The relegation battle is well and truly underway with eight clubs seemingly trying to avoid claiming one of the two other places, alongside Rotherham, for a place in League One last season.
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In the Championship – Tight at the bottom
By Tony Scholes
Updated Monday, 4th April 2005
Before we look at those eight, a special word for Rotherham who faced a tough game at Stoke, against a home side for whom Gifton Noel-Williams apparently can’t stop scoring.
The Millers took a first half lead through Martin Butler and looked like picking up a rare win, their fifth of the season, before the goal happy Noel-Williams took over in the last seven minutes. He equalised for the home side but in stoppage time managed to deflect a rebound into his own goal.
It was a cracking game though with referee Salisbury the busiest on the field, waving no less than ten yellow cards and a red for Michael Duberry. I think that says something for Stoke’s approach to the game but a lot more about the refereeing of Salisbury.
The victory ensured Rotherham would not be the first Football League club to be relegated this season, that was reserved for our friends the Unprofessionals who have found themselves back where they came from – the basement division.
There was a bizarre own goal at Deepdale that gave Preston the lead in the first half against Gillingham. A Dave Nugent shot hit the post but it hit goalkeeper Jason Brown as it rebounded into play and straight into the net.
By all accounts Preston outplayed Gillingham but four minutes into stoppage time Paul Smith grabbed the Kent side a point although it wasn’t enough to stop them dropping back into the bottom three with Coventry climbing out after beating Brighton 2-1 at Highfield Road.
Coventry were the only winners in the threatened eight but none of their collection of top strikers, Trevor Benjamin, Dele Adebola and Shaun Goater were on the mark. They took the lead with the most ridiculous penalty decision of the day for shirt pulling. McSheffrey scored from the spot just after half time.
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With Watford losing at Burnley, despite defending throw ins very well, it was draws all round everywhere else. Cardiff went a goal up at Plymouth through Richard Langley but the home side equalised in the second half with a rare goal from Hasney Aljofree.
At Crewe it was the away side again who took the lead, Scott Dobie scoring for Forest in the first half, and again the home side coming back with Neil Sorvel getting the equaliser.
This battle will run until the last day of the season I’m sure and I think anyone outside that bottom nine can rest somewhat easier now, they will not go down.
Up at the top life must be very good as a Sunderland supporter right now having pulled five points clear at the top. They might not win it but you would think it might be difficult for both Wigan and Ipswich to pull back the points.
Having said that the Mackems have to visit both their rivals before the end of the season and will be hoping they don’t play like they did in the first half on Saturday at Loftus Road.
Mick McCarthy was far from happy with a first half display that saw them trail to a Danny Shittu goal. Whatever he said to them in the dressing room though during the interval must have worked, they were level within a minute through a first Sunderland goal for Andy Welsh.
It was all Sunderland from then and further goals from Chris Brown and Julio Arca saw them to a 3-1 win. It was QPR boss Ian Holloway who was unhappy at the end and said his players had lacked desire.
The lead extended to five points because Wigan were beaten at home to West Ham and that after going in front through Jason Roberts. The lead lasted just four minutes though before Teddy Sheringham equalised and Marlon Harewood got the winner after having missed a good chance earlier in the game.
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Ipswich are level on points with Wigan now after a 3-2 win in an excellent game against Derby that saw George Burley back at his old ground. It was Derby who went in front through Marcus Tudgay but Jim Magilton brought Ipswich level by half time.
We don’t know what Burley told his players at half time but it didn’t go to plan, they were 2-1 down within twelve seconds of the restart and they had kicked off. That came from Darren Bent and when Tommy Miller added a third it looked all over.
But you cannot rest when Derby are playing away from home and they pulled one back with an Inigo Idiakez header. It ended 3-2 though and signalled Derby’s first defeat on the road since November.
Leicester’s 3-1 win over Millwall should see them safe and thankfully makes it more difficult for Millwall to get into the play offs. It took two late goals from Leicester to clinch it and the Millwall defence must be bad – Mark de Vries actually scored.
Elsewhere Reading failed to score for the ninth time in their last fifteen league games but they won a point against the team with more strikers than the rest of the clubs in the league put together, Sheffield United.
The lucky winners in this week’s draw for a starting place were Steve Kabba and Andy Gray.
