Thelo Aasgaard’s brilliant strike just after the half-hour mark was enough to secure a valuable 1-0 Sky Bet League One victory for Wigan over Reading at the DW Stadium.

Wigan had threatened first when Martial Godo spun just inside the penalty area, but aimed his shot too close to goalkeeper David Button.

Wigan were indebted to Sean Clare for throwing himself into the path of a goalbound shot from Harvey Knibbs, who’s been teed up by Sam Smith.

But it was the home side who took the lead on 32 minutes, with Aasgaard bending a magnificent right-foot strike into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.

On-loan Fulham winger Godo was unable to run off his problem and was replaced by Stephen Humphrys.

Centre-back Liam Morrison, on loan from Bayern Munich replaced Wigan captain Josh Magennis early in the second half, and he immediately tested Button with a firm header from a corner.

It was almost 2-0 when Matt Smith led a two-on-two break and decided to chip the goalkeeper from 35 yards, with Button just about getting back and clawing the ball behind for a corner.

Reading almost levelled on the stroke of 90 minutes, only for Sam Tickle to parry Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s fierce drive, and then regain his feet quickly to push the ball away from the danger zone.

Promotion-chasing Peterborough produced a second-half turnaround to sink Shrewsbury 2-1.

A shock was on the cards at half-time as League One’s lowest scorers led the highest scorers in the division courtesy of Jordan Shipley’s opener.

The Shrews midfielder struck with a fine 20-yard strike in the 41st minute after back-up goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne made a series of smart saves to keep out Posh.

Burgoyne’s terrific save to deny Ricky-Jade Jones one-on-one in the early stages was the pick of the bunch and even when he was beaten by an acrobatic Ephron Mason-Clark effort, defender Morgan Feeney was perfectly placed to head off the line.

Despite falling behind to Shipley’s strike, Posh refused to panic and roared back after the break.

Joel Randall provided a simple finish to a wonderfully-crafted leveller when tapping in a low Jadel Katongo cross in the 51st minute.

And the comeback was complete midway through the half when Josh Knight broke free to head in Harrison Burrows’ corner at the back post in the 68th minute.

Randall struck a post with a glorious chance in stoppage time, but Peterborough had done enough to claim the points.

Goals from Ilias Chair and Sinclair Armstrong gave relegation-threatened QPR a vital 2-0 win over Millwall at Loftus Road.

It was Rangers’ first victory in eight Sky Bet Championship matches and lifted them up a place, to third from bottom.

And it means they will move level on points with Huddersfield, the team immediately above them in the table, if they beat the Terriers in another crucial game next weekend.

In a feisty London derby, both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances before Chair put Rangers ahead in the 27th minute with his third goal of the season.

Lyndon Dykes, usually a striker but currently operating in a withdrawn role, played a big part in the build-up.

Dykes controlled the ball nicely and laid it to the right to Chris Willock, who turned away from Joe Bryan and delivered a left-footed cross to the far post, where Chair bundled home from close range after getting in front of Millwall’s on-loan Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy.

QPR continued to threaten after the goal and Willock fired over – again after turning away from Bryan – before Dykes’ side-footed effort flashed narrowly wide.

Millwall’s first real sight of goal came a couple of minutes before half-time, when Billy Mitchell sent a first-time strike over the bar after being found by Zian Flemming’s cross from the left.

Rangers were back on the front foot after the interval, with Dykes heading wide from Willock’s cross and then testing keeper Matija Sarkic with a low shot which was well saved.

And the hosts appealed in vain for a penalty when Wes Harding blocked Dykes’ shot with his hands.

Rangers then had a let-off of their own when keeper Asmir Begovic allowed Mitchell’s shot to squirm through his legs and was rescued by Reggie Cannon’s clearance off the line.

Cannon took a heavy knock in the process and as he lay on the ground the defender appeared to be struck by a number of objects thrown from the away fans’ section of the ground.

That was the closest Millwall came to an equaliser – and there was no way back for them after Armstrong’s 85th-minute goal.

Chair teed up Jack Colback and, after Sarkic failed to hold the veteran midfielder’s left-footed shot, Armstrong was on hand to tuck away the loose ball.

Millwall, who recently won three matches in a row under new boss Joe Edwards, have now suffered back-to-back defeats.

Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah kept Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations hopes alive with a stoppage-time header to deny Burkina Faso victory.

