Jones will return trust invested in him

Dave Jones intends to keep Wolverhampton Wanderers at the top of the First Division – and continue repaying his debt of gratitude to the club's benefactor Sir Jack Hayward.

A 3-0 win over Rotherham took Wolves top on Saturday and put them on target for a return to the top flight for the first time since 1985. But Jones acknowledges it was Sir Jack who gave him another attempt at management following his court appearances last year which cost him his job at Southampton.

"I will not forget that it was Sir Jack who has given me the chance of getting back into football," he said. "I want to succeed for myself because I want to manage back in the Premiership – but I'm doing it for Sir Jack as well."

It was a convincing win with goals from Colin Cameron, Mark Kennedy and Alex Rae – all three brought to the club this season by Jones.

West Bromwich Albion's 1-0 win over Burnley moved them up to third spot, ahead of Norwich, who lost 2-1 at Sheffield United. The Blades' manager Neil Warnock said: "I read during the week that my team weren't playing for me – well, I think they answered that with the effort they put in."

United chalked up their first home win of the season despite being reduced to 10 men when Carl Asaba, who scored the opener, was sent off for a second bookable offence. Patrick Suffo grabbed the second.

Crystal Palace are up to fourth, with a 4-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday. Dougie Freedman celebrated his Scotland call-up with two goals inside 14 minutes, and Clinton Morrison scored the others.

The Palace manager Steve Bruce said: "My front two are a real threat. I wouldn't part with them for anything. Dougie has had a wonderful start with 10 goals already, and it's still only September."

Coventry's 2-1 win at Gillingham is likely to clinch the manager's job for Roland Nilsson. Yousef Chippo and Jairo Martinez got the Coventry goals to give Nilsson his fifth win in six games since taking over as caretaker from Gordon Strachan. Nilsson has a meeting with the chairman Bryan Richardson this week.

Nevertheless Nilsson was concerned only about the result and said: "The boys gave everything. They were very tired at the end."

Grimsby came back from 2-0 down at Bradford City but still lost. Robbie Blake and Eion Jess had Bradford in command before Jon Rowan and then Michael Boulding equalised with 10 minutes left. But Ashley Ward got the winner three minutes from time to end Bradford's run of three games without a win.

Grimsby's manager Lennie Lawrence said: "We outplayed Bradford for much of the second half. The lads did fantastically to pull the game back, but when we needed to concentrate we threw it away." Two goalless draws saw troubled Birmingham held at Crewe and Millwall grab a point at Walsall.