📈 EFL (and FA Cup) Review: Stunning Szmodics; Derby delight and more | OneFootball

The Football League – and those participants in the FA Cup – served up its usual helping of brilliant goals and astonishing late drama this weekend.

Here are our highlights.

EFL clubs in the FA Cup

Moment of the weekend

With the Championship postponed this weekend due to the FA Cup third round we thought this would be a good moment to highlight a particularly impressive performance from a second tier side in the competition.

And that undoubtedly goes to Bristol City and their brilliant 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday.

The Hammers named what amounted to their strongest side at the London Stadium and flew out of the blocks as Jarrod Bowen netted for the Premier League side within five minutes.

But Liam Manning’s men weren’t deterred by West Ham’s early onslaught and by half time were comfortably the better team.

Tommy Conway netted an equaliser for the Robins early in the second half and were it not for some resolute West Ham defending, the west country club could well have come away with one of the shocks of the round.

Notable mentions: Blackpool draw at Forest; Wednesday hammer Cardiff; Coventry hit Oxford for six

Player of the weekend

Sammie Szmodics is quickly establishing himself as one of the very best goalscorers in English football.

The Ireland international was at the heart of everything Blackburn did well on Saturday as they beat Cambridge 5-2 at Ewood Park.

Szmodics needed just 45 minutes to score his 17th, 18th and 19th goals of the season as the U’s were dispatched with ease.

Not many teams will fancy taking on Blackburn in the fourth round.

Notable mentions: Kasey Palmer (Coventry); Nathaniel Chalobah (West Brom); Charlie Patino (Swansea)

League One

Moment of the weekend

Whilst most eyes were fixed on the FA Cup, Cheltenham quietly produced arguably the biggest shock of the League One season so far.

Darrell Clarke’s side have improved vastly since the 46-year-old coach arrived in October but even he must have thought a win over table-topping Portsmouth was a step too far.

But win they did as a Liam Sercombe double ensured that the Whaddon Road side inflicted only Pompey’s third defeat of the campaign.

The victory takes Cheltenham up to 22nd but the Gloucestershire side are now level on points with Reading.

Notable mentions: Exeter beat Carlisle in basement battle; Port Vale and Charlton play out six-goal thriller; Derby impress in Fleetwood win

Player of the weekend

Veteran Derby striker James Collins is enjoying an Indian Summer at Pride Park.

The 33-year-old has been a journeyman striker for most of his career, scoring goals here and there at Luton, Crawley and Swindon.

But the former Ireland international seems to have found a home in the east Midlands and is finding the back of the net as a result.

Collins scored his 16th of the campaign on Saturday as the Rams went to bottom side Fleetwood and impressed in a 3-1 win.

The result takes Derby three points clear of Oxford in fourth place and with Pompey’s shock defeat at Cheltenham, takes them to within four points of the top.

Notable mentions: Liam Sercombe (Cheltenham); Reece Cole (Exeter); Gavin Massey (Port Vale)

League Two

Moment of the weekend

Salford and Forest Green played out one of the most entertaining games of the season this weekend on what was Karl Robinson’s debut in the home dugout.

The former Oxford boss was hired by Gary Neville and co on Thursday but it took just 15 minutes for the Liverpudlian coach to get himself in hot water.

Robinson was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the fourth official early in the first half and that nastiness bled on to the pitch with both sides getting a man sent off in the 90 minutes.

As it was, Salford claimed a 2-2 draw as Ryan Watson netted in injury time from the penalty spot.

Notable mentions: Harrogate impress at Donny; Crawley hit Bradford for four; Barrow win again

Player of the weekend

If Crawley are to get into the League Two play offs come they end of the season a large part of thanks must go to Danilo Orsi.

Orsi has been on fire this season but in 2024 the 27-year-old has taken his goalscoring to new heights.

The former non-league marksman scored his second brace in as many games meaning, across all leagues, he is the highest scorer of the new year so far.

This latest brace came as Crawley beat Bradford 4-2 to climb up to ninth in the table.

Notable mentions: Bradley Ihionvien (Colchester); Sam Folarin (Harrogate); Joe White (Crewe)