EFL: Cardiff, Preston, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe - things you might have missed
It's normally at about this time of year that you hear managers, players, pundits and journalists declaring that we'll soon be entering 'the business end of the season'.
Nobody can be totally sure when 'the business end of the season' actually starts or, indeed, what the phrase really means.
But if ever there was a 'business-end-of-the-season' kind of fixture it was on Saturday, as Bramall Lane played host to the first top-two meeting of the season in any English Football League division.
The League One promotion battle between Sheffield United and Scunthorpe United joins managerial milestones and another miserable trip to Grimsby among five things you may have missed from the EFL.
Every player and manager will have grounds they do particularly well at - and, perhaps, grounds they don't do particularly well at.
It would probably be fair to say Blundell Park would fall into the latter of those two categories for Steve Evans, whose Mansfield Town side endured a miserable afternoon against Grimsby Town.
The Stags were already 2-0 down when the 54-year-old was sent to the stands by the fourth official, prompting a spiky reception from the home fans with whom he had to sit.
After his side had conceded a third and final goal, Evans scarpered down to the changing rooms to "take myself away from the situation".
In 2006, the Scot was ejected from the ground altogether after protesting against a refereeing decision that had gone against his Boston United team.
"I asked the fourth official if he could ask the referee a question during the game and he said he wasn't prepared to do that," Evans told BBC Radio Nottingham after Saturday's loss in League Two. "So I said 'I'll phone your boss on Monday and see if he's prepared to answer it'.
"That's the language I used and he said 'I'm not being threatened, you're going up'."
Managerial milestones and debutsAt a time when the lifespan of a football manager would appear to be at an all-time low, two bosses in the Championship celebrated notable milestones on Saturday.
Chris Hughton marked his 100th league game in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion with a victory that moved the Seagulls to the top of the Championship table, leapfrogging Newcastle United.
Their 2-0 win over Barnsley, courtesy of Sam Baldock's brace, was also Hughton's 50th in the league - which, for the mathematicians among you, gives him a satisfyingly-precise 50% win ratio.
Preston North End celebrated Simon Grayson's fourth anniversary at the helm by providing face masks for all Lilywhites fans who made the short trip to Wigan Athletic.
The sight of 4,700+ Simon Graysons failed to inspire North End to victory, however, with Jordan Hugill's missed penalty proving crucial in a goalless draw, the 21st 0-0 of Grayson's reign.
At the other end of the scale, a couple of managers elsewhere in the EFL were overseeing their new sides for the first time - Lee Clark at Bury and Kevin Nugent at Barnet.
Clark's Shakers came from behind to pinch a dramatic, last-gasp 2-1 win at Chesterfield, while Nugent's Bees drew 1-1 with Portsmouth.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39016089
Nobody can be totally sure when 'the business end of the season' actually starts or, indeed, what the phrase really means.
But if ever there was a 'business-end-of-the-season' kind of fixture it was on Saturday, as Bramall Lane played host to the first top-two meeting of the season in any English Football League division.
The League One promotion battle between Sheffield United and Scunthorpe United joins managerial milestones and another miserable trip to Grimsby among five things you may have missed from the EFL.
Every player and manager will have grounds they do particularly well at - and, perhaps, grounds they don't do particularly well at.
It would probably be fair to say Blundell Park would fall into the latter of those two categories for Steve Evans, whose Mansfield Town side endured a miserable afternoon against Grimsby Town.
The Stags were already 2-0 down when the 54-year-old was sent to the stands by the fourth official, prompting a spiky reception from the home fans with whom he had to sit.
After his side had conceded a third and final goal, Evans scarpered down to the changing rooms to "take myself away from the situation".
In 2006, the Scot was ejected from the ground altogether after protesting against a refereeing decision that had gone against his Boston United team.
"I asked the fourth official if he could ask the referee a question during the game and he said he wasn't prepared to do that," Evans told BBC Radio Nottingham after Saturday's loss in League Two. "So I said 'I'll phone your boss on Monday and see if he's prepared to answer it'.
"That's the language I used and he said 'I'm not being threatened, you're going up'."
Managerial milestones and debutsAt a time when the lifespan of a football manager would appear to be at an all-time low, two bosses in the Championship celebrated notable milestones on Saturday.
Chris Hughton marked his 100th league game in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion with a victory that moved the Seagulls to the top of the Championship table, leapfrogging Newcastle United.
Their 2-0 win over Barnsley, courtesy of Sam Baldock's brace, was also Hughton's 50th in the league - which, for the mathematicians among you, gives him a satisfyingly-precise 50% win ratio.
Preston North End celebrated Simon Grayson's fourth anniversary at the helm by providing face masks for all Lilywhites fans who made the short trip to Wigan Athletic.
The sight of 4,700+ Simon Graysons failed to inspire North End to victory, however, with Jordan Hugill's missed penalty proving crucial in a goalless draw, the 21st 0-0 of Grayson's reign.
At the other end of the scale, a couple of managers elsewhere in the EFL were overseeing their new sides for the first time - Lee Clark at Bury and Kevin Nugent at Barnet.
Clark's Shakers came from behind to pinch a dramatic, last-gasp 2-1 win at Chesterfield, while Nugent's Bees drew 1-1 with Portsmouth.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39016089