Leicester up - one automatic place left

Last updated : 07 April 2014 By Tony Scholes

Danny Coyne and Frank Sinclair both played in their last ever Premier League game, a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in May 2004, with both in the Burnley team at the start of next season.

Leicester even spent the 2008/09 season in League One but since returning to the Championship at the end of that season have not been outside the top half. They've had two play-off defeats, including the dramatic last minute exit at Watford last season, but have won promotion with quite a bit to spare this time.

We were top at Christmas but Leicester replaced us on Boxing Day and they've been top of the league ever since. They've remained unbeaten since early December when Ashley Barnes scored twice for Brighton against them and no one could deny they are worthy of their promotion.

Who will follow them? Not only did QPR and Derby contribute to Leicester going up just a few days earlier than they might have expected, they also helped us by losing, leaving us ten points clear of QPR and a further point in front of Derby.

Whilst Burnley supporters remain nervous there is no doubt that those two clubs, still third and fourth, have all but given up any hope of automatic promotion.

On Saturday, even before the games were played, Derby goalkeeper, and former Claret, Lee Grant admitted that his team were no longer in the chase for second place. He said: "I think we're more concerned about what is happening in those sixth and seventh places. It's been a strange one for us in the last couple of weeks, with the transition from chasing second to almost looking over our shoulders."

He added: "I think if you ask anyone in the game, you'd expect Burnley to go on and consolidate one of those top two spots."

Over in West London, Danny Simpson conceded after their defeat at Bournemouth: "We've got six games left and we need to go on a run so we've got as good a chance as possible in the play-offs."

So Steven McClaren and Harry Redknapp must have been contemplating their play-off hopes when they were photographed earlier in the season (above).

Down at the other end of the table there were points to be had for all of the bottom three. Both Yeovil and Millwall won away from home; Yeovil at Blackpool and Millwall at free-fall Forest who have just appointed Stuart Pearce as manager from 1st July.

Barnsley drew at home to Barnsley so that dragged Charlton right back into things again and I remain convinced that the three to go down will come from these four clubs.

Off the field, all the talk is of Leeds and Massimo Cellino. The League said he wasn't fit and proper so couldn't take over the club and then some QC has decided he can, or can he?

Tim Kerr QC gave Cellino the green light to buy his 75% of the club after the league had initially confirmed that he'd failed their owners and directors test.

It all seems to be over the differences between Italian and British law. Cellino was recently convicted of failing to pay input duty on a yacht. Because the judge in Sardinia, Dr. Sandra Lepore, is still to give her written reasons for the conviction, the QC could not rule that he had acted dishonestly.

Should the report, when it comes, confirm that he did act dishonestly then he would be disqualified under the aforementioned owners and directors test.

Confused? I am, but he's going to take them to the Premier League in two years and I suggest if he's allowed to get on with it then Brian McDermott might be advised to start clearing his desk.

Tomorrow sees the last midweek programme of the season. Nothing else will be decided as Leicester look to push on and get the points needed to ensure they finish above us and win the league. It's incredible that, with six games remaining, they are a massive 19 points clear of third.

I'm quite happy with our ten point lead as we hit the 80 point barrier for just the fourth time since we switched to three points for a win. We were promoted on all three other occasions.

The weekend results and stats, the leading league goalscorers, each club's red and yellow card count, the highest and lowest attendances are all below with tomorrow's fixtures.

The Results
Friday 4th April
LEICESTER 2 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1  
Saturday 5th April
BARNSLEY 0 BRIGHTON 0 HUDDERSFIELD 0 BOLTON 1
BLACKBURN 2 IPSWICH 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 DERBY 0
BLACKPOOL 1 YEOVIL 2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 MILLWALL 2
BOURNEMOUTH 2 QPR 1 WATFORD 1 BURNLEY 1
CHARLTON 0 READING 1 WIGAN 1 LEEDS 0
DONCASTER 1 BIRMINGHAM 3  

 

The Stats
Biggest Win BIRMINGHAM 3-1 v DONCASTER (away)
BLACKBURN 2-0 v IPSWICH (home)
Total Goals Scored 24 (12 home - 12 away)
Player Scoring Most Goals 2 - FEDERICO MACHEDA (BIRMINGHAM) v DONCASTER
Highest Attendance 26,103 - LEICESTER v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Lowest Attendance 9,206 - DONCASTER v BIRMINGHAM
Total Yellow Cards 39
Total Red Cards 2
Most Cards in a Game BARNSLEY v BRIGHTON (5Y 1R) Ref: TONY HARRINGTON

 

