Sky Bet EFL: Five highlights and key incidents from the weekend's action
It's been another eventful weekend in the Sky Bet EFL. Tom Carnduff looks at five key events that you may have missed.
In-form Norwich hit four
The Canaries sit top of the form charts and were briefly top of the league as four second-half goals helped them secure a 4-0 victory away at Sheffield Wednesday.
Mario Vrancic missed a penalty just six minutes in, but it didn't prove to be costly as Daniel Farke's men wrapped up all three points on offer.
It was their fourth win in a row, and they'll be optimistic of making it five when they welcome Millwall in their next encounter.
It's refreshing to see that, in a climate of club's sacking managers after minimal time in the job, Norwich were willing to remain patient with Farke especially given their slow start.
They are now reaping the rewards of that, with only goal difference keeping them off first place.
Speaking after that win, the Norwich boss said: "We are pretty happy with this result, and also with the performance.
"They (Sheffield Wednesday) tried to play with lots of intensity, but our performance was too good, and in the second half we could speed up our game-play.
"It’s important to enjoy this feeling, but it’s also important that the players and me have both feet on the ground.
"We know where we are coming from. We don’t lose the ground from under our feet."
Leeds defending catches the eye
The difference when you're at the top of the league. Enthused & imminent recovery by #lufc in the transition. Every single player with a distinct focus of getting behind the ball. Bielsa has this team drilled on & off the ball. @PhilHayYEP @msceducation @Smedley033 @SoccerIQ1 pic.twitter.com/dHvJ6bBJXY
— Coach Ellis Riley (@CoachEllisRiley) November 4, 2018
Tracking back is the one job that a lot of players don't like doing, although that's not the case if you play for Leeds United.
Not one, not two, but SEVEN Leeds players sprint back to stop Josh Windass scoring an equaliser for Wigan. It was a joy to watch and it helped Leeds return to the top with a 2-1 victory.
Defender Pontus Jansson said on Twitter: "This video says everything about this team.
"Last year we looked at each other and expected the teammate to run home. This year if you don’t run home you gonna hear it from everyone!
"Fantastic atmosphere and support once again, felt like home!"
It's no surprise to see the attention that Marcelo Bielsa is getting at Elland Road. The Whites have been a joy to watch in attack, but their defensive efforts could help them lift the Sky Bet Championship trophy in May.
Gallagher saves the day for Preston
It's probably a manager's worst nightmare on the pitch, your goalkeeper getting injured or sent off after using all three substitutions.
That nightmare became a reality for Alex Neil on Saturday after Chris Maxwell was shown a second yellow and midfielder Paul Gallagher had to put on the gloves.
Ipswich were around the 3/1 mark in-play when Maxwell saw red, and you imagine a few punters would have seen the value in a home win given the situation.
Gallagher had actually drawn Preston level just minutes earlier, and his wonderful save late on ensured that they would travel back to Lancashire with a point.
"It was incredible," Gallagher told the Lancashire Evening Post.
"The manager told me to go on the pitch and try and make an impact.
"Luckily for me we got a free-kick and my first touch was a goal and then my second was a goal kick. I've never done that before.
"I was confident, I used to play in goal as a kid, and said to the manager 'I'll go in goal' but he wanted to speak to Louis (Moult).
"I was going to tell Louis 'say you don't want to go in, I'll go in'. I was already making his decision for him."
McGeady strike puts Sunderland second
It was Sporting Life's goal of the weekend, and McGeady's first of two strikes helped Sunderland on their way to three points at struggling Plymouth.
Everything about the goal is enjoyable to watch, the driving run forward, finding space despite two defenders applying the pressure and then hitting the bottom corner from distance.
The result saw Sunderland move up to second in the Sky Bet League One standings - and they are now back to 15/8 favourites to win the title this season.
The Black Cats are enjoying a six-game winning run in all competitions, and their home tie with Wycombe gives them a great opportunity to extend it to seven.
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo about McGeady's impact, manager Jack Ross said: "I played against him when he was 19, 20, 21 and trust me it wasn’t easy to play against him then.
"I don’t know if he has got better with age, he has always been an immensely talented footballer.
"It is just getting him in the right place and frame of mind and he is there for us at the moment, if you do that then he will produce moments like today."
Playing out from the back doesn't always work
Playing it out from the back is the ideal start to any attack in football. Managing to work the ball from your goalkeeper to your forwards before scoring is the stuff that dominates plenty of highlight reels.
Not every team has perfected it though, and Crawley were caught out by their opponents to concede their fourth goal of the afternoon against MK Dons.
Town have now conceded nine goals in their last two games and slipped down to 12th in the Sky Bet League Two table.
They've lost three of their last five, putting them fourth-bottom of the form charts, although they do take on another out-of-form side in Grimsby in their next game.
Speaking to the Crawley Observer prior to the game, head coach Gabriele Cioffi said: "We came from two amazing performances against Newport County and Exeter and we thought that came from our skill.
"But it came from the challenges, the one v ones won. You can’t start thinking it’s all from your skill; we are not at that level at the moment.
"We failed to defend the set-pieces which is funny because in the last seven, eight, nine, ten games we were the only team unbeaten in set-pieces."
That skill discussed by Cioffi not necessarily on show at this time.
Odds correct at 1120 BST (05/11/18)
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