Boundejah, who had earlier cancelled out Mohamed Konate’s opener, snatched a 2-2 Group D draw at the Stade de Bouake when he found the net five minutes into added time to ensure substitute Bertrand Traore’s 71st-minute penalty did not prove decisive.

The Stallions, who beat Mauritania in their opening fixture, looked destined for the last 16 as time ticked down, but Boundejah’s last-gasp intervention means both sides have work to do if they are to progress.

Chances were at a premium as the first half unfolded with Burkina Faso midfielder Abdoul Tapsoba forcing keeper Anthony Mandrea into a sixth-minute save from a header while at the other end, Youcef Belaili tested Kouakou Koffi with a shot towards the bottom corner six minutes later.

Algeria, who drew 1-1 with Angola in their first game, went close through Bounedjah as the sides jostled for position, and Koffi saved from Sofiane Feghouli a minute before the break with skipper Riyad Mahrez providing the ammunition.

However, they fell behind in first-half stoppage time when Konate headed past Mandrea from Tapsoba’s cross.

Blati Toure might have extended his side’s lead four minutes after the restart, but they were pegged back by Bounedjah’s close-range finish two minutes later.

Bounedjah went close with a header as Algeria built up a head of steam, but they succumbed once again with 19 minutes remaining when defender Rayan Ait-Nouri was adjudged to have fouled Issa Kabore inside the box and after a VAR review confirmed the decision, substitute Traore converted the resulting spot-kick.

However, there was to be a late twist and it arrived at the death when Bounedjah netted from substitute Adam Ounas’ cross to snatch a point.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson deflected to the club’s decision-makers when asked if his side’s crushing 5-0 defeat at Arsenal could raise questions about his job security.

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli buried the Eagles with two goals inside two minutes of second-half stoppage time, adding to Gabriel and Leandro Trossard’s earlier efforts and a Dean Henderson own goal that all-but guaranteed the hosts victory before half-time.

As Palace defender Chris Richards nodded over a chance to claw back a late consolation, away supporters raised a banner reading “wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards” while another protested “no shared vision, no structured plan”.

Hodgson, when asked if he felt he had unified support of his boyhood club’s board and those above, replied: “That’s a question for them, isn’t it? But if you’re asking me if I’ve ever felt a lack of support from them, then the answer is no.

“I think they’ve been good, but I mean now in [the] situation that you’re obviously discussing, in this scenario you’re envisaging, that’s going to be a question for them.”

He later added: “When a team isn’t doing as well as it should be doing, someone needs to be held responsible, and that’s the manager.”

The Eagles’ vital victory over Brentford to end 2023 and snap an eight-game winless streak seemed to subdue Hodgson’s critics, but Saturday’s result will no doubt loudly revive that chorus, particularly following on from their midweek third-round FA Cup replay loss to Everton in which the former England manager controversially substituted the influential Eberechi Eze.

While he and his players felt there were “infringements” ignored by referee Paul Tierney in the build-up to the opening pair of goals, Hodgson took the blame for Martinelli’s quickfire brace, admitting he had perhaps erred in removing some of his tiring starters in favour of “young lads, and it was too much to ask them to go on and deal with a rampant Arsenal”.

Hodgson understood the frustration from the disillusioned Palace fanbase, adding: “All I can say is I think they are totally entitled to their opinion in that respect. I do understand their frustration, even anger and disappointment, and things haven’t gone better.

“We can make our excuses which we’ve been doing because certain things have worked against us in this period of time, but the bottom line is that if we’re going to go forward and avoid relegation and do well, we need those fans with us. Hopefully we can do our best to keep them on board.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, avoided a fourth-straight defeat across all competitions and kept within striking distance of the Premier League title.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was particularly pleased with the way his side worked their set-pieces in their first top-flight meeting of 2024, saying: “Credit to all the coaches, to Nico [Jover, set-piece coach] for the amount of time and belief we put in.

“It’s got a huge impact. We’ve seen that as well in recent games that we’ve lost when we’ve conceded set-pieces, so the outcome is very different when you don’t concede and score.

“We wanted to start the second part of the season with a great performance, with a great result, and build that positivity and momentum again, and I think the boys did a good job today.”

Russell Martin says Southampton’s new unbeaten club record will not carry as much importance if the Saints do not return to the Premier League.

