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In the Championship – Preston's run comes to an end
Reading were soon back in the groove and went in front after just six minutes when Steve Sidwell scrambled the ball over the line, but Preston hit back almost immediately with a free kick from Callum Davidson.
It was all decided right on half time with an excellent finish from Leroy Lita who had only been on the pitch for five minutes after replacing Dave Kitson who had come off worst in a collision with North End keeper Carlo Nash.
The win took Reading further ahead with Sheffield United surprisingly losing at home to QPR. They came from behind to lead at half time with Ade Akinbiyi involved in both goals. He scored the first and appeared to push Marc Bircham into the second, forcing the QPR man to put through his own goal.
It took a further own goal, this time from Chris Morgan, to bring QPR level, before they won it with a goal from Paul Furlong, a player who had spent a month with the Blades four years ago.
Having been confident all season there was certainly major concern from Neil Warnock after the game. They were clear leaders at one time and he’s now saying they are going to have to concentrate on their own game and stop worrying about others. He’s right to worry, the good form has deserted them, particularly at Bramall Lane, where they have won just once in 2006.
Losing again was bad news and there was more bad news for them with wins for both Watford and Leeds who are getting ever closer, and both had some very good fortune in picking up those points.
Watford’s home game against Cardiff looked to be heading for a goalless draw with the home side just unable to break down the Cardiff defence. That was until Malky Mackay headed them in front with just over twenty minutes to go.
Then out of the blue, Cardiff got themselves an equaliser from Jeff Whitley and moved within a couple of minutes of going home with a point. But when you are up at the top and winning, things go for you, and Watford won’t get an easier winner than the one Marlon King scored.
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They are just seven points behind the Blades now and Leeds are only one point behind Watford with a game in hand. They too had some incredibly good fortune and will be offering thanks to referee Keith Hill.
Somehow, Hill missed a clear penalty to Luton following a hand ball by Sean Gregan with the score at 0-0 just after half time, but worse was to follow for the Hatters, Leeds went straight down the other end and took the lead through Jonathan Douglas. Within four minutes it was 2-0 and that was the points going to the home side although Luton did score a consolation goal through Steve Howard.
Mike Newell was far from happy at the end and said, “Everyone in the ground has seen it was a penalty. It changed the game because Leeds went straight down the other end and scored. The referee didn’t even want to discuss it. We can’t change what’s happened but you just wish that referee’s would discuss their decisions sometimes.”
Down at the bottom of the league, the clubs above the drop zone got a big lift on Saturday with Crewe winning the crucial game against Brighton at the Alexandra Stadium. The game attracted less than 6,000 despite its importance and it all looked to be further bad news for Dario G’s boys when they fell behind to the raffle prize Colin Kazim-Richards.
A fluke equaliser from Lee Bell gave the home side a major lift just before the hour and just a few minutes later they scored the winner. It really was the best result for the other struggling teams but brings Crewe within three points of Brighton and Millwall.
Millwall, like Brighton, went in front away from home, just down the road from Crewe at Stoke. The home side were soon level through a penalty and a Paul Gallagher strike in the second half won it for the Potters for what was their first win since before Christmas. So bad has been their form that these were their first goals since New Year’s Day Bank Holiday.
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It was just the reverse for Foxes boss Rob Kelly. Like Westley, he was put in full charge recently after a few weeks as caretaker but whilst Westley was getting his first win, Kelly was suffering his first defeat. They lost at Ipswich and the points have taken the Tractor Boys within five points of the play offs. Just think, at Christmas they were nine points and ten places behind the Clarets in the Championship.
It was the battle of the brothers in the game between Hull and Wolves and it was younger brother Leon Cort who struck first blood. Just six minutes into the second half he scored to bring Hull level at 1-1 and when his side equalised again with an own goal eight minutes from time it looked as though they would get a point each.
That was until big brother Carlton took over and he snatched a late winner for Wolves, and with Preston losing it takes them within two points of the play offs. Surely this Wolves side are not good enough to win a place in the top six.
Elsewhere, we had the two biggest wins of the day. Crystal Palace had no problems overcoming Norwich at Selhurst Park and neither did Southampton against Sheffield Wednesday. Both sides won by three clear goals and the only goal the two losing sides scored between them was an own goal from Palace’s Darren Ward.
Palace look to be almost guaranteeing themselves a place in the play offs right now and if things continue as they are for much longer there is only going to be one play off place to play for.
We’ve got another free midweek, there are no further midweek fixtures for the rest of the season, so it will just be fitting in previously postponed games. Next weekend Sheffield United will be looking for an early boost to their home form when they take on bottom club Crewe at Bramall Lane on Friday. The rest of the games, shown below, are all Saturday.
The Weekend Results | |
Saturday 25th February | |
Coventry 1 Burnley 0 | Leeds 2 Luton 0 |
Crewe 2 Brighton 1 | Reading 2 Preston 1 |
Crystal Palace 4 Norwich 1 | Sheffield Utd 2 QPR 3 |
Derby 1 Plymouth 0 | Southampton 3 Sheffield Wed 0 |
Hull 2 Wolves 3 | Stoke 2 Millwall 1 |
Ipswich 2 Leicester 0 | Watford 2 Cardiff 1 |
The Weekend Stats | |
Biggest win | Crystal Palace 4-1 v Norwich (home) |
Total goals scored | 36 |
Player scoring most goals | no player scored more than one goal |
Highest Attendance | 26,236 - Southampton v Sheffield Utd |
Lowest Attendance | 5,925 - Crewe v Brighton |
Total Yellow Cards | 34 |
Total Red Cards | 2 |
Most cards in a game | Coventry v Burnley (5Y) |
The leading scorers (league only) | |
17 | Marlon King (Watford) |
15 | Ade Akinbiyi (Sheffield Utd) - 12 with Burnley Cameron Jerome (Cardiff) |
14 | Kevin Doyle (Reading) Dave Kitson (Reading) |
12 | Ashley Young (Watford) |
11 | Steve Howard (Luton) Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace) Jason Koumas (Cardiff) Leroy Lita (Reading) Gary McSheffrey (Coventry) |
10 | Dean Ashton (Norwich) Robbie Blake (Leeds) Carl Cort (Wolves) Darius Henderson (Watford) Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace) |
9 | Dele Adebola (Coventry) David Healy (Leeds) Rob Hulse (Leeds) Steven Kabba (Sheffield Utd) Neil Shipperley (Sheffield Utd) Steve Sidwell (Reading) |
8 | Sammy Bangoura (Stoke) Inigo Idiakez (Derby) Paul Gallagher (Stoke) Dave Nugent (Preston) Matthew Spring (Watford) Rowan Vine (Luton) Danny Webber (Sheffield Utd) Paul Wotton (Plymouth) |
7 | Chris Brunt (Sheffield Wed) Darren Huckerby (Norwich) Paul Ifill (Sheffield Utd) Phil Jagielka (Sheffield Utd) Kenny Miller (Wolves) Garreth O'Connor (Burnley) Michael Ricketts (Burnley) - 5 with Cardiff |
Disciplinary Record (all games) | |||||
| Club | Y | R | Club | Y | R |
| Brighton | 62 | 4 | Millwall | 78 | 13 |
| Burnley | 62 | 5 | Norwich | 61 | 2 |
| Cardiff | 58 | 2 | Plymouth | 51 | 1 |
| Coventry | 77 | 4 | Preston | 62 | 2 |
| Crewe | 30 | 2 | QPR | 71 | 6 |
| Crystal Palace | 73 | 3 | Reading | 38 | 0 |
| Derby | 58 | 5 | Sheffield Utd | 58 | 2 |
| Hull | 45 | 3 | Sheffield Wed | 46 | 1 |
| Ipswich | 49 | 4 | Southampton | 58 | 4 |
| Leeds | 61 | 2 | Stoke | 62 | 7 |
| Leicester | 69 | 5 | Watford | 52 | 5 |
| Luton | 45 | 5 | Wolves | 47 | 1 |
The Week's Fixtures | |
Friday 3rd March | |
Sheffield Utd v Crewe | . |
Saturday 4th March | |
Burnley v Reading | Plymouth v Brighton |
Cardiff v Sheffield Wed | Preston v Ipswich |
Crystal Palace v Leeds | QPR v Wolves |
Leicester v Hull | Southampton v Coventry |
Millwall v Luton | Watford v Derby |
Norwich v Stoke | . |