Oscar Schwartau climbed off the bench to fire Norwich to a 2-1 win against Millwall – and do their fierce rivals Ipswich a big favour.
The Lions, who started Easter Monday in second, had taken the lead through substitute Mihailo Ivanovic shortly after half-time. But a long-range rocket from Pelle Mattsson and Schwartau’s winner condemned them to defeat to give the chasing pack – including Norwich’s East Anglian foes Ipswich – a major boost in the race for automatic promotion.
It was a tame first half from the Lions, who only threatened when Femi Azeez wriggled past a couple of challenges only to fire off target and Tristan Crama flashed a late header wide. Kenny McLean had a heated discussion with the Millwall manager, Alex Neil, who used to manage Norwich, just before half-time to at least give the home crowd something to get animated about.
Neil sent on Ivanovic for the ineffective Luke Cundle and the move paid dividends 11 minutes into the second half. Crama played a delightful ball out to Casper de Norre, whose cross found the head of Ivanovic to guide home from four yards.
But eight minutes later Norwich hauled themselves level when the ball was worked to Mattsson 20 yards out and the Dane crashed his first-time shot into the top corner. Then, in the 76th minute, Norwich broke forward three-on-two and Mohamed Touré kept his nerve to play in fellow sub Schwartau for a simple finish past the exposed Patterson to win it for City.
Andre Dozzell’s 87th-minute equaliser saved a point for 10-man Portsmouth in their fraught 2-2 relegation dogfight at home to Oxford. Keshi Anderson gave Pompey a ninth-minute lead but Connor Ogilvie’s straight red card seven minutes later gave them an uphill battle.
The Portsmouth left-back had attempted to win the ball, but Ogilvie’s trailing leg trapped Mills’ in a scissoring motion. It was only Portsmouth’s second dismissal of the campaign. In the aftermath of the sending-off, a bottle was thrown towards the officials from the home support.
Brodie Spencer equalised before a diving header from the Tottenham loanee Will Lankshear gave him his 10th goal of the season and seemingly his side the three points. But Dozzell steered home late on to give Portsmouth a place and point advantage over Oxford, with the two sides split by the relegation line.
Later on Saturday, there are seven 3pm BST kick-offs including Ipswich v Birmingham and Derby v Stoke. Swansea v Middlesbrough is at 5.30, while Coventry visit Hull at 8pm
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