It was a Match Day of relative upsets in the Championship with promotion chasers being beaten or scrapping home. Unfortunately Fulham was one of the chasers that stumbled.
Charlie Austin's double gave
West Brom a thrilling see-saw 3-2 derby win over
Birmingham at St Andrew's to put his side back to the top of the Championship table.
|
Championship table - 15th December 2019 |
| |
HOME |
AWAY |
|
| |
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
| 1 |
West Brom |
22 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
28 |
15 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
17 |
8 |
22 |
49 |
| 2 |
Leeds |
22 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
7 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
17 |
6 |
22 |
47 |
| 3 |
Preston |
22 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
29 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
14 |
8 |
37 |
| 4 |
Brentford |
22 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
19 |
7 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
14 |
10 |
16 |
36 |
| 5 |
Sheff Wed |
22 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
21 |
13 |
13 |
36 |
| 6 |
Fulham |
22 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
21 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
35 |
| 7 |
Bristol C |
22 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
16 |
14 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
18 |
18 |
2 |
35 |
| 8 |
N Forest |
21 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
11 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
17 |
10 |
6 |
34 |
| 9 |
Blackburn |
22 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
15 |
18 |
2 |
34 |
| 10 |
Swansea |
22 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
16 |
15 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
13 |
12 |
2 |
34 |
| 11 |
Millwall |
22 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
16 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
12 |
17 |
0 |
33 |
| 12 |
Cardiff |
22 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
18 |
9 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
16 |
23 |
2 |
32 |
| 13 |
QPR |
22 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
19 |
22 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
16 |
20 |
-7 |
31 |
| 14 |
Hull |
22 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
18 |
14 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
16 |
17 |
3 |
30 |
| 15 |
Birmingham |
22 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
13 |
12 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
19 |
-7 |
28 |
| 16 |
Derby |
22 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
14 |
9 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
19 |
-7 |
26 |
| 17 |
Charlton |
22 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
15 |
14 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
13 |
16 |
-2 |
24 |
| 18 |
Reading |
21 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
14 |
16 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
11 |
11 |
-2 |
23 |
| 19 |
Huddersfield |
22 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
14 |
20 |
-10 |
22 |
| 20 |
Middlesbrough |
22 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
10 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
21 |
-12 |
21 |
| 21 |
Luton |
22 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
16 |
16 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
12 |
30 |
-18 |
20 |
| 22 |
Stoke |
22 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
14 |
18 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
10 |
17 |
-11 |
18 |
| 23 |
Wigan |
22 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
11 |
14 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
9 |
21 |
-15 |
18 |
| 24 |
Barnsley |
22 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
21 |
24 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
21 |
-16 |
16 |
|
|
Leeds gave up a three-goal lead at home, and top spot, to draw with
Cardiff who scored their last goal after being reduced to 10 men.
Preston sit third in the table after defeating
Luton Town. Both sides conceded first-half penalties; Paul Gallagher needed a rebound finish to make the most of his, while James Collins equalised from 12 yards without any fuss.
Fulham travelled to local rivals
Brentford and left with nothing. Bryan Mbeumo secured the only goal of the game, the 22nd minute, turned home at the back post, his eighth of the season. Fulham dropped from third to sixth in the Championship with five teams below them within three points.
Jordan Rhodes ended a 11-month wait a goal by scoring a hat-trick in
Sheffield Wednesday’s 4-0 away win at
Nottingham Forest. It was a perfect treble, with a left-foot finish and overhead kick sandwiching a header, with all three coming before the break. Steven Fletcher completed the scoring in first-half injury-time to ensure there was no way back for the hosts.
Another promotion-chasing team to suffer a surprise defeat were
Bristol City, who went down 2-0 to
Blackburn. Tony Mowbray made six changes to the Rovers lineup and he was quickly repaid when former Spurs midfielder Lewis Holtby teed up Bradley Johnson for the opener.
Middlesbrough had two sent off as Andre Ayew scored twice in
Swansea’s 3-1 win at the Liberty Stadium. Jonathan Woodgate will not be happy with Marcus Browne who saw red for a lunge, while Paddy McNair was dismissed for elbowing Matt Grimes.
Struggling
Stoke and
Reading battled to a dour goalless draw at the Bet365 Stadium. Michael O'Neill's side remain in the Championship relegation places after failing to put away the misfiring Royals.
