Joy for Millwall - Aaron McLean's EFL takeaways

As the clocks go back, the EFL proved once more that it offers timeless fun.

Former Peterborough, Hull and Bradford striker and Final Score's EFL pundit Aaron McLean gave his five takeaways from what we learned across the Championship, League One and League Two on Saturday.

Millwall picked up a fourth consecutive league victory with a well-deserved 1-0 win against struggling Leicester City to stay third in the Championship and cut the gap to second-placed Middlesbrough to two points.

McLean: "Outstanding. Millwall are performing how a Millwall team should perform; hard work, determination, desire, strong, mature performances.

"Four wins in a row now and they don't look like they're going away. They don't just look like a team in form, they look like they are going to sustain it. It will be interesting to see where it takes them.

"I wouldn't have fancied them at the beginning of the season but I've got to say, after watching them a number of times this season, they look up for the fight to challenge for promotion this year."

Struggling Blackburn Rovers picked up a much-needed first home win of the season - at the expense of struggling Southampton.

Saints have now won just once since the opening day of the season in the Championship.

McLean: "First of all, it's a huge result for Blackburn. Anyone that heard Valerien Ismael's interviews leading into this game - you could tell he's under pressure and you can tell he's not happy with the way his team is performing.

"What he needed was a performance from his team to show they're fully behind him, that they've got that fighting spirit to be able to turn their season around and he got that.

"As for Southampton, every time they look like they're taking a step forward, they seem to take two or three steps backwards.

"Losing a game against a struggling Blackburn team, in the manner that they did - the fans clearly showed how unhappy they were. It's a really tough one for the Southampton faithful."

McLean's former club Peterborough United now sit rooted to the foot of the League One table after losing 2-1 to fellow strugglers Blackpool who leapfrogged them.

Posh manager Darren Ferguson was then sacked later on Saturday night.

McLean: "Missed chances have been the story of their season. Not being clinical at one end and leaking goals at the other.

"The problem is they've done that against the team directly below them and given Ian Evatt's side not only the three points, but also the perfect start and the confidence that they can move away from danger.

"It's almost a double-whammy."

A 77th-minute goal from Lamine Fanne gave Jack Wilshere his first win as manager of Luton Town as they beat Northampton Town 1-0 at Sixfields.

McLean: "He was up against [Northampton boss] Kevin Nolan, next Friday he'll be up against Robbie Savage [as Luton take on Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the FA Cup] - but I don't think he will care who he's up against.

"The main thing for him in his first managerial job is can he get off to a flying start?

"His first game against Mansfield didn't go as he would have liked, but he's had a few days to be able to get his philosophy over to the players.

"The fact they've been able to come out of this game with three points will give everyone, including himself, a lot of belief that his philosophy is the right one - it's important now that they back it up with a performance in the FA Cup."

After remaining unbeaten for 21 matches, Gillingham have lost four of their past five in League Two and have now dropped out of the play-off spots.

Gills have been without manager Gareth Ainsworth since the end of last month after he had open heart surgery.

McLean: "Their unbeaten run came to an end in Gareth Ainsworth's final game before his operation. Since then, they haven't managed to win a game and they are starting to slip down the table.

"What they have shown is they have got quality players and they are capable of going on runs, but I think everyone will be a lot happier when Gareth Ainsworth is back in the building.

"I think his character, personality and his positivity are a huge reason why Gillingham were where they were, so the sooner he's back, the better."