Taylor starts the party season in Portsmouth

Portsmouth maintained their punishing pace at the top of the Nationwide First Division when they beat Walsall 3-2 in a fractious Fratton Park match, while second-placed Leicester City overcame the sending-off of Frank Sinclair to beat Grimsby Town 2-1 at Blundell Park.

In an ill-tempered match on the South Coast, the Saddlers took the lead in the 31st minute when referee Grant Hegley awarded the first of two penalties, both scored by Danny Sonner. "We were slow starting again," Portsmouth's manager, Harry Redknapp, said, "but once again we came from behind to win. There is a real steel and determination in my team."

As half-time approached, Pompey got a grip on the game and Nigel Quashie scored from 20 yards. Svetoslav Todorov's fifth goal in four games 13 minutes into the second half put them ahead until they were pegged back by Sonner's second penalty. But Matthew Taylor, 20 last week, celebrated with the winner. "We knew it would be a hard game," Redknapp admitted. "They are a well-organised side who are bright up front but we got the points. That's all that matters."

Leicester swept into an early lead when the Mariners failed to deal with a second-minute Muzzy Izzet free-kick and Jamie Scowcroft fired in the loose ball. Five minutes into the second half Sinclair was sent off and John Oster soon equalised. But Izzet had other ideas and scored the winner with an an acrobatic scissor-kick. "All the time I have played here I have not seen a better goal than that," Paul Groves, the Grimsby player-manager, said.

Malky Mackay's late goal gave fourth-placed Norwich City a 1-0 win over Derby County at Carrow Road but there were rather more fireworks at Bramall Lane, where Sheffield United beat Crystal Palace 2-1. The Blades led through Dean Windass, his second goal in his second game on loan from Middlesbrough. Aki Riihilahti made it 1-1 but substitutes Carl Asaba and Wayne Allison combined to fashion Allison's winner.

Watford beat 10-man Burnley 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Heidar Helguson scored five minutes before the break, Mark McGregor was sent off with 19 minutes left and a minute later Tommy Smith made it 2-0. Four minutes later, Gareth Taylor got one back for the Clarets.

"That's our best win of the season because we didn't play well at all," Ray Lewington, the Watford manager, said.

Wolves slipped two places to eighth when they were held to a goalless draw by Rotherham at Millmoor. Richard Cresswell scored his 10th goal of the season as Preston North End followed their midweek defeat of Leicester with a 2-1 win at Highfield Road, Coventry City's fifth consecutive defeat. "I didn't think we'd performed today and I've run out of excuses," the Sky Blues player-manager, Gary McAllister, said. "Our performance was poor right through."

At the bottom, the new managers at struggling Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City are finding football sides as slow to turn around as ocean liners. Chris Turner's Owls lost 3-0 at Wimbledon but although Tony Pulis is still without a win as manager of Stoke, the Potters avoided a ninth consecutive League defeat when Chris Clarke's equaliser earned a 1-1 draw at one of Pulis's former clubs, Gillingham. Bradford still hover nervously above the danger zone after their 1-0 defeat at Millwall, substitute Neil Harris scoring after Bradford's Wayne Jacobs had been sent off for abusive language.

Wigan went back to the top of the Second Division with a 1-0 defeat of Northampton. Finally, of all the many clubs in financial difficulties, Third Division York City's plight seems to be the most perilous at present. If they do close this week, as predicted, they will go out on a winning note, Michael Reddy and Paul Duffield scoring in the 2-1 defeat of Carlisle United.