|
In the Championship – all change at top and bottom
They’ve been scoring goals aplenty at the Stadium of Light recently but they had to settle for a narrow 1-0 win against Coventry with a Chris Brown goal fourteen minutes from the end.
It was enough to take Sunderland top, and not just for a few hours this time, whilst Coventry slumped into the bottom three, the Sunderland fans will have got an extra lift knowing they helped push Adrian Heath down there.
Sunderland went top because Wigan failed to win at Nottingham Forest but they would have done but for the worst decision of the weekend. They led the strugglers 1-0 with a Lee McCulloch goal at the start of the second half and there looked to be no way back for Nottingham Forest.
Five minutes from time though a cross into the Wigan box found Gareth Taylor unmarked and he made no mistake with a free header from close range. The Wigan players appealed for offside but in truth it wasn’t even a clear decision – Taylor was yards offside, he knew it, and admitted it. But the goal stood and Forest got a desperately needed point.
Third place Ipswich travelled to Gillingham and for them it was good fortunate late in the game when Jonathan Douglas hit the bar from eight yards out.
Former Claret Willie Donachie said they were happy enough with the point in a game when only their defenders played well – that’s something new for Ipswich.
Nobody is going to catch that top three but Preston are looking certainties for a play off place. They’ve been beaten only once since they lost 2-0 at the Turf back in mid-December and are now seven points clear of seventh place Reading.
Until recently they couldn’t win a raffle away from home but that’s all changed and this is their fifth success on the road in the last seven games.
|
Derby didn’t play and remain fifth whilst Reading’s free weekend meant Sheffield United climbed back into the top six. West Ham would have done had they beaten Leicester on Friday night but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
They should have won it but Marlon Harewood put in an application for worst penalty of the season, Ian Walker had to wait for it to get there. That was at 2-2 when everyone expected Teddy Sheringham to step up to complete his hat-trick.
Referee Andre Marriner had one of those games that makes you realise we have serious problems with inept refereeing. I just wonder whether Stephen Bywater would have been allowed to stay on had he been the away team keeper or whether Nikos Dabizas would have still been sent off had he been playing for West Ham.
Cardiff and Crewe both need points as they slide closer to the bottom three, a 1-1 draw was hardly idea for either of them. Sam Hammam’s cash strapped Cardiff took the lead through Danny Gabbidon midway through the first half but in front of their lowest crowd of the season, it is good to see everyone rallying round, Crewe earned a point when David Vaughan equalised.
Right down at the bottom and Rotherham were unable to make it two wins in a week, they lost 1-0 to QPR at Millmoor. It is now only a matter of time before their relegation is confirmed and will probably be 9th April.
Wolves got back to drawing ways after their recent wins but they were very fortunate to get this one. A stoppage time equaliser from Carl Cort rescued them at Molineux after Gifton Noel-Williams looked to have given Stoke all three points.
Noel-Williams can’t stop scoring at the moment, it’s ever since Stoke said he could find himself a new club. I suppose some would call it motivational management but then again it is Tony Pulis.
|
As we approach the transfer deadline this week, the last time it will exist in March because of the transfer window, a couple of clubs have already strengthened their squads.
Dean Sturridge has moved from Wolves to QPR on a free transfer whilst Southampton’s Brett Ormerod has signed for Wigan on loan with a view to a permanent move.
Brighton play Reading tonight and then there are no fixtures until a week on Saturday because of the international weekend – Easter with no fixtures and I can remember the time when we played Friday/Saturday/Monday. Wonderful planning yet again.
The next full set of fixtures are listed below and there is also an update of the average crowds at each ground for league games. Since we last reported it we have dropped a place to 17th – with Preston going above us.
The Weekend Results | |
Friday 18th March | |
West Ham 2 Leicester 2 | . |
Saturday 19th March | |
Cardiff 1 Crewe 1 | Sheffield Utd 2 Burnley 1 |
Gillingham 0 Ipswich 0 | Sunderland 1 Coventry 0 |
Nott'm Forest 1 Wigan 1 | Watford 0 Preston 2 |
Rotherham 0 QPR 1 | Wolves 1 Stoke 1 |
Sunday 20th March | |
Millwall 3 Plymouth 0 | . |
The Weekend Stats | |
Biggest win | Millwall 3-0 v Plymouth (home) |
Total goals scored | 20 |
Player scoring most goals | 2 - Teddy Sheringham (West Ham) |
Highest Attendance | 29,424 - Sunderland v Plymouth |
Lowest Attendance | 5,387 - Rotherham v QPR |
Total Yellow Cards | 22 |
Total Red Cards | 1 |
Most cards in a game | Rotherham v QPR (6Y) |
The leading scorers (league only) | |
23 | Nathan Ellington (Wigan) |
18 | Dean Ashton (Crewe) - now with Norwich Jason Roberts (Wigan) |
17 | Paul Furlong (QPR) Kenny Miller (Wolves) Teddy Sheringham (West Ham) |
16 | Darren Bent (Ipswich) Dave Kitson (Reading) Shefki Kuqi (Ipswich) |
14 | Richard Cresswell (Preston) Grzegorz Rasiak (Derby) Marcus Stewart (Sunderland) |
13 | Carl Cort (Wolves) Stephen Elliott (Sunderland) |
12 | Marlon Harewood (West Ham) David Healy (Leeds) - 5 with Preston Heidar Helguson (Watford) Lee McCulloch (Wigan) Danny Webber (Watford) Paul Wotton (Plymouth) |
11 | Andy Gray (Sheffield Utd) Gifton Noel-Williams (Stoke) |
10 | Robbie Blake (Burnley) - now Birmingham Tommy Miller (Ipswich) Peter Thorne (Cardiff) |
Average Attendances (league only) | |||
Avge | Club | High | Low |
29,081 | Leeds | 34,496 | 24,585 |
27,323 | Sunderland | 43,253 | 22,267 |
27,086 | West Ham | 32,270 | 22,031 |
26,687 | Wolves | 28,516 | 24,336 |
25,141 | Ipswich | 30,003 | 21,246 |
24,684 | Derby | 30,793 | 22,096 |
24,251 | Leicester | 30,231 | 21,249 |
23,275 | Nottingham Forest | 27,457 | 19,209 |
19,482 | Sheffield United | 22,959 | 16,079 |
17,019 | Stoke | 23,029 | 13,234 |
17,010 | Reading | 23,203 | 11,404 |
16,138 | Plymouth | 20,555 | 13,308 |
15,717 | QPR | 18,363 | 13,559 |
15,059 | Coventry | 21,146 | 11,966 |
13,777 | Watford | 19,649 | 11,084 |
13,409 | Preston | 18,531 | 10,339 |
12,894 | Burnley | 17,789 | 10,539 |
12,552 | Cardiff | 17,006 | 10,007 |
11,698 | Millwall | 15,603 | 8,835 |
10,554 | Wigan | 17,177 | 7,547 |
8,278 | Gillingham | 10,739 | 6,089 |
7,123 | Crewe | 9,095 | 5,409 |
6,389 | Brighton | 6,804 | 5,996 |
6,298 | Rotherham | 9,050 | 3,804 |
The Next Fixtures | |
Monday 21st March | |
Brighton v Reading | . |
Saturday 2nd April | |
Burnley v Watford | Plymouth v Cardiff |
Coventry v Brighton | Preston v Gillingham |
Crewe v Nott'm Forest | QPR v Sunderland |
Ipswich v Derby | Reading v Sheffield Utd |
Leeds v Wolves | Stoke v Rotherham |
Leicester v Millwall | Wigan v West Ham |