Comics are match of the day

Round-up

Every game – by the people who care most

Jerome Thomas scored twice as West Bromwich Albion, second in the Championship, recovered from the early setback of Matt Mills' goal for Reading to win 3-1 at the Hawthorns and keep the pressure on leaders Newcastle United. "A threat all day," Albion manager Roberto Di Matteo said of Thomas, signed this summer after Portsmouth released him.

Every game - by the people who care the most

Nottingham Forest were the latest team to profit from Plymouth's shocking recent form as they inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the hosts at Home Park yesterday, Chris Gunter scoring the goal that brought Forest a first away win this season. Argyle are rooted to the bottom of the Championship table after suffering seven consecutive defeats.

Newcastle United 3 Plymouth Argyle 1

Using Google cleverly to get your ads noticed has become a new art-form. This week's prize for the cleverest, or cheekiest, wheeze goes to the price comparison website GoCompare.com, which has nicked the slogan of rival ComparetheMarket.com. The latter has become famous for inflicting Alexander the irritable Russian Meerkat on the world in what has become an iconic ad campaign. But type "compare the meerkat" into Google and the top two sponsored links take you through to GoCompare's website underneath the header "Comparing Meerkats". That's something that should get Alexander really cross.

Forced to cut off his dreadlocks before being allowed to join Man United as a schoolboy, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's rise to the Premier League with Wolves has been far from ordinary

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell lamented his side's lacklustre display in front of goal as they suffered the humiliation of a first-round Carling Cup exit at home to Port Vale.

Birmingham City, four points adrift of the Championship leaders and just one clear of the chasing pack at the start of the day yesterday, were forced to endure a torrid afternoon at St Andrew's against Plymouth Argyle, as Cardiff did best of the pursuers.

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

Championship leaders Wolves, who do not kick-off against Cardiff City until 1pm today, were the biggest winners yesterday, their two closest rivals, Birmingham City and Reading, both spurning the chance to close the gap. After just 52 seconds at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry City’s Scott Dann fired in from Daniel Fox’s corner and Alex McLeish’s Blues could muster neither the guile nor the graft to get back into the match. Scott Sinclair had an equaliser ruled out, but McLeish did not blame the officials.