Division One Round-Up

Last updated : 16 November 2002 By Rob Cooper
Dennis Wise Celebrates
Wise (left) celebrates with team mate Steven Reid after equalising against his former club Leicester
Portsmouth extended their lead at the top of the table on Saturday as Leicester faltered at the New Den.

The Foxes raced into a 2-0 lead inside three minutes before Brian Deane was dimissed prior to the quarter of an hour mark.

Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid pulled one back for the Foxes before Dennis Wise bagged the headlines by scoring a late equaliser.

Wise was dismissed by Leicester at the start of the season for fracturing Caluum Davidson's cheekbone on a pre-season tour. The Millwall man is trying to sue his former employers for unfair dismissal.

Muzzy Izzet had the chance to take the headlines away from Wise but he had a last minute spot kick saved by Tony Warner.

With Leicester's failure Portsmouth opened up a seven point margin at the top of the league with a 3-0 win at home to struggling Stoke City. Second half goals from Burchill, Pericard and Todorov condemned the Potters to another defeat.

Third placed Norwich City brought Crystal Palace's nine match unbeaten run to an end at Carrow Road this afternoon. Paul McVeigh fired the only goal of the opening period to give Nigel Worthington's side a half time lead.

Evergreen forward Iwan Roberts added a decisive second in the eighty-seventh minute to consolidate the Canaries third place.

Nottingham Forest rose to fourth with a 3-0 win at home to the Bantams. Paul Hart's side leap-frogged over Watford who weren't in action.

The home side scored all three goals inside the first thirty-six minutes as they threatened to run up a Cricket score. Jack Lester, David Johnson and Matthieu Louis-Jean were the men on the scoresheet.

Despite an awful start to the season Dave Jones' Wolves side find themselves in a Play-Off position. A 2-0 win over high-flying Coventry at Molineux gave last seasons forgotten men the points to rise above the Royals.

Jones' side, which contains experienced pros such as Denis Irwin, Dean Sturridge and Paul Ince, now finally appears to be beginning to click.

Joelan Lescott gave Wolves the lead before former Sunderland man Gavin Rae added some gloss to the scoreline with a late second.

Rotherham also had the chance to move above Reading but a 0-0 stalemate with Burnley put paid to their chances.

Nottingham Forest's Michael Dawson challenges Bradford's Michael Standing at the City Ground this afternoon
Nottingham Forest's Michael Dawson challenges Bradford's Michael Standing at the City Ground this afternoon
At the bottom of the table Brighton continued their revival with a surprise 1-0 win over Derby County.

The Seagulls have recorded four points in a week after initially only managing to muster that tally in the opening three months of the season.

The Rams had former England under 21 striker Malcolm Christie dismissed early in the second half. Kerry Mayo scored the only goal of the game in the last minute to send shockwaves up the Division One table.

New Sheffield Wednesday boss Chris Turner was a happy man after Leon Knight late goal secured a point for the Owls.

Tommy Johnson was on the scoresheet for the Gills. Whilst, player-manager Andy Hessenthaler was in for an early bath after receiving his marchign orders.

Elsewehere there were goals aplenty. Craig Brown's side earned a point with a late fightback against Grimsby. The home side were 3-1 up with just ten minutes to play when Preston staged their dramatci fight-back.

Meanwhile at Selhurst Park the Dons defeated Walsall. Agyemang was on hand to score a last minute goal to give his side a 3-2 win over the Saddlers.