The Championship season continued with the latest round of games played over the weekend.
Newcastle and Brighton swapped places briefly but it’s the Magpies that lead the way. Rotherham are cut adrift with Wigan and Blackburn still in the bottom three.
Here’s a round up of the Championship action from the other games played.
Results
Friday 10th February 2017 – CHAMPIONSHIP
Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Birmingham City 19:45
Saturday 11th February 2017 – CHAMPIONSHIP
Aston Villa 0-1 Ipswich Town 15:00
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 Burton Albion 15:00
Derby County 3-3 Bristol City 15:00
Fulham 3-2 Wigan Athletic 15:00
Leeds United 0-2 Cardiff City 15:00
Norwich City 5-1 Nottingham Forest 15:00
Preston North End 4-2 Brentford 15:00
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Huddersfield Town 15:00
Reading 0-0 Barnsley 15:00
Rotherham United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers 15:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Newcastle United 17:30
Sheffield Wednesday’s play-off place was consolidated – they knew it would remain that way whatever the other results at the weekend – with a 3-0 victory over Birmingham on Friday. Having recorded his first win as Blues boss a third defeat in four keeps Gianfranco Zola’s side well off the top six.
Aston Villa were beaten for a third game running – fifth in the last six in fact – when Ipswich left Villa Park with the points. The Tractor Boys’ 1-0 win took them safely into midtable.
The gap between Brighton and the chasing pack behind them was increased to six points after a 4-1 win over Burton. The Albion win also took them back to the top of the Championship. Well, until later in the day when Newcastle won anyway. The Brewers remain outside of the bottom three but in relegation trouble.
A second half fightback from Derby saw the play-off chasing side secure a 3-3 draw at the iPro Stadium. Bristol City extended their unbeaten run to three but after being three nil up at half time this was two points dropped by the Robins.
A five goal thriller at Craven Cottage saw Fulham boost their play-off chances whilst further damaging Wigan’s survival hopes. The Cottagers came from two one down to beat the Latics – five points from safety and on a three game winless run – 3-2.
Cardiff had lost three of their previously four but after a 2-0 win over promotion chasing Leeds at Elland Road the run now reads two wins in three with the Bluebirds safely in midtable. The Whites second defeat in a row allowed the play-off chasing pack to close in with ground of automatic promotion lost.
In-form Norwich recorded a 5-1 win – a fourth in the last five – over Nottingham Forest to move to within two points of the play-offs. This was Forest’s first defeat in three and came after Gary Brazil was confirmed as boss until the end of the season.
A first win in five was secured by Preston too boost the play-off hopes. This 4-2 win over Brentford kept North End in play-off contention with the Bees suffering a first loss in three that prevented them from moving into midtable.
A fourth straight Huddersfield win – they’ve lost only once in the last 10 now – came at Loftus Road against QPR to move Town up to 3rd. This defeat was the R’s third in a five game winless run.
Reading and Barnsley had settle for a share of the points after a 0-0 draw at the Madjeski Stadium. The Royals’ unbeaten run was extended to five but it was a second successive draw with the Tykes now three without a win and six points off the top six as a result.
Rotherham’s four game losing run ended with a draw against Blackburn. A win at the bottom placed side would have been expected by Rovers but had it not been for a late equaliser a 1-1 draw wouldn’t have been secured at the New York Stadium.
The late kick off on saw Newcastle return to the top of the Championship with a 1-0 win at Wolves. A goal late in the first half secured the points for the Magpies to take them back above Brighton. A third defeat in the last four – play-off talk has to be forgotten – means the bottom three are only six points behind Wolves.
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