Top two get back to winning ways

Last updated : 27 December 2010 By Tony Scholes

QPR went into the game after their first two defeats of the season but once they had taken the lead there was never any doubt they would go on to win the game against a Swansea team who are still only three points away from those top two positions.

Adel Taarabt was the star in the game but only referee Phil Crossley will know just how on earth he didn't get a yellow card. It was a day when cards were being thrown around like confetti with only Burnley coming out of a game card free. In this game there were two red cards but when Taarabt decided to jump into the crowd after scoring his second there was no action taken. Is it any wonder people have a go at referees when they can't even get the easy things right?

Cardiff have been struggling of late but bounced back by outplaying Coventry. The scoreline was a respectable 2-0 because of the performance of Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood who was in top form.

It took them back into the top three because Leeds got some of their own medicine. They've won their last two games having come from behind but this time they could only draw at Leicester despite having a two goal lead. Andy King got the last goal of the game with a spectacular shot that was as good a goal scored yesterday.

At the other end of the table all of the bottom four were out of action following the postponement of five of the games.

The results and stats are shown below with the leading scorers and each club's disciplinary record. The next fixtures are also shown with one game, that between Doncaster and Ipswich, already called off.

The Weekend Results

Sunday 26th December

Barnsley 1 Burnley 2

M'brough v Nottm Forest - Postponed

Cardiff 2 Coventry 0

Portsmouth 1 Millwall 1

Crystal Palace v Norwich - Postponed

QPR 4 Swansea 0

Derby v Doncaster - Postponed

Reading 4 Bristol City 1

Ipswich v Watford - Postponed

Scunthorpe v Preston - Postponed

Leicester 2 Leeds 2

Sheffield United 2 Hull 3

The Weekend Stats

Biggest win

QPR 4-0 v Swansea (home)

Total goals scored

25 (16 home - 9 away)

Player scoring most goals
2

Ched Evans (Sheffield United)
Shane Long (Reading)
Jay Simpson (Hull)
Adel Taarabt (QPR)

Highest Attendance

30,919 - Leicester v Leeds

Lowest Attendance

14,219 - Barnsley v Burnley

Total Yellow Cards

29

Total Red Cards

2

Most cards in a game

Leicester v Leeds (6Y) - Tony Bates
Portsmouth v Millwall (6Y) - David Phillips
Reading v Bristol City (6Y) - Kevin Friend
Sheffield United v Hull (6Y) - Scott Mathieson

The leading scorers (league only)

13

Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff)

12

Kris Commons (Derby) - includes 2 penalties

11

Luciano Becchio (Leeds)
Adel Taarabt (QPR) - includes 4 penalties

10

Danny Graham (Watford)

9

Chris Iwelumo (Burnley)
Grant Holt (Norwich)
Andy King (Leicester)
Jamie Mackie (QPR)
Lewis McGugan (Nottingham Forest) - includes 1 penalty

8

Adam Hammill (Barnsley)
Shane Long (Reading) - includes 4 penalties
Steve Morison (Millwall) - includes 1 penalty
Scott Sinclair (Swansea)

7

Max Gradel (Leeds) - includes 1 penalty
James Hayter (Doncaster)
Jon Parkin (Preston)
Billy Sharp (Doncaster) - includes 3 penalties
Jason Scotland (Ipswich)
Jonathan Stead (Bristol City)

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

Disciplinary Record (all domestic games)

Club

Y

R

Club

Y

R

Barnsley

35

0

Middlesbrough

34

1

Bristol City

31

1

Millwall

35

2

Burnley

39

4

Norwich

34

3

Cardiff

28

1

Nottingham Forest

28

0

Coventry

42

2

Portsmouth

36

3

Crystal Palace

32

5

Preston

49

5

Derby

38

1

QPR

35

3

Doncaster

26

1

Reading

37

3

Hull

43

1

Scunthorpe

22

1

Ipswich

35

3

Sheffield United

32

4

Leeds

45

2

Swansea

44

2

Leicester

27

2

Watford

25

0

The Next Fixtures

Tuesday 28th December

Bristol City v Crystal Palace

Millwall v Leicester

Burnley v Scunthorpe

Norwich v Sheffield United

Coventry v QPR (12:15)

Preston v Middlesbrough

Doncaster v Ipswich - Postponed

Swansea v Barnsley

Hull v Reading

Watford v Cardiff

Leeds v Portsmouth

.

Wednesday 29th December

Nottingham Forest v Derby (19:45)

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