Top clubs stumble

Last updated : 07 March 2011 By Tony Scholes

The results weren't without their big shocks either and none more so that Scunthorpe beating Swansea at Glanford Park. Swansea had only dropped four points since a defeat to Reading on New Year's Day but even with Scunthorpe's recently improved home form this was a shock.

Scunthorpe won it with a penalty and the only down side for them was suffering referee Keith Hill who managed to yellow card no less than six of their players whilst Swansea received none, not even Alan Tate for giving away the spot kick. Manager Ian Baraclough described it as a big win against the best footballing side in the division.

Their South Wales rivals were also on the wrong end of a scoreline, losing at home against Ipswich who certainly had Hungary's second choice goalkeeper Marton Fulop to thank before Jimmy Bullard stole the points with a brace.

Bullard's parent club Hull won at Nottingham Forest. Maybe that's not a surprise given Hull's away form but they were facing the best home record in English football. Forest's last home league defeat was against Blackpool in September 2009. That run was 36 games; 27 wins and 9 draws.

The best moment of the weekend had to be the penalty at Norwich. Preston, against the odds, taken the lead at Carrow Road through former Canary Chris Brown with his first goal of the season but the home side quickly levelled with a Grant Holt goal.

Then Norwich won a penalty to win the game. I'm not sure what Wes Hoolahan was doing but goalkeeper Iain Turner had time to dive to his left, twist round and wait for the ball before catching it. Brilliant viewing.

With QPR beating Leicester to allow us to go seventh, the only disappointment was Leeds' win over Doncaster. It was easy in the end but just for a short time in the second half it was 2-1 to Doncaster and an almost perfect weekend was on the cards (the perfect weekend would, of course, also have to include one Premier League result from Fulham).

Some things aren't changing in the Championship. Despite the point, Preston boss Phil Brown is still looking for his first win; Micky Adams is wondering whether he'll ever enjoy a win as Sheffield United boss; Portsmouth manager Steve Cotterill saw his side's run of wins become six without conceding a goal but this week Derby boss Nigel Clough didn't turn on his players for failing to beat Barnsley. I bet Jamie Ward was delighted about that having missed a sitter in the 0-0 draw.

The weekend results and stats are below along with the leading scorers, each club's disciplinary record and tomorrow's full fixture list.

The Weekend Results

Saturday 5th March

Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 0

Nottingham Forest 0 Hull 1

Cardiff 0 Ipswich 2

Portsmouth 1 Sheffield United 0

Coventry 1 Bristol City 4

QPR 1 Leicester 0

Derby 0 Barnsley 0

Reading 5 Middlesbrough 2

Leeds 5 Doncaster 2

Scunthorpe 1 Swansea 0

Norwich 1 Preston 1

Watford 1 Millwall 0

The Weekend Stats

Biggest win

Bristol City 4-1 v Coventry (away)
Leeds 5-2 v Doncaster (home)
Reading 5-2 v Middlesbrough (home)

Total goals scored

29 (17 home - 12 away)

Player scoring most goals
2

Jimmy Bullard (Ipswich)
Max Gradel (Leeds)
Ian Harte (Reading)
Jonny Howson (Leeds)
Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough)
Shane Long (Reading)

Highest Attendance

27,027 - Leeds v Doncaster

Lowest Attendance

4,608 - Scunthorpe v Swansea

Total Yellow Cards

25

Total Red Cards

1

Most cards in a game

Norwich v Preston (6Y) - Craig Pawson
Scunthorpe v Swansea (6Y) - Keith Hill

The leading scorers (league only)

18

Danny Graham (Watford) - includes 1 penalty

17

Shane Long (Reading) - includes 5 penalties

16

Luciano Becchio (Leeds)

15

Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff)
Bill Sharp (Doncaster) - includes 4 penalties
Scott Sinclair (Swansea) - includes 5 penalties
Adel Taarabt (QPR) - includes 6 penalties

14

Max Gradel (Leeds) - includes 2 penalties
Grant Holt (Norwich)

13

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

11

Chris Iwelumo (Burnley)
Lewis McGugan (Nottingham Forest) - includes 2 penalties
Steve Morison (Millwall) - includes 1 penalty
Davide Somma (Leeds)

10

Heidar Helguson (QPR) - includes 4 penalties
Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough) - includes 2 penalties
David Nugent (Portsmouth)
Brett Pitman (Bristol City) - includes 3 penalties
Marvin Sordell (Watford)

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

Disciplinary Record (all domestic games)

Club

Y

R

Club

Y

R

Barnsley

51

2

Middlesbrough

50

1

Bristol City

44

2

Millwall

54

4

Burnley

61

4

Norwich

61

3

Cardiff

46

1

Nottingham Forest

51

1

Coventry

52

5

Portsmouth

61

6

Crystal Palace

64

5

Preston

75

5

Derby

61

2

QPR

57

5

Doncaster

40

3

Reading

57

4

Hull

64

2

Scunthorpe

42

2

Ipswich

52

4

Sheffield United

57

8

Leeds

70

3

Swansea

54

2

Leicester

39

2

Watford

37

1

The Next Fixtures

Tuesday 8th March

Barnsley v Scunthorpe

Leicester v Norwich

Bristol City v Portsmouth

Middlesbrough v Derby

Crystal Palace v Cardiff (20:00)

Millwall v QPR

Doncaster v Coventry

Preston v Leeds

Hull v Burnley

Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest

Ipswich v Reading

Swansea v Watford