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record on Saturday by extending their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 3-1 victory at Martin’s old club Swansea.

Victory lifted the Saints into second place in the Sky Bet Championship, above Ipswich on goal difference.

“It is a nice moment,” Martin said after his side completed Southampton’s best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, eclipsing the 20 games undefeated achieved the following year.

“I’m really grateful to the players for what they’ve done, the courage they’ve shown. I’m immensely proud.

“The way they did it in the first half, one of the best performances I’ve ever been involved in as coach.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and they’ve really stepped up. They’ve written themselves in to the history books – and let’s keep it going.

“It will have more significance, importance and standing if we achieve what we want at the end of the season, otherwise it will be just something we’ve achieved together.”

First-half goals from Che Adams, Will Smallbone and Flynn Downes – his first for Saints coming on his 25th birthday and against his former club – put Southampton in control.

However, Saints had to withstand late home pressure as Swansea twice hit the post and Gavin Bazunu made a couple of useful saves.

“We didn’t mix the game up in the last 20 minutes and played with no real purpose,” said Martin.

“We were relentless in the first half and I was disappointed the way we conceded at the end of that half.

“It was handball and offside but we had one offside (goal), so it is what it is.

“It took us a little bit longer to get the wheels in motion. Those two clubs (Leicester and Ipswich) had the two best starts in Championship history, so the fact we are now there and in the fight, in the mix, and hunting them both down, is a real credit to the players.”

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Relations between Martin and the Swansea hierarchy had soured after the club had a dismal January transfer window.

“I felt sick this morning and couldn’t eat any breakfast,” said Martin.

“But it was really nice to come back and I enjoyed it more because of our performance and the fact we won.

“Seeing all the backroom staff and lots of people who meant a lot to us – and who we have a lot of love and affection for – was special.”

For Swansea boss Luke Williams, it was a first defeat in charge following an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham.

Jamie Paterson made it 2-1 just before half-time with a close-range header, and Swansea finally shook off the shackles to set up a grandstand finish that almost brought surprise reward.

“First half we were too deep, far too deep,” said Williams, Martin’s former assistant at both MK Dons and Swansea.

“Southampton could push the ball around, take their time and wait for the space and they did that brilliantly.

“Second half, the difference is we play higher up the pitch and we were able to create chances.”

Former Notts County boss Williams was appointed after Martin’s successor Michael Duff lasted less than five months in the job.

He said: “If it was something that was a really quick fix, everyone would be doing it. it’s not going to be that easy.

“I need to try to get the message across to the players in a clinical way because we are not blessed with time at the moment.”

Vandeek is set to start off his season in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May.

The unbeaten Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt carried all before him in his juvenile year, with his four wins featuring Group One strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

He is seen very much as a sprinter rather than one for the mile of the Classics and Haydock will be his destination before his first major target, the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

“He’s looking super, he’s trotting and we’ll probably start him off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock at the end of May. One run before Royal Ascot,” Simon Crisford told ITV Racing.

“Commonwealth, July Cups – those sort of races we’ve got up our sleeve. The idea of not starting off in the Pavilion (Stakes, at Ascot) is we’d have to start training him a month earlier. Quite frankly, with the weather we’ve got at the moment, we’re wrapping him up in big, thick blankets.”

He added: “He was a little bit on the leg as a two-year-old. He was tall and lanky and never really looked like a sprinter physically. But now he’s beginning to take shape as a sprinter. His temperament is great and there’s so much to love about him.

“He’s done exceptionally well over the winter and fingers crossed he’s got a big season ahead.”

Namibia head coach Collin Benjamin believes his side are “immune” to their underdogs status as they attempt to make history on Sunday.

Deon Hotto’s late header gave the Namibians their first ever win in the Africa Cup of Nations as the Brave Warriors stunned 2004 champions Tunisia 1-0 in their Group E opener earlier this week.

Another surprise victory when they take on South Africa in Korhogo this weekend would represent a major step towards reaching the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.

And Benjamin argued one of the touchstones of his side’s successful start to their campaign has been their ability to block out noise from outside the camp.

“They are just focused on the task at hand. I have never seen such dedication from a group of players,” said Benjamin. “On the field, in the gym, during breakfast, they are just focused. Even I am afraid of them!

“They not only carrying their own aspirations but it’s the hopes and dreams of the entire nation. For us being underdogs to a certain extent we are immune to it.

