In-form midfielder Isaac Price netted his eighth goal of the season as West Bromwich Albion extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to six games after easing to a 3-0 win over Millwall at the weekend.
The 23-year-old broke the deadlock for the Baggies just five minutes after the break with a sublime curling effort. Afterwards, he admitted that his hard work on the training ground this season is finally paying off.
“I’ve worked on my finishing a lot this year,” said Price, who also provided an assist for West Brom’s third goal. “I think last year I was getting into similar positions but the shots were either erratic or I was making the wrong decision at the wrong time.
“It’s something I have worked on with the staff here, and I felt a lot more confident when I was driving into that position today just to try and find the corner instead of taking the leather off the ball.”
Also on the Championship scoresheet was midfielder Jordan Thompson, whose sensational first-half volley secured a slender 1–0 win for bottom-of-the-table Preston North End over Southampton at Deepdale.
Midfielder Ethan Galbraith provided his fifth assist of the season as Stoke City came from behind to beat Portsmouth 2-1 at Fratton Park, equalling a club-record fifth consecutive away league win.
In the FA Cup, Cameron McGeehan scored a hat-trick as Barnsley progressed to round two after beating non-league Aldershot 7-2 at Oakwell, while under-21 striker Devlan Moses, who is on loan at Buxton from Sheffield Wednesday, scored his third of the season for the National League North outfit who drew 2-2 at Scarborough.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Callum Marshall started Luton Town’s 2-0 win over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, though Hatters boss Jack Wilshere opted to rest loanee Jamie Donley.
Defensive duo Ciaron Brown and Brodie Spencer were also rested as Oxford United exited the competition at the opening hurdle following a 1-0 home defeat to Stevenage, who brought Josh Magennis on from the bench late in the second half.
In the Premier League, Shea Charles and Trai Hume thankfully came through their matches with Fulham and Sunderland unscathed. Meanwhile, Braiden Graham was an unused substitute for the tenth time this season as Everton beat Coventry City 3-1.
In the WSL, Rebecca McKenna featured for Birmingham City in their 4-1 away defeat to London City Lionesses, while Ellie Mason remained an unused substitute for basement-side Charlton Athletic, who suffered a ninth straight loss after going down 5-2 to fellow south-London outfit Crystal Palace.
Winger Cole Brannigan scored his first goal of the season in Aston Villa U21’s 5-2 reverse at Arsenal, while Matthew Orr also opened his campaign account as Nottingham Forest drew 2-2 at home to Leicester City in Premier League 2.
Finally, in the U18 Premier League Cup, Eamon Tohill scored the winner for Middlesbrough in their 2-1 win over Norwich City with his seventh of the season and Luke Hawe was also on target as Southampton beat Brentford 3-0.
