Tommy Smith – Ipswich Town (English Championship)

You know what’s a good way to start a game of football? This:

Yeah not bad. Freddie Sears giving Town the lead after 16 seconds against Fulham midweek. Ainsley Maitland-Niles nearly doubled that lead within ten minutes, curling one into the crossbar from distance, but then Ross McCormack went and levelled up superbly from a long free kick. Fulham weren’t able to create too much in the run of play though, and Ipswich mixed things up nicely from their reputed long ball leanings. In fact it was Fulham that were tempted into the direct approach after they subbed on Six-Foot-Sixer Matt Smith, although that was after Brett Pitman had given Ipswich a 2-1 lead in the 57th minute. A nice finish too, stabbing it into the bottom corner from Sears’ cross. Ipswich held on for the win and a solid three points on the road.

But the win wasn’t forthcoming as they hosted high-flyers Derby on the weekend. Derby, along with Middlesbrough, Brighton and Hull, have been one of the leading teams all season and will seriously be challenging for the Premier League next campaign. Town named an unchanged team for the fifth straight match, meaning Smithy at CB, but were undone by a lone Tom Ince goal in the 40th minute. A frustrating goal to concede too as Smith was held off on halfway while the overlapping runner went by unchecked and Christophe Berra’s tackle fell right to Ince. And young Tommy then took a deflected shot under the keeper’s diving arm. Against a quality team with a resilient defence, that was the difference on the day.

But it’s all good enough to keep Ipswich in sixth and chilling in that final playoff spot. We’re one game out from the halfway mark in the season. Things are getting heavy. Not a busy week personally for Smith either. He found himself watching from the back a fair amount in two games pretty short on attack in large degrees.

But while he wasn't so busy on the field, he must have been busy on the training park because, well, take a peek at this beaut:

Up Next: Home to QPR, 4am Sunday (NZT)

Chris Wood – Leeds United (English Championship)

In a competition as notoriously deep as the Championship, all that really matters is that you put points on the board. A few wins and you can soar up the table, it’s that close. And that’s just what Leeds managed this week with a pair of one-goal wins launching them from a few stone-skips clear of relegation to only five points short of Ipswich in the final playoff spot.

Chris Wood started both games, subbed off in the final ten minutes of each with the results already set as they’d end. First off was a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers midweek.

Leeds almost took the lead early on as Stuart Dallas volleyed against the post after Wood had done superbly to nod a long ball back to him despite practically being in a headlock. But from then on the first half hour belonged strictly to Wolves. Benik Afobe looked almost unplayable, first firing wide after beating the offside trap before he really did give the home side the lead, catching the defence out with some clever movement. He almost doubled it with a turn and volley soon after.

Yet as the game went on, Leeds found their footing. Tom Adeyemi was replaced after only half an hour by Souleymane Doukara which caused a switch to 4-4-2 and that was the catalyst. It was Wood who set up the equaliser just before half time. He and Sam Byram connected well, Byram creating space with a run across the defence, knocking it first time to Wood who cut it back inside for him to finish… though it took some acrobatics from CW to make sure he didn’t accidentally block the shot.

After the break, Wood was played in by Doukara (who’d tackled the centre back) but a poor first touch took him too wide to beat the goalie. He also had a later header parried off the goal-line. They kept coming though, and Stuart Dallas linked nicely with Doukara to create the room to slam his shot in for the lead. Sam Byram then made it 3-1 after an hour with a header at the far post. Charlie Taylor crossed it in after Wood’s first pullback was blocked. Nathan Byrne pulled one back in the final ten mins (right after Wood had been replaced) but 3-2 was the final score. A big performance from Sam Byram in particular, who is out of contract at the end of the season and Leeds aren’t keen on offering an improved on to the terms he last rejected.

And then we come to their home game against Preston North End.

The key moment came in the 31st minute. PNE keeper Jordan Pickford rushed out to deal with a bounding long ball but Chris Wood got there first outside the area. Woody nodded it forward and into Pickford’s outstretched arm (or shoulder?). Red card. On comes the reserve GK – 17 year old debutant Matt Hudson. After that massive development, it was Leeds’ game for the taking but it was still level at half time. Wood had four shots and wasn’t able to count any of them, Pickford closing down one as he tried to lob it over him. Another came from distance, one other way off target. Wood’s fantastic at getting into positions, especially through his size and strength, but his finishing keeps letting him down.

However it took less than a minute after the break for the decisive goal to come. An own goal, via the head of Alan Browne – thumping his attempted clearance into his own net. 1-0 to Leeds and that was all. Not a flash game by any means but they got the points. This was a game that a couple of months ago they wouldn’t have found a way to win. Things are finally trending upward (ignoring all the dumbness going on behind the scenes with the ownership, but let’s stay clear of that).

Up Next: Nottingham Forest vs Leeds, 5.30am Monday (NZT)

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

Here’s the good news:

Meanwhile West Ham earned a 0-0 draw in Wales against out-of-form Swansea in what may have been the least entertaining game of the season. But a point is a point and when you’re as injury-struck as the Hammers are they’ll definitely take that on the road.

Up Next: Away to Aston Villa, Sunday 4am (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – RC Strasbourg Alsace (French Championnat National)

In their final game for 2015, Strasbourg fell to their third straight defeat. 2-0 away to Amiens, they’d only lost one league game all season before this streak and you can definitely make the argument that the break has come at the right time. Two counter attack goals conceded, but RCS didn’t really threaten much of their own. Bill Tuiloma was an 83rd minute substitute.

Up Next: Christmas and chill.

Jeremy Brockie & Michael Boxall – SuperSport United (South African Premier Soccer League)

Also heading into a break over Christmas are these lads (what the hell are we gonna write about next week!?). It had been a rough start to the season for the ex-Nixers but in the last month or so they’ve turned it around. Unbeaten in five and with two wins on the trot, the latest came on the road to University of Pretoria, with Boxall nabbing the first goal in the third minute. Get in, son! That’s his second goal of the season (in his ninth game) and it brings him within one of Brockie, who has played in every PSL game but hasn’t had the same goal-scoring record of his last season. But life seems sweet all the same:

“I won’t bore you guys with a big long story but what I will say as I feel very lucky to be able to do my dream job and am absolutely loving my time here in SA. My young family wife Jes, Daughter Piper and Son Oskar also are loving every moment of their time in this beautiful country. The weather is amazing and the people of this country are so friendly and always up for a chat.” - Jeremy Brockie

Up Next: Nothing ‘til January 11, when they host Maritzburg United