think about for the board also.

"In the past maybe I lost my energy but I'm not going to lose my energy because this is something out of my hands."

John Bennett
BBC Final Score reporter at the Molineux

On paper, the win over Watford should fill Wolves fans with plenty of positivity after a post international break blip in form but for me, it brought up the big concern about this team; they’re not clinical enough.

The result should’ve been a lot more comfortable for the home side and the atmosphere second-half should’ve been a lot less edgy and nervy. The stats say it all; 26 shots, just one goal.

I was impressed with their flowing football at times, with the likes of Kieran Trippier, Jordan James and sub Mateus Mane looking dangerous and there were so many attacking opportunities. But on countless occasions either the final shot, or more often than not, the final ball, let Wolves down.

Plus, it’s not a one off; in fact it’s now 10 matches on the spin for Wolves without scoring more than two goals in a single game. That’s something that didn’t cost them against a Watford side that offered very little but it did cost them last Tuesday when they conceded an 86th minute equaliser at home to Portsmouth.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty to be happy about from a Wolves perspective and it’s to their credit that Watford were so toothless on Saturday.

To add to that it was also a weekend when a number of rivals, just above them, and just below them, dropped points.

But in a tight promotion race Cesar Peixoto’s side have to find a way to be more clinical in front of goal, to avoid needlessly dropping points in games which they totally dominate.

Watford

Watford boss Alessio Dionisi speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio:

"We need courage with the ball. In the first half we played without courage.

"Last season Wolves played in the Premier League, they are a big team and there is difference between them and us, but the second half was different. We played with courage.

"We play match by match. We will prepare better to play against Norwich, but for me the mentality is better."

Lincoln City

Lincoln City beat Burnley 4-1 to claim their first home win of the season.

Imps head coach Tom Shaw told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:

"We knew this was an important day and a big opportunity, and a dangerous opponent, so I'm just delighted at that feeling at full time for everybody.

"The lads went after it, especially in the second half, were relentless with their work and got a big reward.

"After a little discussion at half time we felt we could be a little more ruthless. We thought they were there for the taking and our lads were a little bit tentative at certain moments.

"But they went right after it for that second 45 minutes of football. In every area of the game we were far superior."

Southampton

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert speaking to BBC Radio Solent:

"It's not an easy place to come to and West Ham are a really good team so it was important to start strong.

"We suffered in the second half and defended well and we had a good goalkeeper today which is something you need sometimes, but overall it was a proper team performance.

"We took a decision at the start of the season to go into this campaign with a very small squad and that always means that injuries might hurt you at some moments.

"But there is the chance for players to step up and everyone knows that the time comes sooner or later.

"It will remain important if we are to play for something big this season."

QPR

Image source, Press Association

As we've just seen in the last post, QPR striker Richard Kone made some history today.

And to think he was playing ninth tier football three years ago after he was spotted having a kickabout at Hackney Marshes.

Read more about Kone's remarkable journey and rise to the top in our story from last year here.

Image source, Shutterstock

• QPR’s Richard Kone scored the earliest hat-trick from the start of a match (15th minute) in England’s top four tiers on record (since the EFL rebrand in 2004-05).
• Patrick Bamford has scored 12 goals in his 21 home league games for Sheffield United, netting more goals at home than any other Championship player since his debut at Bramall Lane in November 2025.
• West Ham found themselves 2-0 down after 11 minutes against Southampton, the earliest the Hammers have been two goals behind in an EFL home match on record (since the EFL rebrand in 2004-05).
• Lincoln gained their first home win of the season, ending their longest run at the start of an EFL campaign without a home win since 2004-05 (also 5 games).
• Cardiff City have won three consecutive home league games in the second tier for the first time since November 2024 (run of four).
• Andri Gudjohnsen became the first Blackburn Rovers player to score 2+ goals in consecutive league games since Ben Brereton Diaz in September 2021.

