Fulham break Glass barrier

GEOFF HORSFIELD, the Fulham striker, shrugged off the flu and came off the bench at Craven Cottage to break down a stubborn Swindon defence, giving Paul Bracewell's side the three points which lifted them to second in the Nationwide First Division. There were six minutes remaining and the Robins' tactics of smothering the midfield seemed to have paid off when Steve Hayward's free-kick was parried by Jimmy Glass in the Swindon goal. Horsfield was first to the rebound and fired in his eighth goal this season.

GEOFF HORSFIELD, the Fulham striker, shrugged off the flu and came off the bench at Craven Cottage to break down a stubborn Swindon defence, giving Paul Bracewell's side the three points which lifted them to second in the Nationwide First Division. There were six minutes remaining and the Robins' tactics of smothering the midfield seemed to have paid off when Steve Hayward's free-kick was parried by Jimmy Glass in the Swindon goal. Horsfield was first to the rebound and fired in his eighth goal this season.

"Its a cruel game," the Robins' manager, Jimmy Quinn, said. "There's no justice. One lapse of concentration gave it all away. We did not follow up on the free-kick. I'm desolate for the lads, they had done so well." Swindon are bottom.

Birmingham City, who beat Bobby Robson's Newcastle in the Worthington Cup in midweek, had nine players injured but were still too strong for Crystal Palace, who lost 2-0 at St Andrew's. Brum's goals, one in each half, came from Darren Purse and Jon McCarthy, and lifted them to third.

Huddersfield Town, who also killed a giant (well, Chelsea Reserves) in the Worthington Cup at Stamford Bridge in midweek, and Barnsley, whose win at Valley Parade allowed Bradford City to concentrate on Premiership survival, found Bolton and Wolves, respectively, much tougher propositions.

The Terriers lost 1-0 when Ricardo Gardner scored for Bolton on the stroke of half-time to give Wanderers their fourth win in five games under caretaker manager Phil Brown. "I told the lads that the second half would be all about getting a clean sheet. Clean sheets mean everything to me," he admitted. The Tykes lost 2-1, Wolves' goals courtesy of Scott Taylor and Ade Akinbiyi. "We were trying to score clinical goals, we tried to be too clever," Barnsley's manager, Dave Bassett, said.

How Midlands teams must fear a derby with promoted Walsall. The Saddlers added West Brom's scalp to those of Brum and Wolves after a 1-0 win at the Hawthorns. Andy Rammell grabbed the winner.

Elsewhere, red cards ruled. Ipswich Town's slump continued as they lost 4-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers. The score was 1-1 when Ipswich's midfielder Jim Magilton was sent off for violent conduct. "Gavin [Peacock] fell on the ball and Jim tried to kick it," was how George Burley, Town's manager, saw it. "Nine times out of ten it wouldn't have resulted in a red card." Ipswich go to the leaders, Charlton, on Tuesday.

Nottingham Forest and Blackburn both went one better, having two players sent off. Forest led 1-0 at Sheffield United when Nigel Quashie's violent conduct led to his dismissal. The Blades' Martin Smith scored twice in three minutes and Forest's player-manager, David Platt, was sent off for a late tackle on Paul Devlin. It ended 2-1. "You'd have thought at my age I'd have learnt from it by now," a contrite Platt said of the third dismissal in his career. "I apologise to the referee and the supporters of Sheffield United, it shouldn't have happened."

At Ewood Park, Blackburn's Craig Short was sent off for the foul which led to Lee Ashcroft's penalty for Grimsby. A Lee Carsley spot-kick levelled the scores and in the second half Martin Taylor (Blackburn) and Richard Smith (Grimsby) enjoyed an early tub. The score stayed 1-1.