Around One – Top teams come from behind

Jason Koumas - scored first goal for West Brom

Franchise apart you couldn’t predict two more likely clubs to come from behind to beat than Burnley and Ipswich – between us we have conceded 133 goals.

We’ve said enough about our match but West Brom looked to be heading for defeat at Ipswich until they scored twice in two minutes with less than twenty minutes on the clock. Jason Koumas got the equaliser with a stunning free kick and then youngster Lloyd Dyer hammered them in front.

Even then Ipswich came back but Geoff Horsfield was on the mark for his thirteenth goal of the season with that late, late winner.

With Sunderland and Millwall otherwise engaged and West Ham and Sheffield United both losing it sees them go eleven points clear. Only Sunderland have a realistic chance of stopping one of them going straight up but that will be difficult, even if they win their games in hand they will still be five points behind.

Reading will have enjoyed their win on Saturday more than usual as they got one over on Alan Pardew. Two goals from Dave Kitson were enough to see off West Ham. When the Hammers drew at Burnley at the beginning of March they were had been unbeaten away from home since September. That’s changed now and they have lost all three games on their travels since.

Sheffield United were shock losers at home to Nottingham Forest who have now lost just two out of eleven since Joe Kinnear took over. The change in style has certainly favoured Marlon King and Gareth Taylor and both scored with Taylor getting the winner against his former club.

That win sees Forest up to 15^th place in the table and there won’t be much money going on them claiming the 3^rd relegation place any longer.

Bryan Robson - blamed the defeat against Burnley for his side's performance

The Weary Whinger continued to have a go at us. Apparently we are responsible for their run of bad defeats after kicking Chris Lucketti out of the game at the Turf and forcing him out of their team with injury.

I would willingly drive this lunatic back north of the border just to get him out of our football once and for all.

BRBC will be joined by Franchise but Wigan missed a glorious opportunity to climb five places to third and to also hammer that last wonderful nail into the Franchise coffin. Incredibly they failed and went down to a 1-0 home defeat against them.

Sunderland have now been presented with the hammer and been gifted the opportunity to give that nail one hell of a hit.

In that relegation place Gillingham and Derby occupy the two places below us after both losing. Gillingham went down 2-1 at home to Cardiff where York City’ Lee Bullock, currently on loan with the Bluebirds, got the winner on 86 minutes.

It was the same time when the winner went in at Derby, a penalty from Lee Bradbury for Walsall that has seen the away fan ripping off Saddlers up to 17^th place.

It was a hotly disputed penalty though and Rams’ boss George Burley targeted Chester referee Michael Jones after the game.

George Burley - accused the referee of winning the game for Walsall

The assistant was flagging for a foul by Bradbury on Michael Jackson but the referee incredibly ignored it, gave a penalty and sent Jackson off. Worse still, earlier in the game Derby’s Manel was through on goal and had a simple tap in but Jones blew and awarded Derby, yes Derby, a free kick on the half way line.

He admitted after the game that he had made a terrible mistake. It is good to see that other teams lose out because of bad refereeing though – we’ve certainly had it recently, in particular against the Whinger’s lot.

Two of the other bottom clubs, Crewe and Rotherham, fought out a less than entertaining 0-0 draw at the Alexandra Stadium.

There are a few clubs in the middle of the division with nowhere to go, safe from relegation but no chance of the play offs. Two of them Stoke and Coventry met at the Britannia Stadium with the home team coming out on top in a 1-0 win.

There are a few midweek fixtures and then a busy weekend for Easter. All midweek fixtures kick off at 7:45 p.m. and the Saturday and Easter Monday fixtures at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise shown.

Franchise v Sunderland
Gillingham v Wigan Athletic
Rotherham United v Crystal Palace

Millwall v Cardiff City

Norwich City v Wigan Athletic (5:30 p.m.)
Sunderland v Sheffield United (3:00 p.m.)

BRBC v Reading
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace
Coventry City v Millwall
Franchise v Preston North End
Nottingham Forest v Stoke City
Rotherham United v Ipswich Town
Walsall v Burnley
Watford v Crewe Alexandra
West Bromwich Albion v Gillingham
West Ham United v Derby County (12:15 p.m.)

Burnley v Watford
Crewe Alexandra v Coventry City
Crystal Palace v West Ham United
Derby County v BRBC
Gillingham v Walsall
Ipswich Town v Sunderland
Millwall v West Bromwich Albion
Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
Reading v Norwich City (5:35 p.m.)
Sheffield United v Franchise
Stoke City v Rotherham United