Brackley Town are out of the FA Cup after a 3-1 defeat by League One side Stockport County at Edgeley Park.
Two goals in quick succession by Will Collar and Kyle Wootton gave the hosts the advantage, and although they got a goal back through a Callum Connolly own goal, substitute Tanto Olaofe sealed the game in favour of the Saints’ opponents.
Defeat denied Brackley a chance to reach the FA Cup Third Round for the first time in their history despite their valiant attempts against a side three divisions above them.
The National League North side arrived at Edgeley Park hoping to spring a surprise on a Stockport side who sit fourth in the table after winning promotion last season, if not helped by injuries and cup-tied absences.
Stockport came close early with Wootton seeing one strike miss the target and another blocked, but Brackley then nearly sprung a surprise on their hosts as Corey Addai was forced to deny Matt Lowe after the Brackley man was played through.
Two goals in quick succession however saw control of the game taken by the home side.
The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute. Johnny Maxted in the Brackley goal had saved an initial shot by Odin Bailey, but Stockport maintained pressure and a one-two with Wootton released Collar to score.
The duo then combined again less than three minutes later, as Collar’s cross picked out Wootton, who headed past Maxted.
Stockport could’ve made life more comfortable for themselves, as they created multiple chances only to either fail to beat Maxted or miss the target altogether in the remainder of the first half.
Initially, things continued in the same vein, with Olaofe coming off the bench to head wide just after the break.
But ten minutes into the second half, Brackley were handed a way back in bizarre circumstances. Stockport had won possession back on their right flank inside the Brackley half, with defender Connolly receiving the ball and choosing to send it back to Addai. However, the overhit backpass caught out the Stockport keeper and instead trundled into the back of the net, handing Brackley a goal back.
This saw the game open up. Tommy O’Sullivan had a strike deflected wide and Addai denied Shane Byrne, before Maxted made a flying stop to deny Bailey.
Brackley then briefly thought they’d equalised with just over 10 minutes to go when Alfie Bates fired in from a tight angle after an initial Lowe shot was saved by Addai, only for an offside flag to stop the away side’s euphoria.
The game then got away with them a few moments later when Stockport made it 3-1. Tayo Adaramola picked out Olaofe, who was able to get just enough space to guide the shot home and seal the deal for the visitors, who book their place in the FA Cup’s Third Round draw later today.
Max Verstappen was the race winner in an eventful Qatar Grand Prix as the Red Bull driver took victory.
Red Bull’s Dutch driver had received a controversial one place grid penalty that had denied him pole, but bounced back to take the lead on lap one and win in a race that saw multiple rivals afflicted by penalties.
Team mate Sergio Perez meanwhile was unable to finish, with the Mexican spinning out during the second of the race’s three safety cars.
The result means that despite winning, Red Bull are now eliminated from winning the Constructor’s Championship, with the team no longer able to catch leaders McLaren. The Milton Keynes-based Red Bull team are now 59 points behind Woking-based McLaren with a maximum of 44 points available at the final race in Abu Dhabi.
While they can still finish ahead of second place Ferrari, who are 38 ahead, it would likely require a disaster for the Italian team in the season finale.
Red Bull’s two drivers are also mathematically guaranteed of their positions in the final table for 2024, with Verstappen now up to 429 points and 80 clear of the rest after sealing the world championship in Las Vegas last time out, while Perez can no longer finish higher or lower than 8th.
The race had already begun with some controversy, with Verstappen handed a one place grid penalty from first to second after he was deemed to have held up George Russell in qualifying. Verstappen has since criticised Russell in the media in his post-race press conference.
When the race began, Verstappen was able to fly past Russell off the line to take the lead into turn one, with Lando Norris following him in the McLaren before a first lap safety car after a collision took out Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto at the back.
Much of the first two thirds of the race came in a holding pattern, with Verstappen leading and Perez up into 6th after starting 8th but having a good start.
Things then changed on lap 30, when a wing-mirror fell off Alex Albon’s Williams. It would stay on track for four laps before being struck by Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber, sending fragments all over the track that gave Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz punctures and triggered a safety car.
While yellow flags were out between the mirror falling off and Bottas striking it, Verstappen reported Norris had sped up in the zone. Norris would duly earn a stop/go penalty, which he was forced to serve and saw him drop out of contention to challenge for a win.
That opened the door for Verstappen to manage the race, taking with it a second win in three races and lead home Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri to the podium.
Perez by contrast had been unable to finish. During the puncture-caused safety car, Perez span and then suffered a potential mechanical issue, seeing him limp out of the race.
The season will conclude in Abu Dhabi next week, with Verstappen aiming for a tenth win of the season and Perez aiming to end a difficult season on a high amid rumours it could be his last race for the team.
Red Bull had a muted sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen finishing 8th and Sergio Perez finishing last.
A low-key sprint saw Verstappen drop 3 places after a scruffy opening lap, and he was only able to recover to 8th, while Perez started from the pit-lane, failed to make progress, made a pit-stop and finished last.
The singular point means that the Milton Keynes-based Red Bull team now have 556 points, and with McLaren taking a one-two finish, it means they are now 67 points behind the Constructor’s Championship leaders with two races to go, while they are also 27 points behind second place Ferrari.
