[Bob Hall:] [music] A Wolves penalty miss lets in Stoke... Derby dig in to hold off Palace... and Peterborough put Birmingham on the spot.... Hello, welcome to the Central Match Goals Extra. Coming up the best of the action from the Endsleigh Insurance League, we start at Molyneux it's Wolves and Stoke City, Phil the reporter.
[Phil:] In each of the last four games there's been speculation that Lou Macari was taking charge of Stoke for the last time. If this was his swan song it started poorly. David Kelly sixth of the season put Wolves ahead.... Macari's opposite number would have been pleased. Graham Turner's future has also been to the fore recently but for different reasons. And had Andy Thompson scored with a penalty after he'd been fouled by Simon Sturridge, Turner would have been even more comfortable.... But it wasn't to be and within a minute Stoke were level. Paul Cook's poor pass let in Martin Carruthers. His shot was well saved but Mark Steen was present for his thirteenth goal of the season.... In the second half Wolves had chances to win it. A neat move resulted in Kelly's volley, good to watch but off target.... And Wolves should have had a second penalty after Regis had apparently set up Kelly but Sandford's challenge went unnoticed by Mr Harrison, Stoke escaped and Wolves were denied the chance to regain the lead.
[Bob Hall:] Derby County needed a win against Crystal Palace to put them right up with those early leaders. Palace though are not the easiest of opponents. Dennis has been watching the action.
[Dennis:] Five minutes gone and Tommy Johnson free in the Palace penalty box is confronted by a Nigel Martin. The ball went loose and John scored his first league goal for Derby. And then Eric Young casually idling towards the corner flag has a clearance against Simpson, Johnson the loose ball against the post.... But with fourteen minutes gone Derby moved the ball slickly from Forsyth to Harts and on to Paul for a measured finish.... Two nil and the completely in charge. But there must have been a Palace revolution at half time. The visitors lethargic in the first half were very energetic in the second. Wright's neat overhead put in the persistent Chris Armstrong who threaded the ball between Wassall and Taylor.... With twenty five minutes into the half Wassall made a smother tackle as Armstrong charged towards the Derby box. The only question was yellow or red.... The ref opted for red and Wassall made an early departure for the second time this season. But Derby kept up their hundred percent home record and added a third goal with thunderous free kick. Derby three, Crystal Palace one.
[Bob Hall:] We stay out east now for Peterborough United and Birmingham City who met at London Road. Keith Daniell has been watching the action there.
[Keith:] Peterborough have been looking increasingly like first division fodder but today it was Birmingham who were left scrabbling around for crumbs and there weren't too many of them. Jason with a terrific run carrying the ball fifty yards and really there wasn't too much [LAUGHTER] doubt [] about the penalty decision. It would've been a bit dodgy at Wellford Road let alone London Road. But it took a couple of goes to get the ball in the net.... The ref said the first time the ball wasn't on the spot properly so the kick had to be retaken. No problem though for Tony he just hit it to the other side.... In the second half Peterborough had a man sent off but it didn't affect the final score, Peterborough beating Birmingham one nil at London Road.
[Bob Hall:] Well Oxford United's match against Luton Town had the air of an early relegation battle as Tim now reports, it's not a good result for Oxford.
[Tim:] Oxford have a problem. They do all the attacking but the other team do all the scoring. While United threw away a hatful of chances Luton had two shots on target in the first half and hit the jackpot with one of them as Kerry Hughes got them a goal.... United huffed and puffed but could they find a way through? Could they get a goal?... Same story in the second half. Beecham, Allan, Penny, Dyer, they could have all scored. None did, Oxford nil Luton one.
[Bob Hall:] And Notts County had won four of their five league matches at Meadow Lane this season but they were given an early shock by today's visitors Portsmouth.
[speaker006:] The last thing you need when you're at the bottom of the table is to concede an early free kick but today Notts did just that. Tony Dobson put Portsmouth ahead early on and it looked for a long time as though that was going to be the only goal of the game. But Richard Walker had other ideas, with just two minutes to go he coughed up. Notts have a terrific record at home under Mick Walker and they kept it going. At Meadow Lane today Notts County one, Portsmouth one.
[Bob Hall:] And no joy for West Brom in the northeast where a single goal separated those sides as Sunderland prepare to meet Aston Villa in the Coca Cola Cup. And er once again the Hereford defence has proved itself somewhat leaky, five three. Crewe with that er goal from Sean Smith stay top. Shh Doncaster got the quickest goal of the afternoon in the first minute and Walsall got the only goal with seven minutes left. Football live at two fifty tomorrow it's Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. Join us for that we'll see you there. Bye bye. [music]