Football Review: Huckerby shows why his loan stock is rising

If Norwich City do not make loan signing Darren Huckerby a permanent squad member, there will be a queue of other First Division clubs willing to buy him from Manchester City. He scored the only goal of the game in the Canaries' 1-0 defeat of Crewe Alexandra at Carrow Road which kept them a point off the top of the Nationwide First Division.

Norwich had missed numerous first-half chances when, six minutes before the interval, Huckerby curled in a fine right-foot shot. "It's good to see Darren back on the scoresheet," manager Nigel Worthington said. "We've been telling him that he's got to shoot more and today he had quite a few efforts on goal." Next weekend sees the final match of Huckerby's three-month loan spell, in which time the Canaries have become real promotion candidates.

Another coveted midfielder, Sheffield United's Michael Brown, is in the last year of his contract, and Premier clubs on both side of the Hadrian's Wall are lining up bids. They may need to revise them upwards after the 26-year-old scored from the penalty spot and set up Stuart McCall's goal as the Blades beat Preston 2-0 at Bramall Lane. "He's had a stop-start season, but that was a typical performance from him," Neil Warnock, the Sheffield manager, said of Brown. The Blades are third.

Level on points at the start of their match at Ninian Park, Ipswich Town moved up to fourth after a narrow 3-2 win over Cardiff City. Ipswich's superiority was set up by two goals in four minutes midway through the first half. "It took 75 minutes before our keeper had to make a save," Joe Royle, the Ipswich manager, said, ignoring the 58th-minute penalty which gave Robert Earnshaw his 100th Cardiff goal. But Royle is sure there is more to come from his side. "I said at the start of the season I expect us to be in the top two, nothing's changed."

When Burnley's Robbie Blake and Richard Chaplow both hit the post in the first half at Sunderland and the Wearsiders' Kevin Kyle scored from close range, it looked as though the Clarets' luck was out. But they got their reward in the second half when Moore equalised. It ended 1-1. Reading left it late at the Madejski Stadium, but when Nicky Forster chased a long ball and crossed, Steve Sidwell applied the finish as the Royals beat Watford 2-1 to move up to sixth.

At the bottom of the table, there were wins for Rotherham United and Derby County, which left Wimbledon six points from safety. The Rams beat the Dons 3-1 at Pride Park. "The only way Derby were going to score was by us making a mistake so what do we do? We make two. We are a very hospitable team," a disgruntled Wimbledon manager, Stuart Murdoch, said. Rotherham's 2-0 defeat of a poor Walsall side at Millmoor was not enough to lift them out of the relegation places.

The departure of striker Marlon King, sold to Nottingham Forest, does not seem to have harmed Gillingham's firepower. Paul Shaw, Chris Hope and Mamady Sidibe were on target as the Gills beat Stoke City 3-1 at the Priestfield Stadium. And Johnnie Jackson, on loan from Spurs, scored in injury time to earn Coventry a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and deny Palace's caretaker manager, Kit Symons, a win. "It would be disappointing not to get the job," he said. "If I don't get the job I'll be back with the lads as a player. My clothes are still hanging in the players' dressing room."

Over in West London, Queen's Park Rangers beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 to stay a point clear at the top of the Second Division. At the bottom, Wycombe still await their first win under Tony Adams, Leon McKenzie scoring twice as Peterborough won 2-1 at Adams Park.

The Third Division leaders, Oxford United, won 2-1 at Rochdale despite speculation that manager Ian Atkins is top of Southend United's wish list, but Hull City lost at Bristol Rovers and slipped to fourth as Mansfield Town, 3-0 winners at Northampton, and Doncaster Rovers moved above them. Rovers won 1-0 at the bottom side, Carlisle, who are 12 points adrift having lost 11 consecutive games.