Danny Webber, who would have otherwise have been playing against us on the Turf, made his debut for the Blades as a substitute, replacing Webber, whilst the once upon a time quick David Johnson was an unused sub. The rest of the strikers had to watch the dire ninety minutes from the stand.
Finally Wolves got back to drawing ways at Elland Road. They led through Carl Cort but a bad mistake from Michael Oakes allowed Shaun Derry to equalise. It was a poor game and the Leeds fans were just thankful it was at 2004/05 prices.
We’ve a full midweek fixture list and they are shown below the stats along with next weekend’s fixtures.
The lucky winners in this week’s draw for a starting place were Steve Kabba and Andy Gray.
Danny Webber, who would have otherwise have been playing against us on the Turf, made his debut for the Blades as a substitute, replacing Webber, whilst the once upon a time quick David Johnson was an unused sub. The rest of the strikers had to watch the dire ninety minutes from the stand.
Finally Wolves got back to drawing ways at Elland Road. They led through Carl Cort but a bad mistake from Michael Oakes allowed Shaun Derry to equalise. It was a poor game and the Leeds fans were just thankful it was at 2004/05 prices.
We’ve a full midweek fixture list and they are shown below the stats along with next weekend’s fixtures.
The Weekend Results | |
Saturday 2nd April | |
Burnley 3 Watford 1 | Plymouth 1Cardiff 1 |
Coventry 2 Brighton 1 | Preston 1 Gllingham 1 |
Crewe 1 Nott'm Forest 1 | QPR 1Sunderland 3 |
Ipswich 3 Derby 2 | Reading 0Sheffield Utd 0 |
Leeds 1 Wolves 1 | Stoke 1Rotherham 2 |
Leicester 3 Millwall 1 | Wigan 1West Ham 2 |
The Weekend Stats | |
Biggest win | Burnley 3-1 v Watford (home) |
Total goals scored | 34 |
Player scoring most goals | no player scored more than one goal |
Highest Attendance | 29,773 - Leeds v Wolves |
Lowest Attendance | 8,458 - Crewe v Nott'm Forest |
Total Yellow Cards | 40 |
Total Red Cards | 1 |
Most cards in a game | Stoke v Rotherham (9Y 1R) |
The leading scorers (league only) | |
23 | Nathan Ellington (Wigan) |
19 | Jason Roberts (Wigan) |
18 | Dean Ashton (Crewe) - now with Norwich Teddy Sheringham (West Ham) |
17 | Darren Bent (Ipswich) Paul Furlong (QPR) Kenny Miller (Wolves) |
16 | Dave Kitson (Reading) Shefki Kuqi (Ipswich) |
14 | Richard Cresswell (Preston) Carl Cort (Wolves) Grzegorz Rasiak (Derby) Marcus Stewart (Sunderland) |
13 | Stephen Elliott (Sunderland) Marlon Harewood (West Ham) |
12 | David Healy (Leeds) - 5 with Preston Heidar Helguson (Watford) Lee McCulloch (Wigan) Gifton Noel-Williams (Stoke) Danny Webber (Sheffield Utd) - all 12 goals for Watford Paul Wotton (Plymouth) |
11 | Andy Gray (Sheffield Utd) Tommy Miller (Ipswich) |
10 | Robbie Blake (Burnley) - now Birmingham Peter Thorne (Cardiff) |
This Week's Fixtures | |
Tuesday 5th April | |
Burnley v West Ham | Preston v Brighton |
Crewe v Derby | QPR v Gillingham |
Ipswich v Rotherham | Reading v Millwall |
Leeds v Sheffield Utd | Stoke v Cardiff |
Leicester v Wolves | Wigan v Sunderland |
Plymouth v Watford | . |
Wednesday 6th April | |
Coventry v Nott'm Forest | . |
Saturday 9th April | |
Brighton v Leicester | Rotherham v Preston |
Cardiff v Wigan | Sheffield Utd v QPR |
Derby v Stoke | Sunderland v Reading |
Gillingham v Burnley | Watford v Leeds |
Millwall v Crewe | West Ham v Coventry |
Nott'm Forest v Plymouth | . |
Sunday 10th April | |
Wolves v Ipswich | . |
