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Championship: Saints 3-1 ahead at West Ham, Kone hat-trick in 15 mins as QPR thrashing Swansea

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Southampton players celebrate with goalscorer James Bree

Mark Poyser
BBC Radio Wales commentator at Loftus Road

A truly awful half defensively from Swansea.

QPR came flying out of the traps and Vitor Matos' side have had absolutely no answer.

Richard Kone bagged a hat-trick in 15 minutes and then to compound the Swans' misery, captain Jimmy Dunne headed home from a corner right at the end of the half.

The meanest defence in the Championship has been nowhere to be seen.

Chris Wathan
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Now that's how to make up for a penalty miss.

It was a hopeful ball from Ollie Tanner, but textbook centre-forward play from Yousef Salech to use his body and roll Phil Neumann out of the way before finishing.

Salech celebrates with his arms outstretched and a nonchalant shrug.

A month apart because of injury, but that's two goals in two games for Salech - and the first time Birmingham have conceded in five hours.

Chris Wathan
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Eventful afternoon for Yousef Salech. Meant to be on the bench having not played since before the international break, he was swapped into the side because of Krystian Bielik's warm-up withdrawal.

Now he's guilty of missing his first penalty for Cardiff. James Beadle did well for Blues, but it wasn't the greatest strike from the Bluebirds striker.

That's the second spot-kick in a row Cardiff have missed, with Chris Willock having had his effort against Watford saved in the last game here.

Interestingly, top scorer Jack Moylan scored from 12 yards in the same game. Penny for his thoughts.

We are under way at the London Stadium with West Ham attacking the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in this first half.

The Saints are without top goalscorer Cyle Larin and key midfielder Flynn Downes for this game, with both missing out on Tonda Eckert’s squad completely.

The visitors have made four changes from their draw against Bolton with Ryan Manning, Caspar Jander, Kuryu Matsuki and Lewis Dobbin coming in for Welington, Cameron Bragg, Tom Fellows and Cyle Larin.

West Ham make two adjustments from their narrow win over Swansea City last weekend, bringing former Saint Kyle Walker-Peters and Valentin Castellanos to their side for Joel Veltman and Pablo.

Wolves have made five changes from their 1-1 draw with Portsmouth.

Nasser Djiga and Ghislain Konan are missing with injury, while Adam Armstrong and Kieran Trippier return to the starting XI after their niggles.

Jordan James, having made an impression in the week, is on the wing but perhaps the biggest surprise is that Fer Lopez has moved to the bench.

The Spaniard has played every game for the hosts but did pick up a knock during international duty that sent him home from Spain's Under-21's camp a few weeks ago.

For Watford, Soumaila Coulibaly has been ruled out with a hamstring issue.

Cesar Peixoto on the Wolves sideline

With mounting injuries leaving Wolves muted up front and defence looking fragile at times, the Molineux has once again become quilted with unease following two difficult watches on home soil.

Today though, they welcome Watford. A side who know all about never ending misery.

Despite a win against Charlton last time out, the Hornets' ownership remains under intense scrutiny after their unambitious transfer windows and merry-go-round of managers has left them in what looks like a survival scrap.

It's a game a Championship giant such as Wolves will be expected to win. Fail to do so and Wolves' home support can be forgiven for feeling the sutures on last season's wounds beginning to reopen.

It wasn't pretty but Portsmouth have come from behind to beat Millwall and climb into the play-off spots as things stand.

Nicolas Schmid's early blunder to gift Jenson Metcalfe the opener for the Lions seems like a long time ago now.

Two bizarre goals for Pompey get the job done on a day in which the rain poured down and made playing conditions difficult on a sodden pitch.

First Lyndon Dykes diverted into his own net and then Millwall skipper Jake Cooper smashed his clearance at Portsmouth striker Thomas Waddingham, who knew very little about his winner but they all count!

Mayhem in the box.

Two Charlton defenders end up on the floor in the box as Norwich take a corner.