Verstappen had qualified fifth for the sprint, but his hopes at advancing took a dent with a messy opening lap. After being passed off the line by Lewis Hamilton, two moments of oversteer saw the Red Bull struggle to stay planted to the track and he was bypassed by Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly.
While Verstappen did overtake Gasly to get back into the points in a race where only the top 8 get points, he was unable to pass the Haas of Hulkenberg and was only able to add a single point to his total in his first event since becoming a four-time F1 world champion.
Team-mate Perez had a strange start. Having qualified 16th, Red Bull opted to start him in the pits, but a delayed start saw him overtaken by fellow pit-lane starter Franco Colapinto and drop to the back.
Perez was unable to get close, with the Mexican also pitting for a wing change and finishing last of all.
The full Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled to take place tomorrow (01/12), with Verstappen due to start from pole after the team found time ahead of Grand Prix qualifying and Perez starting in 9th position.
Luton Town continued their difficulties away from home after a 4-2 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Elijah Adebayo had given Luton the lead in Norfolk, only for Norwich to turn things around and lead at the break through a brace by Ante Crnac.
Jacob Brown equalised for the visitors, only for goals by Emiliano Marcondes and Borja Sainz to take the game for the Canaries.
Defeat was Luton’s sixth straight away loss in the Championship, as the Hatters drop to 19th position in the division, with Rob Edwards’ side just two points clear of the relegation zone after 18 games.
The trip looked to be a tricky one for Luton, with Norwich entering the game on the back of scoring six against Plymouth in midweek while Luton arrived a few days after defeat to former Norwich boss Daniel Farke and his Leeds United side.
Sainz missed an early chance for the home side, but Luton began to offer more as the half went on and they took advantage of a defensive error to score first.
Anis Slimane rushed a pass and it ended up rolling kindly for Adebayo, who placed a strike past Angus Gunn to give the visitors the lead.
Luton’s lead would however last less than five minutes. The Hatters couldn’t clear fully and the ball was eventually worked for Crnac to prod in a Norwich equaliser.
The Canaries would then take the lead just after the half-hour mark. One-time Luton man Jack Stacey pinched the ball off Tahith Chong, got down the flank and crossed for Crnac to convert.
Things nearly got worse for Luton, who needed Thomas Kaminski to deny Shane Duffy, but Luton kept in the game and after coming close in the final stages of the first half, they would equalise just after the break.
Shandon Baptiste’s corner was kept alive by Mark McGuinness, who squared the ball back for Brown to tap in and bring Luton back level.
This opened things up for Luton, with former Norwich frontman Carlton Morris having a strike blocked before Morris’ cross found Adebayo, who headed over.
As the game entered the final ten minutes, it remained poised, but it would be Norwich that broke the stalemate.
Having scored Norwich’s first two, Crnac turned provider as he was able to evade his man before teeing up Marcondes for a tap-in.
Five minutes later, Norwich made it 4-2 and truly put the game beyond Luton’s reach. Onel Hernandez charged down the right flank before crossing for Sainz to speed onto the ball and convert.
Luton will be seeking a return to winning ways from back-to-back home matches, when they welcome Swansea and then Stoke to Kenilworth Road in their next two games.
Luton Town were unable to resist as they were beaten 3-0 by Leeds United, whose win put them top of the Championship table.
Sam Byram, Joel Piroe and Dan James won the game for Daniel Farke’s side from West Yorkshire, with the Hatters beaten for the fifth away Championship game in a row.
Defeat means Rob Edwards’ side sit 16th in the Championship table after the first 17 games of the season, with the Bedfordshire club sat 3 points above the relegation zone.
Having beaten Hull City in their previous assignment, Luton faced a test as they visited a Leeds side unbeaten at home since mid-September and chasing a result to take them back to the top of the table.
The hosts duly took the lead inside the opening ten minutes. Manor Solomon’s cross found Byram, who had a first shot blocked but duly sent a scissor kick volley past Thomas Kaminski.
Most of the first half saw Leeds dominate possession and look likelier to grab the game’s next goal.
But the best chance fell the way of the visitors. A one-two with Jordan Clark released Victor Moses, and the latter placed in a lofted shot that beat Ilian Meslier but was blocked on the line by home defender Pascal Struijk.
A busy half saw Kaminski deny Leeds duo Brendan Aaaronson and Willy Gnonto, while a great chance came Luton’s way when Reece Burke reached Carlton Morris’ cross and headed just wide.
In first half stoppage time, Leeds would grab the game’s second goal. Struijk’s header at a corner had been saved by Kaminski, but the ball fell for Piroe to tap home the rebound.
Things didn’t get much better for Luton after the break, with Piroe having a strike blocked on the line by Teden Mengi and a free-kick just miss the target.
Substitute Elijah Adebayo came close for the visitors to making it 2-1 when he headed Clark’s corner over.
A third goal that all-but confirmed Leeds’ win would come in the final ten minutes. From Jayden Bogle’s pass, substitute James advanced before lifting an effort over Kaminski into the back of the net.
With defeat in West Yorkshire confirmed, Luton’s attention now turns to another away game on Saturday as they visit Norwich City, who enter the game off the back of scoring six against Plymouth in their last match.
