Republic of Ireland attacker Simon Cox had to stretchered off tonight as Nottingham Forest cruised to a simple 3-1 win over his Hartlepool side in the Capital One Cup.

Hull failed to seal automatic promotion to the Barclays Premier League after they were beaten 2-0 by Barnsley, who climbed out of the npower Championship relegation zone as a result of the win.

Nottingham Forest 3 Wolves 1

Nottingham Forest 1 Bolton 1

Nottingham Forest 2 Crystal Palace 2

Nottingham Forest 1 Millwall 4

Blackpool 2 Nottingham Forest 2

Nottingham Forest 3 Cardiff 1

Nottingham Forest 0 Derby 1

Nottingham Forest 2 Birmingham 2

Nottingham Forest 1 Wigan 4

Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton remained downbeat about his side’s chances of npower Championship survival after they relegated Doncaster with a 4-3 win at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday.

WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce was happy to be on the right end of two debatable decisions as his side moved three points clear at the top of the npower Championship with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

Andre Villas-Boas named a strong-looking Chelsea line-up for this afternoon’s FA Cup third round tie with Portsmouth.

West Ham 4 Portsmouth 3

STEVEN CAULKER’S late equaliser saw Bristol City earn a 2-2 draw at QPR to deny the npower Championship leaders the chance to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table yesterday.

Wolves 4 Notts County 2 (after extra time)

Wolves 2 Southend 1

Wolves 2 Stoke 1

Wolves 0 Chelsea 2

ALEX FERGUSON’S 900th league game as Manchester United manager ended in a comfortable victory over Wolves at Old Trafford last night although the occasion was overshadowed by a controversial piece of team selection from his opposite number Mick McCarthy.

Versatile Republic of Ireland right-back Kevin Foley has been put on alert to make his first start for more than two months for Wolves against Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Wolves 0 Birmingham 1

IN the match programme for last night’s visit of Wolves to Ferrycarrig Park, Mr Wexford Youths himself, Mick Wallace, recalled holding trials for the county U16s in Drinagh on a Sunday morning in October 1998.

Wolves’ manager Mick McCarthy made one change from the side which drew with Everton last weekend for the home Barclays Premier League derby with Aston Villa.

Everton 1 Wolves 1

Wolves 0 Portsmouth 1

SO, Mick McCarthy still awaits his first Premier League victory at the Stadium of Light.

A host of players are set to return for Wolves at Sunderland on Sunday as manager Mick McCarthy makes changes from the side which lost to Manchester United in the Carling Cup in midweek.

Wolves 2 Fulham 1

Blackburn 3 Wolves 1

Wolves have signed Ecuador midfielder Segundo Castillo on a season-long loan from Red Star Belgrade.

Wolves 1 Hull 1

Wolves are set to be boosted by the return of full-back Stephen Ward and the versatile Greg Halford for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash against Hull.

Mick McCarthy will turn to his fringe first-team players for Wolves’ Carling Cup second round clash against Swindon tomorrow night.

STRIKER Andy Keogh spoiled Wigan manager Roberto Martinez’s ‘homecoming’ as Wolves outfought the hosts to win at the DW Stadium.

Wigan 0 Wolves 1

Mick McCarthy described Wolves’ treatment room as “emergency ward 10” ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Wigan.

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is ready to step up his efforts in the transfer market after seeing the current squad return for pre-season training.

Wolves have completed the signing of defender Ronald Zubar from Marseille to take their number of pre-season acquisitions to six.

Wolves today completed the signing of Sunderland utility man Greg Halford for an undisclosed fee.

SUNDERLAND’S new manager will face the task of clearing the decks before he presses ahead with his own plans for rebuilding the squad.

Sheffield United 1 Preston 0 (Sheff Utd win 2-1 on aggregate)