EFL: Mick McCarthy's milestone among five things you may have missed

Daniel Pinillos
Nottingham Forest's Daniel Pinillos was mobbed by his team-mates after his last-minute equaliser against Derby

An unexpected thriller at the bottom of the Championship and the League One promotion contenders proving their credentials were among the highlights of Saturday's English Football League action.

An under-pressure manager marked 25 years since taking his first job, while what looked like a dream return to a former club went horribly wrong for one player in League One.

BBC Sport brings you five things you may have missed in the EFL.

McCarthy makes managerial milestone

Mick McCarthy
Then: Mick McCarthy (right) as Millwall manager

On Saturday, it was 25 years to the day since Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy took his first steps in football management, named player-manager at then-second-tier side Millwall.

Since then, the 58-year-old has been in charge for 845 competitive games in English football with the Lions, Sunderland, Wolves and Ipswich, and 52 games as boss of the Republic of Ireland.

He could not have asked for much of a tougher task to mark his anniversary as the Tractor Boys travelled to Cardiff, where they have not won since 2011.

The Bluebirds were not in the mood to allow any celebrations, as two goals from Kenneth Zohore and one from Joe Bennett helped the Welsh side to a 3-1 victory.

Mick McCarthy
And now: Mick McCarthy watches on as Ipswich's winless run is stretched to seven games

The result leaves Ipswich only five points above the relegation zone with eight games left to play, and McCarthy was asked if was still the right man for Ipswich job.

"Well you wouldn't expect me to say anything but yes, would you?" he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I think we should make sure that I'm still the right man to make sure we're still in this league, and the players are the right players to make sure we're still in this league, and then they can pick the bones out of it after that."

Spoils shared in East Midlands derby

Gary Rowett and Mark Warburton
It was all smiles between Derby's Gary Rowett and Nottingham Forest's Mark Warburton before kick-off despite the fierce rivalry

Nottingham Forest hosted Derby County in the East Midlands derby in an early kick-off, the fifth successive match between the two sides with both teams being led by different managers.

Former Rangers boss Mark Warburton became Nottingham Forest's eighth manager since Fawaz Al-Hasawi bought the club in 2012 on Tuesday, while ex-Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett was confirmed as the Rams' fifth manager in 13 months a few hours earlier.

Derby had run out 3-0 victors when the two sides met in December, but they had not won in three trips to the City Ground.

Forest-Derby graphic

Two goals in six second-half minutes from Matej Vydra and David Nugent had the Rams on course to end that run, after Zach Clough had given the Reds an early lead.

But the hosts rescued a point in the 94th minute from an unlikely source, as full-back Daniel Pinillos scored his first Forest goal in his 31st game for the club.

"It was important to take something out of the game of such significance," Warburton said.

"It means a lot to the fans and a lot to the players, it is a huge local derby."

Bees sting Brewers with thrilling comeback

Jackson Irvine
Burton's collapse was too much for some of their players to take

If you had been asked to predict the highest scoring game of the day, it's unlikely you would have pointed to Burton Albion as one of the teams to provide it.

The relegation-threatened Brewers played host to Brentford, having seen just eight goals scored in their previous six matches.

That tally was matched in 90 minutes of football at the Pirelli Stadium, as Nigel Clough's side came from a goal down to lead 3-1, only to then ship four goals in 35 minutes in a 5-3 defeat.

The result marked the end of a six-game unbeaten run for Burton, who are now just one point above the relegation zone.

Maxime Colin tweet
Brentford's players were understandably thrilled with their comeback after the game

"As good as we were in the first half we were just as poor in the second," Clough said.

"We told them at half-time to keep doing the same things in the same way we did in the first half and not to give them any encouragement.

"Suddenly they are 3-3 by the hour mark. That message obviously wasn't taken on board."

From joy to despair for Moussa

Franck Moussa
Franck Moussa had an unsuccessful spell with Southend last season, playing only once after joining the club in March

Walsall midfielder Franck Moussa has had a difficult 2017, making only two appearances since the start of the year before Saturday.

The Belgian must have thought his luck had started to turn, as he scored twice within 10 minutes of being brought on as an early substitute at former club Southend.

The Saddlers held that two-goal lead all the way up to the 63rd minute, when the wheels fell off in spectacular style.

Nile Ranger headed in the first goal for the hosts, before Anton Ferdinand levelled the scores.

Moussa was then substituted, and Simon Cox completed the turnaround a minute later when he scored directly from a free-kick to seal the three points for Southend, who climbed into the top six in League One as a result.

League One leaders show their mettle

Charlie Wyke
Charlie Wyke has scored six times in 10 games for Bradford since joining from Carlisle in January

Southend were not the only League One promotion candidates to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Leaders Sheffield United fought back from a goal down to beat Charlton, while second-placed Bolton scored twice in seven minutes to win 2-1 against Northampton, and Charlie Wyke scored twice in six minutes to help Bradford beat Swindon and climb to fourth.

That last result was particularly bad news for Scunthorpe, who dropped to fifth after being on the receiving end of yet another comeback, Curtis Nelson's 91st-minute goal sealing a 2-1 victory for Oxford.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood - in the automatic promotion spots at the start of the day - perhaps made a mistake in not allowing their opponents to score first, as they were held to a goalless draw by Wimbledon.