Blackpool are best says Barnsley boss Hill

Last updated : 18 September 2012 By Tony Scholes

I'm sure it isn't necessary to concentrate too much on the top of the league this week, suffice to say that Agent Kean and his team, despite attacks from Shebby, are sat at the top after winning at Bristol City, just a point ahead of four clubs.

One of the four are Blackpool who, after opening with three wins, have now got just one point from two games. The latest point came in a 1-1 draw at Barnsley, but it was a good point for the home side against Blackpool who manager Keith Hill believes are the best team in the division.

Hull, 4-1 winners against Millwall, Brighton and Cardiff are the others with ten points. Brighton were top for a few hours after winning on Friday against Sheffield Wednesday. Had Wednesday won they would have gone top, but such is the league now that, having lost, they are just one point ahead of us.

Such is the table at the moment that had we gone on and won at Middlesbrough we'd be sat in the top six but currently sit just one point above the drop zone.

Cardiff beat Leeds 2-1 in a game that provided us with probably the best two strikes of the weekend from Craig Bellamy and Rodolph Austin, so Austin did get three goals after all. It was also a game where the yellow card total could have gone through the roof but for some weak refereeing by Paul Tierney.

Posh, as I said, are rooted to the bottom without a point and they are already five points behind the next club. There are four teams on five points with Birmingham and Ipswich currently in the relegation places.

The league hasn't really settled down yet but we might have a clearer picture by the time of the next break as to who are might do well and who, besides Peterborough, might struggle.

The results, stats, leading goalscorers, disciplinary records, highest and lowest attendances and next fixtures are below.

You'll see that Charlie Austin is currently one goal behind leading goalscorers Tom Ince and Craig Mackail-Smith. That's with Charlie having scored twice on Saturday. Should the Football League change the scorer of our second goal to Austin then these records will be amended in subsequent weeks.

The Results
Friday 14th September
Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0 Charlton Athletic 0 Crystal Palace 1
Saturday 15th September
Barnsley 1 Blackpool 1 Huddersfield Town 1 Derby County 0
Bolton Wanderers 2 Watford 1 Hull City 4 Millwall 1
Bristol City 3 Blackburn Rovers 5 Middlesbrough 2 Ipswich Town 0
Burnley 5 Peterborough United 2 Nottingham Forest 2 Birmingham City 2
Cardiff City 2 Leeds United 1  
Sunday 16th September
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Leicester City 1  

 

The Stats
Biggest Win Burnley 5-2 v Peterborough United (home)
Hull City 4-1 v Millwall (home)
Total Goals Scored 42 (27 home - 15 away)
Player Scoring Most Goals
2
Charlie Austin (Burnley)
Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers)
Highest Attendance 26,594 - Brighton & Hove Albion v Sheffield Wednesday
Lowest Attendance 10,979 - Burnley v Peterborough United
Total Yellow Cards 33
Total Red Cards 0
Most Cards in a Game Charlton Athletic v Crystal Palace (5Y) Ref: Tony Bates

 

Leading Goalscorers (League Only)
5 Tom Ince (Blackpool)
Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton & Hove Albion)
4 Charlie Austin (Burnley) - includes 1 penalty
Luciano Becchio (Leeds United)
Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers) - 2 with Huddersfield Town
Pete Whittingham (Cardiff City) - includes 2 penalties
3 Craig Davies (Barnsley) - includes 1 penalty
Chris Eagles (Bolton Wanderers)
Nuno Gomes (Blackburn Rovers)
Matej Vydra (Watford)
Martyn Woolford (Bristol City)

 

Hat Tricks
 Date Player & Game
01/09/12 3: Pete Whittingham - CARDIFF CITY v Wolverhampton Wanderers

 

Disciplinary Record (League and Cup)
Club Y R Y R Club Y R Y R
  League   Total   League  Total 
Barnsley 8 1 11 2 Huddersfield Town 9 0 10 0
Birmingham City 4 0 6 0 Hull City 4 0 4 1
Blackburn Rovers 7 0 7 0 Ipswich Town 3 0 3 0
Blackpool 6 0 6 0 Leeds United 10 0 12 0
Bolton Wanderers 10 0 12 0 Leicester City 6 0 6 0
Brighton & Hove Albion 7 0 8 0 Middlesbrough 8 0 8 0
Bristol City 4 0 6 0 Millwall 9 0 11 0
Burnley 5 0 9 0 Nottingham Forest 14 0 14 0
Cardiff City 5 0 7 0 Peterborough United 9 0 11 0
Charlton Athletic 7 0 7 0 Sheffield Wednesday 11 0 13 0
Crystal Palace 9 0 13 0 Watford 7 0 8 0
Derby County 4 0 5 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 0 6 0

 

Highest and Lowest Attendances
Highest Lowest
Att Fixture Att Fixture
27,437 Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday (18/08) 6,188 Peterborough United v Millwall (21/08)
26,594 Brighton & HA v Sheffield Weds (14/09) 8,088 Barnsley v Bristol City (01/09)
25,518 Brighton & Hove Albion v Cardiff City (21/08) 9,576 Millwall v Middlesbrough (01/09)
25,379 Sheffield Wed v Birmingham City (21/08) 10,432 Peterborough United v Leeds United (25/08)
24,752 Sheffield Wednesday v Millwall (25/08) 10,979 Burnley v Peterborough United (15/09)
24,594 Brighton & Hove Albion v Barnsley (25/08) 11,010 Millwall v Blackpool (18/08)
24,411 Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers (01/09) 11,022 Watford v Birmingham City (25/08)
24,400 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Barnsley (21/08) 11,413 Burnley v Brighton & Hove Albion (01/09)
23,863 Leicester City v Peterborough United (18/08) 12,203 Barnsley v Middlesbrough (18/08)
23,836 Cardiff City v Leeds United (15/09) 12,221 Bristol City v Crystal Palace (21/08)

 

The Week's Fixtures
Tuesday 18th September
Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers Leeds United v Hull City
Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley Millwall v Cardiff City
Blackpool v Middlesbrough (20:00) Peterborough United v Bristol City
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest (20:00) Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Derby County v Charlton Athletic  
Wednesday 19th September
Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers Sheffield Wednesday v Huddersfield Town
Leicester City v Burnley