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Weekend action: five things you may have missed!

6 July 2020

The EFL action continued at the weekend, and it certainly didn't disappoint!

Kicking things off on Friday evening were the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Semi-Finals - the perfect place to begin when it comes to our round-up!

Here are just a few of the things you may have missed...

1. One foot in the Final for Wycombe?

Simply put, Wycombe Wanderers' trip to Fleetwood Town on Friday evening had it all. Three goals inside the opening 10 minutes saw the visitors twice take the lead and, from there, Gareth Ainsworth's men didn't look back. Helped by two red cards for the home side, Wycombe ran out eventual 4-1 winners; and while the job isn't done yet, they'll be strong favourites to reach Wembley going into Monday's second leg. The other Semi-Final, between Oxford United and Portsmouth, is finely poised after a 1-1 draw in their first leg.

2. Royals run riot at Kenilworth Road

Reading turned on the style on Saturday afternoon, putting five goals past relegation-threatened Luton Town on their travels. It was a fine team display, but one man - Yakou Meite - stole the show, scoring four of his side's goals on the day. Having completed his hat-trick inside the first 45 minutes, Meite added a futher effort after the break, as the Royals moved to within four points of the top half. Meite wasn't the only one to take home a match ball on Saturday, as Brentford's Said Benrahma bagged three goals against Wigan Athletic to become the first player to score two hat-tricks in the Championship this season.

3. A big result at the bottom

Barnsley's first league trip to Stoke City since September 2007 had been described as a six-pointer in the build-up to kick-off, and it was the Potters who raced out of the traps to distance themselves from their opponents and the relegation spots. Two goals within the opening 10 minutes ultimately did the damage, as Stoke picked up a vital victory in their battle to avoid the drop. It finished 4-0, a result which leaves Barnsley four points adrift of safety with games running out. They were helped, however, by defeats for Middlesbrough and Hull City on Sunday.

4. Baggies keep pace at the top

Things are as close at the top of the Sky Bet Championship as they are at the bottom, after both Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion picked up maximum points over the weekend, finding the net a combined seven times in the process. Leeds put the pressure on their fellow title challengers by beating Blackburn Rovers 3-1 on Saturday, and Albion responded with a 4-2 win over Hull to keep the gap between the sides to just a point. They often say the most important stat is the scoreline, but a hat-trick of assists by Matheus Pereira for West Brom was certainly a key contribution.

5. #ThankYouTogether

Sunday 5 July marked the 72nd birthday of the NHS, and Clubs up and down the country paid tribute before kick-off with a round of applause, while a special video was also shown on big screens around the grounds. The occasion was about thanking everyone, from truck drivers and cleaners to doctors and shelf stackers, all of the key workers who have kept us going in challenging times. At 5pm, players, staff and fans joined the nation in a further period of applause to show their appreciation as part of the 'Thank You Together' campaign. 

 


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