All the incident from another exciting day in the Coca Cola Championship.
If you’d like to read the relevant match reports, click the links provided next to the articles.
Blackpool 2-0 Reading >>> >>>
‘Pool midfielder Charlie Adam registered his 13th goal of the season to keep the flickering light of a playoff place a realistic prospect.
Reading came to Bloomfield Road with a 100% record under boss Brian McDermott, but that mattered little to Adam, who took the game to they Royals.
His influence was apparent prior to half time when a through ball to DJ Campbell was finished off with aplomb by the loan striker.
Into the second half and the Scotsman completed the scoring with an excellently placed finish from the edge of the area.
Reading winning run came to a halt at Bloomfield Road
Cardiff City 0-2 Barnsley
Cardiff’s automatic promotion hopes were dealt an almighty blow as they succumbed to another disappointing home defeat
The Bluebirds’ over-reliance on key players saw them falter once more as Mark Robins’ side took the advantage courtesy of Daniel Bogdanovic.
The Maltese front-man slotted past Peter Enckelman on his first game of the season, and soon after he latched onto Adam Hammill’s through ball to notch a second with great ease and precision.
The Tykes recorded their first double over the Bluebirds in over half a century, as this display effectively puts pay to City’s automatic promotion aspirations.
Crystal Palace 0-1 Coventry City >>>
Rumour and conjecture continues to surround Selhurst Park as the club makes a fatal lurch into the relegation zone with a home defeat against a buoyant Coventry.
The old adage of ‘when you’re down at the bottom, it doesn’t go for you’ came to the fore here as Palace dominated proceedings.
They didn’t count on David Bell popping up with five minutes remaining to lift an exquisite effort beyond Julian Speroni and hand Coventry a first win against Palace in eight years.
Derby County 0-1 Swansea City >>>
Swansea City extended their run to 11 games unbeaten under the guidance of Paulo Sousa, in a game full of incident and controversy.
Indeed the game was simmering nicely before Jay McEvily was given his second bookable offence for a challenge on Nathan Dyer – the Scotsman releasing his anger on the linesman and the water bottles.
From the resultant free-kick David Cotterill centred for Shefki Kuqi to open the scoring with a deft glancing header – but they needlessly relinquished their man advantage.
Gorka Pintado was sent off for the second time this season when he recklessly dived in on Robbie Savage causing another melee. Referee Steve Tanner’s handling of the incident certainly didn’t cover the relegated official in glory either.
Newcastle United 3-0 Preston North End
Preston had lost six of their last seven away games, and the trend didn’t look like changing for the Lilywhites who searched for their first win at St James Park in 47 years.
A decent effort from Peter Lovenkrands marked his tenth goal of the season, chipping beyond Andy Lonergan in the opening stages had the writing on the wall.
Kevin Nolan netted his 11th of the campaign from midfield, following an excellent through ball from Alan Smith, and the rout was complete when Fabrice Pancrate squared for Ryan Taylor to hit the third.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Middlesbrough
Forest registered their ninth successive home league win of the season – their best since the reign of Brian Clough, as Middlesbrough slipped to another disappointing defeat.
In a game largely dominated by the hosts, they were denied the lead when Kelvin Wilson’s effort was correctly adjudged offside.
A sweeping counter-attack did for the visitors, who felt that Leroy Lita had been fouled in the build up. Blackstock’s telling ball to Chris Cohen saw the midfielder coolly slot home.
Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Leicester City >>>
One of the major talking points down at Home Park is the playing surface, resembling a mine-field rather than a football field, but there can be little doubt it had no role to play in the opening goal.
Kari Arnason had a moment of madness as an error in communication with ‘keeper Stockdale saw him roll blind beyond the stopper and hand Leicester the lead.
Argyle displayed the battling spirit that has been discovered under club legend Paul Mariner and Chris Noone equalised with a flicked header from a set-piece.
QPR 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
Match Report >>>
Match Stats >>>
Mick Harford – Post Match
Scunthorpe United 2-2 Watford >>>
Goals, cards and late heartbreak were all in evidence in a thrilling encounter at Glanford Park. Watford were staring down the barrel of defeat away from home after an early Hooper goal.
Gary Hooper netted his 12th of the season after a neat pass from Paul Hayes, but shortly after the hour mark Danny Graham levelled from close range.
The entertainment didn’t stop there as Tom Cleverley was sent off for a challenge on Michael O’Connor, before Watford took a stunning last minute lead.
John Eustace looked to have won it for the Hornets and secured their first away win since October – not so as Jay DeMerit’s handball five minutes into injury time gifted Scunthorpe the final chance.
Hooper wasted little time in rolling the penalty home and securing what could prove to be a valuable point for Adkins’ Iron.
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Ipswich Town >>>
Sheffield Wednesday had hit a recent dip in form as they entertained similarly lowly Ipswich Town, who came into the clash fresh off the back of a midweek defeat.
It didn’t take long for Roy Keane’s men to take hold of the advantage as Carlos Edwards returned with a bang, as his right-footed thunderbolt bent into the top left hand corner.
Irvine was on the verge of his first back to back defeats since taking over at Wednesday, with the honeymoon period well and truly over.
Town managed to hold on to their victory and secure their first clean sheet of 2010, as rivals Crystal Palace drop into the relegation places.
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