Welcome to The Trawler, your weekly submersion through the teeming waters of life in the Championship, League One and League Two. You might be surprised what you find down there.
God on the market
Wednesday manager Dave Jones has laughed off speculation that former Liverpool hitman Robbie Fowler could be on his way to Hillsborough - with the striker back from his travels in Australia and Thailand and keen to play out the season somewhere.
"Unless he's trying to get hold of me for a game of golf I've no idea, I've not spoken to Robbie," Jones said.
Fowler has already turned down an offer of a basic £90-a-week salary, plus £5,000 per appearance, to sign for Championship side Blackpool.
"If Ashley Cole nearly crashed his car when he was offered £50,000 a week, I nearly self-combusted," Fowler told ESPNsoccernet. "I just feel I'm better than that."
Lambert late show
Rickie Lambert's fourth hat-trick of the season earned Southampton a dramatic 3-2 win at Millwall and kept Nigel Adkins' team ahead of red-hot Reading at the top of the Championship.
Lambert celebrated being named Football League Player of the Year by burying the Saints' opener at The Den, but relegation-threatened Millwall levelled with an own goal and took the lead through Paul Robinson midway through the first half.
It took two late, disputed penalties from Lambert to deny Millwall their first home win of 2012, with the 30-year-old making no mistake from the spot on 85 and 88 minutes to take his season tally to 28 in the Championship. "I still believed we would win with seven minutes to go," said Adkins after the game.
Meanwhile, Brian McDermott's Reading battered Barnsley 4-1 to make it nine wins from 10 and move three points clear of West Ham - who needed a late equaliser to take a point in a 1-1 draw away to Leeds.
Chucking out time in League Two
Macclesfield's 2-0 defeat to League Two basement dwellers Dagenham & Redbridge proved the last stand for manager Gary Simpson - who was sacked having failed to record a victory in 2012.
Simpson took over after the death of Keith Alexander in 2010, but with his team precariously placed just above the relegation zone Macclesfield chairman Mike Rance felt compelled to act.
"It is with great regret that we've had to make this decision," Rance said. "We've been through an immense amount together over the last two years and we owe Gary a real debt of gratitude for the dignity and commitment he has shown through a difficult time."
Simpson barely outlasted his League Two contemporary Paul Peschisolido, who was sacked by Burton Albion an hour after he watched over a sixth successive league defeat at home to Torquay.
Steel city on a knife-edge
Sheffield Wednesday's 2-1 win defeat of Notts County in League One saw the Owls draw level on points with steel city neighbours Sheffield United - who could only manage a 1-1 draw against Tranmere.
Striker Gary Madine got the crucial second for Jones' Wednesday, who inflicted the first defeat of the Keith Curle era at County.
League leaders Charlton were held by Scunthorpe, leaving United and Wednesday nine points adrift in second and third respectively.
United's superior goal difference means they currently hold the automatic promotion slot, but everything could change on Tuesday with United up against Notts County and Wednesday at home to struggling Walsall.
Before the Sheffield derby three weeks ago, United could have gone 14 points clear of Wednesday with their games in hand. Now that advantage has vanished.
Football is a selfish game
This week's "telling it like is" award goes to Bristol City defender Stephen McManus, who touched on the harsh realities of the game after a 0-0 draw away to fellow strugglers Portsmouth in the Championship.
"Teams are fighting for their lives - it's people's livelihoods at stake," McManus said. "You need to show passion and desire and we did. It was very important we didn't lose. It's going to take a big effort to keep us in the division but it's a better point for us than them.
"You could see from the reaction of their lads after the game that it was a disappointing result for them. Football is a selfish game."
Di Canio corner
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio blamed himself after the League Two leaders were beaten 2-0 at Crewe on Saturday - allowing Torquay to close the gap at the top to four points.
"For me it was simply ridiculous," Di Canio said. "We deserved to lose. Today the fault is (with) Paolo di Canio because probably I lost in the last few weeks my humility.
"Some of my players lost some humility, passion, desire. I don't want to burn what we have built. I have to discover why. Today they behaved as stupid and silly lads."
Oldham player hurt in car crash
Filipe Morais missed Oldham's League One clash with Rochdale after being involved in a car crash close to the club's Boundary Lane stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
A club statement said of Morais on Sunday: "He is in hospital and is heavily concussed."
Kuqi cracker in vein
An audacious 30-yard valley from Oldham's Shefki Kuqi was ultimately overshadowed by Michael Symes' hat-trick, as lowly Rochdale gained a vital 3-2 win in League One on Saturday.
Kuqi's goal is certainly worth watching if you get the chance - the Finnish striker sending a sublime, dipping volley over David Lucas for his 11th league goal of the season.