Derby County

Derby looked to be on course for a first win in eight before Dion Sanderson's red card at Sheffield United left them to hang on for a point.

Rams head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

"What a fantastic battling performance, to go down to 10 men at this place and stick in there. Obviously we're disappointed to concede in the way we did, with the ball to the far post and not doing our jobs, and that can affect things.

"Overall we played some fantastic football, defensively we were really strong and in the second half just before the sending-off I felt we were in control.

"The group are an amazing group to work with, very honest, and whoever plays out there gives their best. We've lacked a bit of quality at times and played some very good teams, but today we were able to bring two or three top Championship players into the group."

Sheffield United

Patrick Bamford's goal gave Sheffield United a share of the points against 10-man Derby.

Blades manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"We should win that game from the position we were in, especially in the second half. We took advantage of them going down to 10 men. We had them camped and their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves.

"I'm more disappointed about the first half performance to be honest because it was a big opportunity. We had talked about the situation the opposition are in.

"I've been pleased with the performances and results since the international break, and I just wasn't happy regarding the approach. The players thought the game would come to them."

Millwall

Millwall suffered a late loss after Portsmouth scored in the 82nd minute. Lions boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio London:

"I don't think there was a lot in the game. I thought for large spells we were actually better.

"The first half I thought we were good, got the goal, and then the goal we conceded was so poor. After we've scored, we were more passive for some reason.

"I thought the game became a little bit stretched and we made some really naïve errors, for the second goal in particular.

"I'm disappointed with how the game ended. Throughout the game, I thought we were relatively comfortable but some of the mistakes and errors and naivety that was shown, we lost the game off the back of that."

Portsmouth

Portsmouth came from behind to beat Millwall in bleak conditions at Fratton Park. Pompey boss John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:

"We had to do it in a very different way. I think it was the win that we probably didn't deserve.

"And the first time I think we've got a positive result this season that I don't think on the balance of play we deserved.

"I thought Millwall were excellent. They caused us a lot of problems, particularly in the second half.

"I suppose we talk about whether you deserve it or not. On the balance of play, maybe not, but in terms of the application, the effort, the work rate, the ability to go again and again and again after a very, very difficult schedule.

"That means we've maybe got a little bit of luck that we've deserved and haven't had previously."

Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"When we had our opportunities we didn't take them. When they had their opportunities - and a lot of them were gifted - we didn't do the basics well enough.

"We have to do better, the second goal is alarming because no one goes to the ball. We allow them to deliver a flighty ball in and we were all over the place in the back four.

"Every single bit of our defending at the minute we're not doing well enough."

Norwich City

Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk:

"Everybody is united in this group, otherwise you cannot come back after going behind here. Those signs are really good.

"The dressing room is really good, it's now (about) getting consistency in the performances and game management.

"I told them that they need to feel happy, this is just the start we needed to fuel their confidence for the weeks and months to come. They can still do better."

It's probably time we heard from some managers, right?

While we're waiting for reaction from our 3pm games, let's take a look back at our lunchtime games, shall we?

Andy Sixsmith
Final Score reporter

Toxic scenes at full time in the Burnley end.

Credit to the players for going over to the fans - but the supporters break out into boos and chants of, ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at the team.

Banners unfurled against owners ALK and Alan Pace too - with the future of Nicky Hayen in serious jeopardy.

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If you are just joining us and want to get up to speed with what has happened in the Championship today - or want to read about how your team got on, then we have you covered.

Simply tap on any of today's scores below to read the respective match reports:

• Charlton 1-3 Norwich
• Portsmouth 2-1 Millwall
• Sheffield United 1-1 Derby
• Blackburn 2-0 Wrexham
• Cardiff 1-0 Birmingham
• Lincoln 4-1 Burnley
• Preston 1-1 West Brom
• QPR 5-0 Swansea
• Stoke 0-0 Bristol City
• West Ham 2-3 Southampton
• Wolves 1-0 Watford