Fortunately, the Canaries can't get the ball in the net in the chaos. They are still going, however, and when the ball is launched back in, Addicks keeper Arthur Okonkwo's punch to clear is weak. Harry Darling is able to get onto it but sees his effort blocked.

A lucky escape for the stopper there. Was almost left red-faced.

Norwich's Paris Maghoma has hurt himself trying to stop Tyreece Campbell's run and has to make way.

A blow for the Canaries, he's added some creativity to the side today.

Sam Field, who was originally primed to replace Jacob Wright anyway, comes on in his stead. Wright remains on the field.

Finally a move of some quality as Millwall work it nicely through the midfield and down the right flank.

Camiel Neghli flashes a ball across the face of goal but it deflects off a blue home shirt and Pompey can eventually clear.

Moments later, Portsmouth block three shots in quick succession from Kyrell Lisbie, Jenson Metcalfe and Tristan Crama. That's more like it.

Norwich City boss Philippe Clement, left, wearing a black jumper, and Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen, right, claps his hands while wearing a navy blue coat

As the daylight hours get shorter, perhaps so too does the amount of time left in the dugout for some EFL managers.

While never a pleasant topic of discussion, especially with the season only two months young, the ruthless nature of football means pressure is already mounting.

Just this week, Crawley Town's Colin Kazim-Richards and Bromley boss Andy Woodman - the third longest-serving manager in the 92 - have exited their clubs.

There are, of course, plenty of teams flying high as we enter the final round of fixtures before the clocks go back.

Who might be hoping they can turn back time by the end of the weekend? Here are some key talking points to look out for in the EFL.

Phillipe Clement shouts from the Norwich sideline
Image source, Getty Images

Superb from Paris Maghoma!

He's free as a bird (mind the pun) on the right flank and is spotted by Mathias Kvistgaarden for the long diagonal pass.

The Charlton defenders are too slow to react as Maghoma makes a lung-busting run towards the box and rifles off his strike just as the hosts are arriving.

Two goals in this. Both with excellent finishing and dire defending.

Norwich have their first corner. It's punched out by Charlton keeper Arthur Okonkwo, though the hosts can't get it away from the final third.

A cross is put in, headed away from a Charlton defender before Pelle Mattsson unwinds from just outside the box. The shot goes skyward.

Just not happening for Norwich.

John Mousinho wearing a navy blue jacket on the sideline at Molineux during Portsmouth's 1-1 draw with Wolves

Two weeks really is a long time in football, isn't it?

When the final whistle blew in the south coast derby on Sunday, 11 October, Portsmouth fans were devastated at a 1-0 loss to their 10-man bitter rivals Southampton which raised more questions than answers.

But two wins and a draw at Wolves since then and the Pompey garden is looking a lot rosier, with John Mousinho's side up to 13th, seven points clear of the relegation zone and, whisper it very quietly... within striking distance of the play-off spots.

As for Millwall, perhaps five months seems like an eternity. From narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League by one point and losing in the play-off semi-final, the Lions are struggling slightly of late by the very high standards they set last season.

Alex Neil's men have won just two of their past nine games (D3 L4) but they remain two points off the top eight and a couple of victories can certainly change the mood very quickly at this stage of the campaign.

A sign at The Valley showing Charlton Athletic's Covered End

The Covered End? That might be the best place to be today with the grim weather swirling about.

Storm Austen ripped across the UK on Friday with wind gusts of up to 84mph, causing damage, travel chaos and leaving more than 18,000 homes without power.

Another storm, named Boelo, arrives today and is set to cause more disruption, which could impact fans going to games - as well as the conditions for the matches themselves.

The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for the north of England, as well as a yellow rain alert for the south and the entirety of the west, stretching from Cornwall to Carlisle in the far north-west.

"Heavy rain and strengthening winds quickly sweeping east as Storm Boelo arrives," the BBC Weather forecast says. "Heaviest of the rain in the west and north, with gales developing for many with damaging winds possible further north."

The clubs playing at home today who are covered by the weather warnings include Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Blackburn, Cardiff, Preston and Stoke.

It could be a very wet and blustery afternoon of Championship football at many grounds.

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