In the Championship – Bad day on the road

Last updated : 09 August 2004 By Tony Scholes
Patrick Suffo - scored Coventry's first goal from the penalty spot
A total of six home wins and six draws and only Peter Reid’s Coventry winning by more than a one goal margin as we got underway in temperatures even our cricketers rarely have to contend with.

Coventry beat Reid’s old team 2-0 with two late goals but it all looked to be heading for a draw until George McCartney for no apparent reason decided to handle the ball and present the home side with a penalty.

Patrick Suffo hit home and Eddie Johnson, on loan from Manchester United, scored a stoppage time second to send the West Midlands club to the top of the league, not as if anyone is particularly interested in league tables after one game.

There was a sensational start at the library, aka the Madejski Stadium, when visitors Brighton took the lead with just thirteen seconds gone through new signing Maheta Molango. Just 79 seconds later it was 1-1 with Dave Kitson scoring at the other end.

This game saw both managers pitting their wits against former clubs but Steve Coppell came out on top in the end with a 3-2 win inspired by new signing Glen Little who tormented Brighton down Reading’s right.

Early goals then but not the first of the season, that came at Elland Road because of the early start for television. Frazer Richardson scored the only goal of the game as Leeds beat Derby but they had much to thank goalkeeper Neil Sullivan for with one late stunning save to keep out Junior.

This game featured an incredible decision from an assistant who ruled out a Derby goal with the score at 0-0 because the ball had gone out of play from a corner. Really!! There was no evidence of it going out whatsoever and it was just the let off the home side needed.

Gillingham are one of the relegation favourites but they took the lead at Ipswich through Paul Smith against Long Ball Joe’s outfit. It was all level at half time but just thirty seconds after the interval Dean Bowditch scored a brilliant volley to give the home side a 2-1 win.

Richard Cresswell - first league goal for almost a year
The other winners yesterday were Preston who scraped a 2-1 victory over Watford after the Hornets missed a late penalty. The winner also came from the spot, scored by David Healy after Watford had cancelled out Preston's lead given to them by Richard Cresswell with his first league goal since last September.

And no he didn’t let us down. The Weary Whinger admitted his side were fortunate, admitted that they had somehow survived a second half onslaught and then added, “I think we deserved to win the game”. Needless to say he thought Watford’s penalty was an incorrect decision by referee Mike Pike.

Stoke were the sixth winners, beating Wolves 2-1 today in front of the television cameras and fully deserving the victory. They led through an excellent goal from Darel Russell, doubled their lead from a rather fortuitous penalty but were then put under pressure for the last few minutes after Gifton Noel-Williams gave away a needless spot kick for hand ball.

Three of the draws yesterday saw goals from former Burnley players. Down at QPR it was Paul Shaw, on his debut for Rotherham, who won the Millers a point with an equaliser after the newly promoted Londoners had led through Gareth Ainsworth.

Gareth Taylor scored Nottingham Forest’s equaliser in another 1-1 scoreline at Wigan in a game that the home side had dominated whilst Alan Lee was on target for Cardiff in their 2-2 draw at Crewe.

That’s it for goals and to complete the round up, Plymouth v Millwall and Leicester v West Ham both ended 0-0 and at the Walkers Stadium the two sides ended the game with ten men as Dion Dublin and Rufus Brevett became the first players sent off in the division this season.

The weekend results

Saturday 7th August

Burnley 1 Sheffield United 1

Plymouth 0 Millwall 0

Coventry 2 Sunderland 0

Preston 2 Watford 1

Crewe 2 Cardiff 2

QPR 1 Rotherham 1

Ipswich 2 Gillingham 1

Reading 3 Brighton 2

Leeds 1 Derby 0

Wigan 1 Nottm Forest 1

Leicester 0 West Ham 0

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Sunday 8th August

Stoke 2 Wolves 1

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The weekend stats

Biggest win

Coventry 2-0 v Sunderland

Total goals scored

27

Player scoring most goals

no player scored more than one

Highest Attendance

30,459 - Leeds v Derby

Lowest Attendance

7,339 - Crewe v Cardiff

Total Yellow Cards

19

Total Red Cards

2

Most cards in a game

4 Leicester v West Ham & Plymouth v Millwall

This week's fixtures

Monday 9th August

Watford v QPR

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Tuesday 10th August

Brighton v Plymouth

Rotherham v Burnley

Cardiff v Coventry

Sheffield United v Stoke

Gillingham v Leeds

Sunderland v Crewe (20:00)

Millwall v Wigan

West Ham v Reading (20:00)

Wednesday 11th August

Derby v Leicester

Wolves v Preston

Nottm Forest v Ipswich

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Friday 13th August

Cardiff v Plymouth

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Saturday 14th August

Brighton v Coventry

Rotherham v Stoke

Derby v Ipswich

Sheffield United v Reading

Gillingham v Preston

Sunderland v QPR

Millwall v Leicester

Watford v Burnley

Nottm Forest v Crewe

Wolves v Leeds

Sunday 15th August

West Ham v Wigan (13:00)

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