Wigan and
Huddersfield shared the points as Karlan Grant cancelled out Josh Windass’ opener
There were goals galore at Oakwell as
Barnsley got the better of
QPR in an eight-goal thriller. Conor Chaplin grabbed a hat-trick with Cauley Woodrow and Bambo Diaby getting the others for the hosts, while Luke Amos hit two for the visitors and Ilias Chair rounded things off with a late consolation.
Championship MatchDay 22 Wrap-up
Friday 13th December 2019
|
| 19:45 | Charlton | 2-2 | Hull | 14447 |
| Championship MatchDay 22 ~ Results |
| Tuesday 13th December 2019 |
| K.O. | Home | Res | Away | Att |
| 19:45 | Charlton | 2-2 | Hull | 14447 |
| Saturday 14th December 2019 |
| K.O. | Home | Res | Away | Att |
| 12:30 | Birmingham | 2-3 | West Brom | 20796 |
| 15:00 | Barnsley | 5-3 | QPR | 12212 |
| 15:00 | Brentford | 1-0 | Fulham | 12305 |
| 15:00 | Bristol City | 0-2 | Blackburn |
21180 |
| 15:00 | Derby | 091 | Millwall | 26272 |
| 15:00 | Leeds | 3-3 | Cardiff | 34552 |
| 15:00 | N Forest | 0-4 | Sheff Wed |
28002 |
| 15:00 | Preston | 2-1 | Luton | 12083 |
| 15:00 | Stoke | 0-0 | Reading | 21701 |
| 15:00 | Swansea | 3-1 | Middlesbrough | 14625 |
| 15:00 | Wigan | 1-1 | Huddersfield | n/a |
|
|
Hull scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser to earn a point at Charlton, who have now gone 10 games without a win in the Championship.
Dillon Phillips failed to hold substitute Keane Lewis-Potter's header after the hosts failed to clear a free-kick, with the ball squirming against the post and in off the Addicks keeper.
Charlton, who had lost their previous four games, had looked set to secure a first win since mid-October after Darren Pratley headed home and Naby Sarr slotted in from close range to twice give them the lead.
Jarrod Bowen tapped in the Tigers' first equaliser just after half-time and Grant McCann's side struck with almost the last touch to level.
The draw lifts Hull, who had lost their previous two away games, a place to 13th in the table, while Charlton remain 17th after collecting only their third point of their winless run.
Championship MatchDay 22 Wrap-up
Saturday 14th December 2019
|
| 12:30 | Birmingham | 2-3 | West Brom | 20796 |
West Bromwich Albion substitute Charlie Austin came off the bench to stun Birmingham City with two goals in eight minutes to win the West Midlands derby.
Leeds' spectacular collapse at home to Cardiff, drawing 3-3 having led 3-0 at Elland Road, meant victory in Saturday's early kick-off was enough for the Baggies to forge a two-point lead at the top of the Championship.
Albion looked to be heading for a first defeat in 12 games after headed goals from Lukas Jutkiewicz and Harlee Dean at the start of each half, either side of the visitors' first equaliser from Grady Diangana.
But Austin superbly levelled again in the 73rd minute, just three minutes after coming on, when he flicked up Jake Livermore's short pass before firing a right-footed half-volley from 20 yards past home goalkeeper Connal Trueman.
Eight minutes later, Austin won it for Albion when he peeled away at the far post to meet Darnell Furlong's right-wing cross with a textbook header.
Austin's quickfire double took his personal goal tally to six in his past five appearances after a faltering start to his Albion career.
Meanwhile, it is now just one win in eight games for Pep Clotet's Blues, who have not won at home now in four matches.
| 15:00 | Barnsley | 5-3 | QPR | 12212 |
Barnsley beat QPR to win for just the third time in the Championship this season, with Conor Chaplin grabbing a hat-trick at Oakwell.
Barnsley's Chaplin opened the scoring in the seventh minute, before Luke Amos tapped in a rebound to equalise for QPR.
Chaplin completed his hat-trick with goals either side of half-time to give Barnsley a 3-1 lead before Amos grabbed his second to halve the deficit.
Cauley Woodrow's penalty on the hour made it 4-2, and Bambo Diaby netted a fifth, with Ilias Chair scoring a late consolation goal for Rangers in the 94th minute.
Barnsley's only other wins this season had been against Hull in November and Fulham on the opening day of the season.
| 15:00 | Brentford | 1-0 | Fulham | 12305 |
| Championship MatchDay 23 ~ Fixtures |
| Friday 20th December 2019 |
| | Home | Away | TV |
| 19:45 | Middlesbrough | Stoke | