Gregory's remnants say happy birthday

Last week John Gregory celebrated a year as the Derby County manager by bidding adieu to three of his young stars when striker Malcolm Christie and the central defensive pair Danny Higginbotham and Chris Riggott moved to Premiership clubs. Those who stayed helped him to forget the Rams' fiscal worries with a convincing 3-0 Nationwide First Division defeat of Rotherham.

The Millers were reduced to 10 men after 13 minutes when goalkeeper Mike Pollitt was harshly adjudged to have handled outside the area – his sending off prompted manager Ronnie Moore to demand TV replays for such decisions – and Georgi Kinkladze scored from the free-kick. Goals by Adam Bolder and the 18-year-old striker Izale McLeod added the gloss.

It was a good day for the First Division's top two. The leaders, Portsmouth, were too strong at Fratton Park for Grimsby Town and won 3-0, Yacubu Ayegbini, late of Maccabi Haifa, scoring after four minutes of his first start for Pompey. "It's important we won this match," the Pompey manager, Harry Redknapp, said. "We made a great start with Yacubu's goal – the lad has frightening pace. We've had a bit of a blip in the last few months but we've only lost three games all season."

A fine late strike by Paul Dickov gave second-placed Leicester City a 1-0 win over visitors Crystal Palace. "It's pleasing he is adding goals to his undoubted work rate," manager Mickey Adams said.

Reading and Wolves are back in the play-off places after big away wins. John Salako and Steve Sidwell both scored twice as Reading won 5-2 at Burnley. "In mid-week we gave a shocking performance [against Leicester]", manager Alan Pardew said. "I was looking for a reaction – you could say I got one."

Meanwhile Adam Proudlock, in a rare start for Wolves, scored the first two in their 4-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday, where he was recently on loan. "We needed to send him somewhere where he would get good football, and would get up to the pace needed to play First Division football," his manager, Dave Jones, said. To the Owls' credit, and debit, it worked.

Norwich City let slip a two-goal lead at Carrow Road as Stoke recovered to earn a 2-2 draw and move out of the relegation places, while the Coventry City manager, Gary McAllister, blamed Moroccan midfielder Youssef Chippo's sending off for a second yellow card for his side's 1-0 home defeat by Watford. Similarly, Hermann Hreidarsson's disputed sending off at Bradford sowed the seeds of Ipswich's 3-0 defeat there.

No luck at the very bottom, where Brighton, with 43-year-old Dave Beasant making his debut in goal, dominated Walsall, but lost 1-0.

Gillingham seemed to have Tuesday night's FA Cup fourth round replay at Leeds on their minds as they lost 3-0 at Preston North End

In the Second Division, the top two were held to draws by teams adjusting to new managers. Cheltenham, in their second match under Bobby Gould, earned a valuable point from a goalless draw at leaders Wigan while Northampton, in Terry Fenwick's third match in charge, recovered from 2-0 and 3-2 down at Crewe to draw 3-3.