The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsA busy week in the Football League Championship saw all 24 clubs in action on Tuesday and Wednesday. We take a look at the results, with more action on the way this weekend throughout the country.
BARNSLEY 1 – 1 ASTON VILLA
Just when it seemed that Aston Villa and manager Roberto Di Matteo would find their first victory on the road and only their second of the 2016-17 campaign overall, Barnsley found a late goal to draw level and salvage a point.
Forward Sam Winnall scored in the 89th minute to cancel out Jordan Ayew’s strike from earlier in the second half to keep the Tykes in the top half of the table.
Centre-backs Marc Roberts and Angus MacDonald turned in fine performances and were integral to the defence throughout the match.
BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 – 2 PRESTON NORTH END
A wild first half saw three goals exchanged in a span of 16 minutes as Birmingham City and Preston North End played to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.
A 3-2 victory over Premier League side AFC Bournemouth in the EFL Cup and a home win over Wigan Athletic last week had the Lilywhites full of confidence. Goals from Alex Baptiste and Daniel Johnson gave them a 2-1 lead at halftime.
But a 68th minute equaliser from forward Che Adams saw the sides walk away with a point each ahead of the weekend fixtures.
BLACKBURN ROVERS 0 – 1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Sheffield Wednesday continued their climb up the standings with their second consecutive league victory at Blackburn Rovers. A first half goal from Steven Fletcher was enough for the visitors to see out a crucial 1-0 result.
After a 2-1 win at Derby Country last weekend, Rovers and manager Owen Coyle were hoping for a better performance at Ewood Park. The loss leaves the club with only two victories in their first ten league matches.
BRENTFORD 4 – 1 READING
It was a long night for Reading and goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, as Brentford scored four goals en route to a dominant victory on Tuesday evening.
Brentford manager Dean Smith will be pleased with four different scorers getting in on the act.
The two clubs now sit tied for fifth-place in the Championship on 17 points each.
BRISTOL CITY 1 – 0 LEEDS UNITED
Bristol City midfielder Marlon Pack’s 59th minute goal was enough to give the Robins a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Ashton Gate.
Leeds were in fine form entering the contest, victorious in their past four consecutive matches across all competitions. But a flat performance will leave manager Garry Monk frustrated by a missed opportunity for points on the road.
The result moves Bristol City to 17 points and tied for fifth in the league table.
BURTON ALBION 1 – 1 QUEENS PARK RANGERS
A 70th minute goal from German forward Sebastian Polter helped Queens Park Rangers earn a 1-1 draw at Burton Albion on Tuesday, in what was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first return to the Pirelli Stadium.
Forward Jamie Ward found the opener for the hosts in the 58th minute.
Both sides came out boasting a strong presence in the midfield. A defensive first half gave way to a more open contest as the match wore on. With both needing points, each will be desperate for a victory this coming weekend.
CARDIFF CITY 0 – 2 DERBY COUNTY
The Bluebirds’ struggles continue, as Derby County secured at 2-0 victory at Cardiff City on Tuesday.
Second half goals from Thomas Ince and substitute Nick Blackman gave the Rams and caretaker manager Chris Powell just their second win of the season.
Attacking issues were again at the heart of Cardiff’s problems, as they were only able to find three shots on goal throughout the match.
The pressure on Cardiff manager Paul Trollope will only intensify.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2 – 1 ROTHERHAM UNITED
Two first half goals and a disciplined defence were enough for Huddersfield Town to see out a 2-1 victory over Rotherham United. Elias Kachunga and Nahki Wells scored for the Terriers in an exciting first half.
The win is Huddersfield’s seventh in ten matches and manager David Wagner has his club at the top of the table.
Rotherham United now drop to the bottom of the Championship, with only one win on the season thus far.
IPSWICH TOWN 0 – 0 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Ipswich Town hosted Brighton & Hove Albion to a physical and tense affair on Tuesday, eventually ending in a scoreless draw.
A second yellow card and subsequent ejection for midfielder Dale Stephens gave Ipswich a man advantage for the final ten minutes, but the Blues could not find a winner.
The draw keeps Brighton & Hove Albion firmly in fourth place in the league standings.
WIGAN ATHLETIC 2 – 1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
A pair of first half goals saw forward Will Grigg steal the show late with a match-winner in the 88th minute, as Wigan defeated Wolverhampton 2-1 at the DW Stadium.
Poor defensive work from Wolves saw Grigg spring free on a counter-attack, where similar issues at the back led to Adam Le Fondre’s first half goal.
The loss sees Wolverhampton drop back to 11th in the Championship table.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 – 1 FULHAM
Nicklas Bendtner notched his first goal for the Reds, as Nottingham Forest and Fulham played to a 1-1 draw.
Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney equalised for the Cottagers in the 72nd minute.
A flurry of scoring opportunities came in the second half, but neither team could find a winning goal. Strong defensive work and excellent goalkeeping on both sides kept the match tied until the final whistle.
NEWCASTLE UNITED 4 – 3 NORWICH CITY
The only Wednesday match of the week saw late drama, as Newcastle United scored two goals in stoppage time to defeat Norwich City 4-3.
Forward Dwight Gayle scored a hat trick, finding the match-winner late in stoppage time of a thrilling contest at St. James Park.
The victory puts the Magpies into third place, only three points behind league leaders Huddersfield.
