Football: Lloyd takes his leave

WITHOUT a game yesterday because of their ejection from the FA Cup, Brighton and Hove Albion found themselves without a manager as well when Barry Lloyd left the club. Like Howard Kendall's departure from Everton, Lloyd's decision to leave was made by 'mutual consent'. It followed a meeting with Brighton's chief executive, David Bellotti.

Lloyd, the 44-year-old who had been the club's managing director until last month and the manager for nearly seven years, said: 'I've no idea what I will end up doing. I'm looking forward to the rest.'

At the bottom of the Premiership, it was all toil, trouble and barely a bubble of drama. Swindon and Sheffield United struggled to a goalless draw at the County Ground in a match most notable for the number of offside decisions it produced.

Ipswich and Oldham managed the same score at Portman Road and were roundly booed as they left the pitch. Oldham had the better of the chances and Sean McCarthy, who signed from Bradford last week, ought to have embellished his debut with a goal in the first minute of the second half.

Gordon Durie made his first appearance for Rangers and hoisted his new club to the top of the Scottish Premier Division with two goals. They beat Motherwell, who had started the day level on points with their visitors. Pouncing on a long ball in the 37th minute, Durie sprinted through on Sieb Dykstra, sold the Motherwell keeper a dummy and tapped in.

Charlton celebrated a year back at the Valley by regaining top spot in the First Division with a 1-0 win over Luton. Phil Chapple headed Charlton's winner, but goals would have arrived earlier, were it not for Juergen Sommer, Luton's American goalkeeper. Elsewhere in the First Division, Stoke's devastating second-half display saw off Watford 2-0 and stopped a run of three defeats at the Victoria Ground. Gary Bannister and Dave Regis did the damage.

Sunderland put seven successive defeats - and the Terry Butcher era - behind them with an unlikely win at Portsmouth, who gave a disjointed performance. Martin Smith scored the only goal, with a fierce volley from 15 yards in injury time of the first half, to secure a deserved win.

Nottingham Forest's 100th goal against Birmingham City - an own-goal by Chris Whyte - was enough for victory at the City Ground. Meanwhile, City's search for a new manager moved on after Alan Curbishley signed a new contract at Charlton. All eyes are now on Barry Fry, the Southend manager, who is 'just what Birmingham City need' according to Karren Brady, their managing director.