Leading Goalscorers (League Only)
27 ROSS McCORMACK (LEEDS) - includes 2 penalties
23 JORDAN RHODES (BLACKBURN) - includes 4 penalties
20 TROY DEENEY (WATFORD) - includes 5 penalties
LEWIS GRABBAN (BOURNEMOUTH) - includes 6 penalties
DANNY INGS (BURNLEY) - includes 1 penalty
SAM VOKES (BURNLEY) - includes 4 penalties
18 DAVID NUGENT (LEICESTER) - includes 8 penalties
16 CHRIS MARTIN (DERBY) - includes 3 penalties
JAMIE VARDY (LEICESTER)
15 CRAIG BRYSON (DERBY) - includes 1 penalty
14 CHARLIE AUSTIN (QPR) - includes 3 penalties
DAVID McGOLDRICK (IPSWICH) - includes 2 penalties
13 ADAM LE FONDRE (READING) - includes 2 penalties
CHRIS O'GRADY (BARNSLEY) - includes 4 penalties
12 ALBERT ADOMAH (MIDDLESBROUGH)
FEDERICO MACHEDA (BIRMINGHAM) (3 with DONCASTER)
11 DARYL MURPHY (IPSWICH)
PAVEL POGREBNYAK (READING) - includes 3 penalties
10 YANN KERMOGANT (BOURNEMOUTH) - includes 1 penalty (5 with CHARLTON)
ISHMAEL MILLER (YEOVIL) - includes 1 penalty
MATT SMITH (LEEDS)
LEO ULLOA (BRIGHTON)
JAMES VAUGHAN (HUDDERSFIELD) - includes 2 penalties

 

Hat Tricks
 Date Player & Game
10/08/13 3: TROY DEENEY - WATFORD v BOURNEMOUTH (home)
24/08/13 3: JAMES VAUGHAN - HUDDERSFIELD v BOURNEMOUTH (home)
14/09/13 3: CRAIG BRYSON - DERBY v MILLWALL (away)
21/09/13 4: JESSE LINGARD - BIRMINGHAM v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (home)
10/11/13 4: ROSS McCORMACK - LEEDS v CHARLTON (away)
07/12/13 4: CHRIS MARTIN - DERBY v BLACKPOOL (home)
18/01/14 3: ADAM LE FONDRE - READING v BOLTON (home)
28/01/14 3: ADAM LE FONDRE - READING v BLACKPOOL (home)
01/02/14 3: ROSS McCORMACK - LEEDS v HUDDERSFIELD (home)
01/03/14 3: YANN KERMOGANT - BOURNEMOUTH v DONCASTER (home)
15/03/14 3: JORDAN RHODES - BLACKBURN v HUDDERSFIELD (away)
22/03/14 3: CRAIG BRYSON - DERBY v NOTTINGHAM FOREST (home)

 

Disciplinary Record (League and Cup)
Club Y R Y R Club Y R Y R
  League   Total   League  Total 
BARNSLEY 59 6 60 6 IPSWICH 49 1 54 1
BIRMINGHAM 68 2 77 3 LEEDS 64 2 69 2
BLACKBURN 64 4 66 5 LEICESTER 48 2 51 2
BLACKPOOL 68 10 69 10 MIDDLESBROUGH 65 6 67 6
BOLTON 61 2 66 2 MILLWALL 71 5 75 6
BOURNEMOUTH 58 4 61 4 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 79 3 90 3
BRIGHTON 63 3 72 3 QPR 58 3 59 3
BURNLEY 42 2 47 3 READING 70 5 75 5
CHARLTON 49 4 56 4 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 78 4 82 6
DERBY 68 3 76 3 WATFORD 78 4 86 4
DONCASTER 64 3 67 3 WIGAN 66 2 84 2
HUDDERSFIELD 60 2 65 2 YEOVIL 71 4 79 4

 

Highest and Lowest Attendances
Highest Lowest
Att Fixture Att Fixture
33,432 LEEDS v BRIGHTON (03/08) 4,463 YEOVIL v MILLWALL (11/02)
33,004 DERBY v NOTT'M FOREST (22/03) 4,934 YEOVIL v DONCASTER (22/02)
31,103 LEEDS v HUDDERSFIELD (01/02) 5,530 YEOVIL v BLACKPOOL (03/12)
31,031 LEEDS v BARNSLEY (21/12) 5,920 YEOVIL v IPSWICH (11/03)
30,416 LEICESTER v NOTT'M FOREST (09/11) 6,042 YEOVIL v WATFORD (18/02)
30,367 LEEDS v MIDDLESBROUGH (23/11) 6,053 YEOVIL v CHARLTON (03/12)
30,145 LEEDS v BLACKBURN (01/01) 6,149 YEOVIL v WIGAN (10/11)
29,903 BRIGHTON v IPSWICH (22/03) 6,251 YEOVIL v SHEFFIELD WED (08/03)
28,904 LEEDS v BOLTON (08/03) 6,293 YEOVIL v BURNLEY (11/01)
28,282 BRIGHTON v BOURNEMOUTH (01/01) 6,344 YEOVIL v BOLTON (22/03)

 

The Next Fixtures
Tuesday 8th April
BARNSLEY v BURNLEY HUDDERSFIELD v IPSWICH
BLACKBURN v QPR LEICESTER v BRIGHTON
BLACKPOOL v DERBY (20:00) MIDDLESBROUGH v BIRMINGHAM
BOURNEMOUTH v READING NOTTINGHAM FOREST v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
CHARLTON v YEOVIL WATFORD v LEEDS
DONCASTER v BOLTON WIGAN v MILLWALL