Promotion battle hots up

Last updated : 15 April 2011 By Tony Scholes

It hasn't been a good week for Norwich. Having lost at Swansea they followed that up with just one point at Watford and that opened the door for Cardiff who won at Sheffield United. It's so close though, and Reading, in fifth place, are only three points behind Cardiff.

Reading now have 26 points from their last ten games, four more than QPR who are next best. And the top clubs must have been showing some form recently because all but Leeds from the top six remain in the top six over the last ten games.

Leeds have only 12 points from their last 10 games but Nottingham Forest, again the closest team to the play offs have won a paltry 7 points including those they got from us.

Once again it looks as only that one play off place remains available, such is the form of the other five, and there are still a number of clubs fighting for it and Eddie Howe has certainly not ruled out Burnley.

Down at the bottom, none of the bottom four were winners although both Crystal Palace and Preston did get draws. I still think it will be difficult for any of the bottom three to escape but the critical fixtures this weekend will have some say as the bottom four play each other.

Those fixtures are below along with the results and stats for the midweek games, the leading goalscorers and each club's disciplinary records.

The Midweek Results

Tuesday 12th April

Barnsley 0 QPR 1

Nottingham Forest 2 Burnley 0

Derby 2 Leeds 1

Portsmouth 0 Coventry 3

Doncaster 1 Preston 1

Scunthorpe 0 Reading 2

Ipswich 3 Middlesbrough 3

Sheffield United 0 Cardiff 2

Leicester 1 Crystal Palace 1

Swansea 1 Hull 1

Millwall 0 Bristol City 0

Watford 2 Norwich 2

The Midweek Stats

Biggest win

Coventry 3-0 v Portsmouth (away)

Total goals scored

29 (12 home - 17 away)

Player scoring most goals
2

Marlon King (Coventry)
Grant Leadbitter (Ipswich)
David McGoldrick (Nottingham Forest)

Highest Attendance

27,252 - Derby v Leeds

Lowest Attendance

4,458 - Scunthorpe v Reading

Total Yellow Cards

44

Total Red Cards

3

Most cards in a game

Scunthorpe v Reading (9Y) - Andy Woolmer

The leading scorers (league only)

23

Danny Graham (Watford) - includes 1 penalty

21

Shane Long (Reading) - includes 5 penalties

19

Grant Holt (Norwich) - includes 3 penalties

18

Luciano Becchio (Leeds)

17

Max Gradel (Leeds) - includes 2 penalties

16

Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff) - includes 1 penalty
Scott Sinclair (Swansea) - includes 5 penalties
Adel Taarabt (QPR) - includes 6 penalties

15

Bill Sharp (Doncaster) - includes 4 penalties
Steve Morison (Millwall) - includes 1 penalty

13

Kris Commons (Derby) - includes 2 penalties
Andy King (Leicester)

12

Heidar Helguson (QPR) - includes 5 penalties
Lewis McGugan (Nottingham Forest) - includes 3 penalties
Jay Rodriguez (Burnley)

11

Iain Hume (Preston)
Chris Iwelumo (Burnley)
David Nugent (Portsmouth)
Brett Pitman (Bristol City) - includes 3 penalties
Davide Somma (Leeds)

Hat Tricks (league only)

11th Sep

3 - Chris Iwelumo - BURNLEY v Preston

14th Sep

3 - James Coppinger - DONCASTER v Norwich

14th Sep

3 - James Vaughan - CRYSTAL PALACE v Portsmouth

28th Sep

3 - Jon Parkin - Leeds v PRESTON

30th Oct

3 - Jonny Howson - Scunthorpe v LEEDS

13th Nov

3 - Luciano Becchio - LEEDS v Bristol City

27th Nov

3 - Grant Holt - NORWICH v Leeds

28th Dec

3 - Wes Hoolahan - NORWICH v Sheffield United

1st Jan

3 - Jason Puncheon - MILLWALL v Crystal Palace

5th Feb

3 - Matt Fryatt - Scunthorpe v HULL

15th Feb

3 - Connor Wickham - Doncaster v IPSWICH

2nd Apr

3 - Grant Holt - NORWICH v Scunthorpe

2nd Apr

3 - Simeon Jackson - NORWICH v Scunthorpe

2nd Apr

3 - Yakubu - Middlesbrough v LEICESTER

Disciplinary Record (all domestic games)

Club

Y

R

Club

Y

R

Barnsley

61

2

Middlesbrough

56

1

Bristol City

55

2

Millwall

61

5

Burnley

78

5

Norwich

66

3

Cardiff

52

1

Nottingham Forest

64

2

Coventry

63

5

Portsmouth

77

8

Crystal Palace

74

7

Preston

82

5

Derby

70

2

QPR

63

6

Doncaster

44

3

Reading

67

4

Hull

73

2

Scunthorpe

52

3

Ipswich

65

4

Sheffield United

67

10

Leeds

80

4

Swansea

58

2

Leicester

50

3

Watford

50

2

The Next Fixtures

Friday 15th April

Norwich v Nottingham Forest

Saturday 16th April

Bristol City v Ipswich

Hull v Doncaster

Burnley v Swansea

Leeds v Watford

Cardiff v Portsmouth

Middlesbrough v Barnsley

Coventry v Millwall

Preston v Sheffield United

Crystal Palace v Scunthorpe

Reading v Leicester

Monday 18th April

QPR v Derby

Tuesday 19th April

Burnley v Middlesbrough