“We are preparing properly and as professionals. We are going to give everything, and this is what we live for.”

South Africa are looking to rebound from their 2-0 loss to Mali earlier this week, with Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos urging his side to learn from their errors.

“The only thing that we cannot do is to repeat the same mistakes that we made with Mali,” Broos said in quotes on the competition’s official website.

Oh So Grand swept aside her rivals in the BetMGM Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap at Lingfield.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who saddled Al Agaila to win the race last year, Oh So Grand was a well-fancied 11-8 favourite for the 10-furlong contest after winning each of her last two starts, including the trial for this contest last month.

Miss Bluebelle set out to make all, while Jack Mitchell was happy to settle towards the back of the pack aboard Oh So Grand, with only Queen Regent behind him in the eight-runner field.

The pacesetter was still in front with a furlong to run, but when Mitchell popped the question Oh So Grand picked up and grabbed the lead in a matter of strides.

Queen Regent followed her through down the middle of the track but could not match the winner’s sharp turn of foot, eventually coming home a length and a half adrift, with 33-1 shot Dayzee running a creditable race to be beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third.

Simon Crisford told Sky Sports Racing: “I think she’s still improving. I mean obviously we’ve seen in every race she’s been on an upward curve and she seems to be really developing into a smart filly.

“Hopefully she can be a Group filly for the summer when we get her on turf. I would be inclined to keep her over this trip, a mile and a quarter that suits her well, but she’s nimble and light on her feet – she’s not one of these galumphers, she’s got something about her.

“I really don’t know (what is next), this race was always the target so I haven’t thought even thought about what’s happening tomorrow, let alone in a few weeks’ time.

“We will have a look, see how she is, how she comes out of the race. There could be races coming up for her, obviously you’ve got (All-Weather) Finals Day and stuff like that. Who knows – we’ve just got to work it all out.”

Dan Skelton is relying on Pembroke’s thirst for testing conditions coming to the fore when he lines up in the Download The Racing App Now Lightning Novices’ Chase at Lingfield on Sunday.

Held in high-regard over hurdles last term, he improved on his first two appearances over fences when relishing the bottomless ground at Aintree last month.

That victory came over two and a half miles, but with Skelton expecting stamina to be at a premium in this Winter Million Festival event, he has few concerns about dropping back in distance.

He said: “I think two miles is more his trip. Obviously he won the other day (at Aintree) over two and a half in unraceable ground but I think he handles the type of ground particularly well.

“I’m pretty certain it is going to be testing conditions – I don’t think it will be anything like Aintree, but it will be tacky, they have had the sheets down a long time and it’s going to be hard work.

“Whether it is hard enough work we will wait and see, but having said that this Lightning Novices’ Chase is a good race for the money on offer. I think it’s a very good race and we will get to see where we stand.”

Five will go to post for the Grade Two event saved from Friday’s abandoned Lingfield card and Joe Tizzard will saddle JPR One who was not disgraced in Grade One company last time having previously been set to lay down a statement victory at Cheltenham before a mishap after the final fence saw him unship Brendan Powell.

Djelo has barely put a foot wrong since switching to the larger obstacles and Venetia Williams’ exciting six-year-old will seek to remain unbeaten and add to the Pattern honours he secured at Ascot before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies has a strong hand, saddling two live candidates in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned Matata and Wayward lad winner Master Chewy, the latter impressing when downing Nickle Back at Kempton following some game efforts in defeat.

“Master Chewy was brilliant last time, winning the Wayward Lad at Kempton, so why shouldn’t he be again?,” the trainer told his William Hill blog.

“Matata, similarly, has had a terrific season and was runner-up by just a length at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, giving nearly a stone to the winner.

“This will be a hot race, everyone’s got each other to beat. Hopefully my two will show the others what they’ve got.

“Master Chewy should, if everything goes to plan, be heading straight for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival after this.”

L’Homme Presse sets out to prove he very much remains a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when he makes his eagerly-awaited comeback in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield.

The feature of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival has attracted a field of six and it is Venetia Williams’ high-class staying chaser that sets the standard, despite being off the track for over a year.

He looked booked for second in the King George VI Chase before unshipping his big-race pilot Charlie Deutsch at the last while giving chase to Bravemansgame, and before that had built up an impressive chasing CV which includes victory at the Cheltenham Festival as a novice and a mammoth effort off top-weight in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase.

