|
In the Championship - McCarthy livid
"At 2-1 we had a penalty of stone wall order," said the Wolves boss. "We might have missed the bloody thing, I don't know. We keep missing them but I would have liked the opportunity. Then of course they go up and score and we end up losing. I'm absolutely livid." He said he'd been to see the referee and added: "Why are some people so smug and arrogant?"
Michael McIndoe brought Wolves from a goal down to 2-1 in front, but Birmingham came back to win it. McIndoe had a chance of a hat trick but he missed a stoppage time penalty that would have given Wolves a point. Last time he scored twice in a game was to give Barnsley a 2-0 lead at Burnley earlier in the season, and he was on the losing side then as well.
That result took Birmingham back to the top because RK Sunderland lost for the first time in 2007 in what has been one of the most difficult fixtures this season, playing Colchester away. Their last defeat was against Preston at the end of December but poor defending gave Colchester the lead.
RK Sunderland did draw level with a Dwight Yorke goal but the home side came back to score twice more, with one of them inevitably coming from the penalty spot, there's no side can win penalties quite like Colchester.
Automatic promotion is between three now, and Derby are the third of them and they kept up their challenge with a 1-0 win over now relegated Luton. They have perfected the art of 1-0 wins, this is their eleventh this season, and it was defender Lewin Nyatanga, recently recalled from a loan spell at Barnsley, who secured this latest win.
If it is tight at the top then we had an incredible five minutes down at the bottom of the league on Saturday afternoon with goals affecting no fewer than four of the teams threatening to go down with Luton.
|
Leicester haven't won since a John McGreal own goal gave them all three points at Burnley in February, but they had done enough to earn a draw at Preston. Then, deep into stoppage time, former Blackburn horror movie star Nils-Eric Johansson scored. The win should see them safe but for wobbling Preston this is five defeats in six games.
Down at Stoke, Hull were looking set for a place in the bottom three. They trailed to a Liam Lawrence goal right on half time, but they too were rescued with a late goal, theirs from substitute Nick Barmby.
Hull and Leicester both got late goals, but down at Southampton it was the other way round as Leeds, who had battled for over half the game with ten men, finally succumbed as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored a later winner for the Saints.
Yes, you've guessed it, Dennis Wise was furious and blamed the referee. I've no sympathy, but there's no doubt referee Bates got it completely wrong when he sent off Alan Thompson. But did Leeds show us any sympathy when this very same referee gave them so much assistance in our game at Elland Road last season? No they didn't, so they are getting none from me now.
Barnsley, like Leicester, are close to safety now. Daniel Nardiello netted twice for the second week and their win over Palace has taken them five points clear of Leeds which should be enough. Will there be a Legend at the Palace next season? Rumour has it that he could be on his way after what has been a disappointing season.
They and Leicester are close to safety, but Burnley and QPR ensured safety on Saturday, and we didn't even have to kick a ball. QPR beat Cardiff 1-0 with a Dexter Blackstock goal and that's Championship football at Loftus Road again next season.
The game ended in controversy with Cardiff's former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra sent off for a tunnel incident with QPR's loan keeper Lee Camp. He must clearly have been telling him that he'd played for Newcastle but referee Mike Thorpe brandished the red card, his second of the season.
|
Finally the local derby I can never get excited about, Norwich v Ipswich. It ended in a draw and that gives Ipswich the edge over them again having won earlier in the season at Portman Road. Dickson Etuhu, impressive at Burnley, gave Norwich the lead but David Wright equalised for Ipswich. For Wright, who has played for Norwich, it was his first goal since December 2003 when he and Steve Jones scored for Crewe in a 2-2 draw at West Brom.
Just two weeks left now, but before next Saturday's fixtures we will be taking over Sky along with the Champions League. Tonight we play West Brom and then we travel to the Stadium of Light on Friday to take on RK Sunderland who will be looking to get back on top.
The last time we played them in front of the TV cameras they beat us 2-0, they went top of the league, and we won't give Ade Akinbiyi a reminder.
