Devlin's Double Dashes Swansea's Dreams of the Top Spot

Terry Devlin played the role of hero for Portsmouth, scoring twice to thwart Swansea's hopes of claiming the top spot in the Championship with a thrilling 3-1 victory at Fratton Park. Devlin's initial goal in the first half seemed enough for Pompey, but the drama ramped up when Zan Vipotnik, last season’s leading scorer, converted a penalty in the dying minutes, raising tensions for the home crowd. However, Devlin struck again with a clever finish deep into stoppage time, followed by Tommy Waddingham's goal shortly after, ensuring Portsmouth extended their unbeaten streak to six matches. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough, who play on Wednesday, remain at the top of the table. Birmingham City also made headlines, demolishing Millwall 3-0 at St Andrew’s. Alex Cochrane ignited the scoring within a minute, followed by left-footed strikes from Max Bird and Jay Stansfield, marking a solid performance that keeps Birmingham’s home unbeaten run alive at seven games. In a tightly contested match, Southampton and West Brom had to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns. The Baggies started strong, with Isaac Price netting a penalty after dominating the first half, but Samuel Edozie came through for Southampton, leveling the score after the break in a match that kept both teams unbeaten. Stoke City narrowly beat Blackburn 2-1, with Jack McGlynn scoring a stunning free-kick just before half-time. An own goal from Moussa Baradji gave Stoke a cushion, but a late strike from Andri Gudjohnsen set up a tense finish that saw Stoke hold on for their eighth win in eleven games. Meanwhile, Norwich handed Derby County a harsh 4-0 defeat, increasing pressure on coach John Eustace on his birthday. With three goals before the break and a late fourth from Jovon Makama, the Canaries showcased their attacking prowess, leaving Derby with just one win this season. In a thrilling encounter at Deepdale, Sydie Peck's first-half hat-trick helped Sheffield United edge past Preston 3-2. Despite giving up an early goal, Peck's efforts secured a much-needed win for the Blades, while Preston's struggles continue under new management. Watford earned a vital 1-0 win against Lincoln, courtesy of Stephy Mavididi's first goal, giving coach Alessio Dionisi some breathing room as the Hornets aim to turn their season around. Bolton also found success, with Sam Dalby scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Charlton, who now face mounting pressure after failing to win in eleven matches. Lastly, a resilient QPR side salvaged a point against Burnley, with Jonathan Varane scoring the equalizer after Largie Ramazani had given Burnley hope for their second victory of the season.