Following a long 13-month wait, L’Homme Presse – who is as short as 12-1 for the Gold Cup – now seeks to reaffirm his position towards the top of the staying chasing ranks, with connections optimistic of a bold bid in the two-mile-six-furlong affair.

“It’s been a long 13 months and a lot of effort has been put in to get him back,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse in partnership with Peter Pink.

“This trip, for his comeback is ideal really, it’s an intermediate trip and it should suit him down to the ground.

“He doesn’t lack in pace and he certainly doesn’t lack in staying power as we saw in the Brown Advisory.

“He is ready to go, but he has had 13 months off. He’s run well fresh before, but whether he can run to the top of his form having had so long off we will find out.

“It’s no good looking at basic ratings because that is the best he has ever done and it’s unlikely he can achieve that first time out, but of course we are hopeful that he can.”

L’Homme Presse will be in receipt of 4lb from former Gold Cup third Protektorat, with Dan Skelton switching tactics to target this race after the nine-year-old’s failure to defend his Betfair Chase crown in November.

He has since run in handicap company at Cheltenham and his handler is confident he has his Grade One scorer in peak condition as he searches for a slice of the £165,000 prize-fund.

“He’s in good form and we were always coming here after the December race,” said Skelton.

“He’s got a job on giving weight away to a few, but it’s a race we’ve always had in mind and I’m very happy with him.

“If it’s not happening, you have got to change and we’re changing up. The trip is no issue and I’m really looking forward to running him.”

Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter and Sam Thomas’ Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit are both 11 now and will attempt to land a blow for the veterans, while Kim Bailey won the inaugural running of this race with Two For Gold and attempts to repeat the dose with Does He Know.

The field is rounded off by Gary Moore’s Full Back, who is a long way adrift of his rivals on ratings and returns from 434 days off the track.

The final day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Sunday is expected to go ahead as planned, although it will be subject to an 8am precautionary inspection on raceday.

The three-day fixture was due to begin with a jumps card on Friday, but a frozen track saw that cancelled. Saturday’s middle day on the all-weather had no issues.

With temperatures rising ahead of Sunday’s National Hunt action, a 2pm inspection was called on Saturday to assess any progress in the condition of the ground, a check which showed conditions had improved significantly.

Charlie Moore, head of clerking at Arena Racing Company, told ITV Racing: “We’ve had difficulty with the forecast this week, it’s been four degrees wrong on two nights. It’s amazing this track has taken minus 8C and minus 7C in the last two nights.

“If we had to race today, we could make this track raceable with some track adjustments. We’re going to pass the inspection, but we are going to put in a precautionary inspection at 8am tomorrow purely because we are aware at around 10/11 o’clock tonight it could get down to just touching freezing.

“If that was wrong and it was minus 2C we could have a moment of sweat in the morning, but if we get what is forecast we’ll be texting everyone around seven o’clock in the morning saying ‘we’re on’.

“I will be very surprised and hugely disappointed if racing did not take place tomorrow.”

The ground is reported to be good to soft, soft in places, but it was not such good news for Fakenham’s Sunday card, as officials were forced to abandon due to a frozen track.

Arena Racing Company has announced its two Winter Million jumps fixtures will be switched from Lingfield and staged at Windsor from next season.

The Berkshire track hosted National Hunt racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to hold a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.

It was confirmed in the summer of last year that jumps racing would return to Windsor, with the Thameside track being reconfigured to utilise previous dormant areas of the site, with the jumps course a continuous left-handed circuit rather than the current figure of eight. The first meeting is scheduled for December 15.

Windsor will partner with Ascot to present the ‘Berkshire Winter Million Weekend’ in January next year, with the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot the centrepiece of Saturday and the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase headlining Sunday at Windsor.

Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said: “We were delighted to announce the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor last year, and to make this further announcement regarding the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend.

“We hope that, alongside the fantastic day’s racing at Ascot Racecourse, the three days will be hugely exciting for racing fans to look forward to in the New Year.”

Felicity Barnard, commercial director and deputy CEO at Ascot, said: “We look forward to being a part of the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million Weekend in 2025 and hope it will be an exciting weekend for racegoers to combine a visit to both tracks as well as those watching from home on both Sky Sports Racing and ITV Racing.”