The Weekend Results | |
Friday 20th April | |
Derby 1 Luton 0 | . |
Saturday 21st April | |
Barnsley 2 Crystal Palace 0 | QPR 1 Cardiff 0 |
Colchester 3 RK Sunderland 1 | Sheffield Wed 2 Coventry 1 |
Plymouth 2 Southend 1 | Southampton 1 Leeds 0 |
Preston 0 Leicester 1 | Stoke 1 Hull 1 |
Sunday 22nd April | |
Norwich 1 Ipswich 1 | Wolves 2 Birmingham 3 |
The Weekend Stats | |
Biggest win | Colchester 3-1 v RK Sunderland (home) |
Total goals scored | 25 |
Player scoring most goals | Michael McIndoe (Wolves) |
Highest Attendance | 29,012 - Southampton v Leeds |
Lowest Attendance | 6,042- Colchester v RK Sunderland |
Total Yellow Cards | 50 |
Total Red Cards | 1 |
Most cards in a game | Southampton v Leeds (7Y 1R) |
The leading scorers (league only) | |
23 | Jamie Cureton (Colchester) |
22 | Michael Chopra (Cardiff) |
20 | Diomansy Kamara (West Brom) |
18 | Robert Earnshaw (Norwich) Grzegorz Rasiak (Southampton) |
17 | Chris Iwelumo (Colchester) |
16 | Steve Howard (Derby) |
15 | Alan Lee (Ipswich) David Nugent (Preston) |
14 | Gary McSheffrey (Birmingham) |
13 | Dexter Blackstock (QPR Kevin Phillips (West Brom) Rowan Vine (Birmingham) - 12 with Luton |
12 | Barry Hayles (Plymouth) Iain Hume (Leicester) Kenwyne Jones (Southampton) Steven MacLean (Sheffield Wed) |
11 | Nicklas Bendtner (Birmingham) Chris Brunt (Sheffield Wed) Deon Burton (Sheffield Wed) David Connolly (RK Sunderland) Freddy Eastwood (Southend) Andy Gray (Burnley) Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace) Marcus Tudgay (Sheffield Wed) |
Hat Tricks (league only) | |
26th Aug | 3 - Jamie Cureton - COLCHESTER v Derby |
12th Sep | 3 - Gifton Noel-Williams - BURNLEY v Barnsley |
14th Oct | 3 - Kevin Phillips - Ipswich v WEST BROM |
29th Oct | 3 - Alan Lee - IPSWICH v Luton |
28th Nov | 4 - Chris Iwelumo - COLCHESTER v Hull |
9th Dec | 3 - Gary McSheffrey - BIRMINGHAM v Preston |
27th Jan | 3 - Michael Chopra - CARDIFF v Leicester |
17th Feb | 3 - Andrew Surman - SOUTHAMPTON v Barnsley |
31st Mar | 3 - Dean Windass - HULL v Southend |
31st Mar | 3 - Marek Saganowski - Wolves v SOUTHAMPTON |
7th Apr | 3 - Jamie Cureton - Southend v COLCHESTER |
Disciplinary Record (all games) | |||||
| Club | Y | R | Club | Y | R |
| Barnsley | 84 | 6 | Luton | 64 | 6 |
| Birmingham | 71 | 8 | Norwich | 75 | 4 |
| Burnley | 80 | 7 | Plymouth | 88 | 5 |
| Cardiff | 62 | 10 | Preston | 75 | 4 |
| Colchester | 45 | 1 | QPR | 95 | 1 |
| Coventry | 84 | 1 | Sheffield Wed | 82 | 6 |
| Crystal Palace | 49 | 1 | Southampton | 56 | 1 |
| Derby | 95 | 4 | Southend | 75 | 4 |
| Hull | 82 | 3 | Stoke | 79 | 4 |
| Ipswich | 103 | 8 | RK Sunderland | 61 | 4 |
| Leeds | 95 | 5 | West Brom | 96 | 9 |
| Leicester | 83 | 3 | Wolves | 67 | 6 |
The Week's Fixtures | |
Friday 27th April | |
RK Sunderland v Burnley | . |
Saturday 28th April | |
Barnsley v Leicester | Norwich v Southampton |
Birmingham v Sheffield Wed | Plymouth v Preston |
Cardiff v Hull | Southend v Luton |
Coventry v West Brom | Stoke v Colchester |
Leeds v Ipswich | Wolves v QPR |
Sunday 29th April | |
Crystal Palace v Derby | . |