League round-up: Vintage Clarets warm up for Arsenal with quick Ram raid

Burnley's Martin Paterson scored two goals at the near post as the Clarets wrapped up their 3-0 win over Derby County at Turf Moor inside the first 23 minutes to move up to fourth in the Championship, a point behind third-placed Reading. Kevin McDonald's volley from the edge of the penalty hadstarted the stroll.

"We have been in terrific form at home," Burnley's manager, Owen Coyle said. "We looked a young, vibrant team, full of energy." Which has often been said of their next visitors, due on Tuesday: Arsenal, for a Carling Cup quarter-final.

Sheffield United slipped a place to fifth after needing a James Beattie penalty in injury time to grab a point from the 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town. Tommy Miller made the breakthrough, also from the penalty spot, after Blades defender Matt Kilgallon handled.

On the half-hour at foggy Deepdale, Preston North End carved Bristol City open on the left to set up Stephen Elliott's six-yard finish. Ross Wallace's deflected second-half shot made it2-0. Alan Irvine's side jumped into the top six because the Blackpool substitute Liam Dickinson, on loan from Derby, scored twice in the last quarter as they won 2-1 at Plymouth Argyle, who slip to eighth.

"We were the best team throughout the course of the game," Pool's manager, Simon Grayson, said. "Liam's here to make an impression and has obviously started exceptionally well."

In the relegation scraps, Joe Garner's goal, a 36th-minute header, and a string of saves by Lee Camp saw Nottingham Forest beat Barnsley 1-0 to move off the bottom. "We got ourselves into this pickleand we can get ourselves out of it," Colin Calderwood, the Forest manager, who was rumoured to be ripe for the sack if the match had been lost, said. His side are replaced at the bottom by Doncaster Rovers, who drew 1-1 at Watford in the Hornets' first match under new manager Brendan Rodgers.

Tommy Smith put Watford ahead, but Steve Brooker, on loan from Bristol City, equalised. "In the second half it was very difficult for us and so overall at 1-1 I was pleased," Rodgers said.

Elsewhere, there were goalless draws between Charlton Athletic and Southampton, and in the London derby between Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers. Sheffield Wednesday beat visitors Norwich City 3-2, the Owls winner coming from Marcus Tudgay, who had earlier given away the foul that saw Sammy Clingan put the Canaries ahead from the penalty spot. "We were rubbish in the first half," Wednesday's manager, Brian Laws, admitted. "I was so glad to get them in at half-time and give out some rollickings." Clearly, it worked.

Meanwhile, in the FA Cup Second Round two ties guaranteed non-League participation in today's Third Round draw and the chance of a plum tie against Premiership opposition. In the all-Conference meeting at Plainmoor, Elliot Benyon scored both as Torquay United beat Oxford United 2-0, but it was the end of the road for the Unibond North side Curzon Ashton. They lost 2-0 at Kidderminster Harriers after having David Carnell sent off.

Blyth Spartans, one off the bottom of the Conference North, travelled to Bournemouth and forced a 0-0 draw to leave the Cherries, one off the bottom of League Two, a long trip north for the replay. Matt Fryatt took his season's goals to 19 with a hat-trick as League One leaders Leicester City beat League Two's Dagenham & Redbridge 3-2 and Junior Stanislas, on loan from West Ham, scored twice as Southend beat Luton Town 3-1.