Ellery Balcombe starred on Saturday as Crawley Town put more breathing space between themselves and the Sky Bet League Two relegation zone with a 1-0 victory at home to Barrow.

Ashley Nadesan’s sixth-minute goal proved decisive for the Red Devils. Barrow dominated the game, registering 19 shots, but couldn’t beat Balcombe as Crawley moved up to 18th, five points clear of the drop zone.

Balcombe also impressed in midweek despite Crawley’s EFL Cup run coming to an end with a 3-1 defeat at Sky Bet Championship side Burnley. Crawley’s league action this weekend takes them to Walsall.

Sky Bet Championship

Halil Dervisoglu was cup-tied for that clash against Crawley at Turf Moor, but he did come off the bench on Sunday as the Clarets secured Championship top spot heading into the World Cup break, with a 3-0 victory over fierce rivals and nearest challengers, Blackburn Rovers.

Dervisoglu replaced two-goal hero Ashley Barnes for the final couple of minutes of the Lancashire derby, with the win meaning Vincent Kompany’s side head into the international break three points clear at the top of the table.

On the fringes of the Championship play-off places are Swansea City and Fin Stevens following a pair of away draws this week.

Stevens wasn’t involved in their 2-2 draw at Birmingham City on Tuesday night and was then an unused substitute for their goalless draw at Huddersfield Town on Saturday. The Swans are eighth, outside the play-offs on goal difference, heading into their four-week break.

Tariqe Fosu started one and came off the bench in the other, as Stoke City took three points from their two matches this week.

Fosu played the full 90 on Tuesday night as the Potters beat Luton Town 2-0, before playing the final 20 minutes of Stoke’s defeat by the same scoreline at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend. Stoke take a two-point buffer between them and the relegation zone into their World Cup break.

Across the continent

Also in action for the final time before the World Cup were Mads Bech and OGC Nice.

Alexandre Lacazette scored an 89th-minute penalty on Friday night to deny Nice the victory away at Lyon, while another former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe got OGC’s goal from the spot in the first half. Mads wasn’t in the matchday squad for the side ninth in Ligue 1 heading into the World Cup.

Mads Bidstrup’s FC Nordsjaelland signed off for their extended winter break with a convincing 5-1 win over AaB on Sunday. It took until first-half stoppage time for FCN to open the scoring against the side second-from-bottom in the Danish top flight. However, they added a second moments after the restart before cruising to victory with three further goals in the final 21 minutes.

Bidstrup played 77 minutes for Flemming Pedersen’s side, who take a three-point lead into Denmark’s three-month World Cup/winter break.

Joel Valencia has one more round of games to go with De Graafschap before the Eerste Divisie takes its temporary pause.

On Friday night, Valencia was forced off after 20 minutes of their dramatic 3-2 win over Jong PSV; the Super Farmers netted a 97th-minute winner to move them up to 13th in the table. Second-from-bottom Helmond Sport host De Graafschap on Friday night in their final action before mid-December.

Sky Bet League One

There was no action for either Myles Peart-Harris over the past seven days. With Peart-Harris an unused substitute, Forest Green Rovers dropped to the bottom of Sky Bet League One with a 2-0 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers.

Also in the third tier, Tuesday night saw Daniel Oyegoke introduced at half-time of MK Dons’ 2-0 victory over Morecambe. Oyegoke was then not involved in MK’s 3-1 defeat at home to Derby County on Saturday, a result which leaves them three points from safety in 21st place.

Both sides are away on Saturday, with Forest Green visiting Oxford United and MK travelling to Barnsley.

Sky Bet League Two

In Sky Bet League Two, Paris Maghoma helped AFC Wimbledon to four points this week. With Nathan Young-Coombes still out injured, Maghoma played an hour on Tuesday during AFC’s 2-0 victory over league leaders Leyton Orient and then played the full 90 minutes of their goalless draw at Salford City at the weekend.

Those results moved the Dons up to 15th ahead of their FA Cup first round replay at home to Weymouth on Tuesday and a League Two trip to Tranmere on Saturday.

Those results kept AFC above Lachlan Brook and Crewe Alexandra who snuck past bottom-of-the-table Colchester United thanks to an 80th-minute Dan Agyei goal at the Mornflake Stadium. Brook played 77 minutes of the game with a weekend trip to Swindon Town next up for the Railwaymen.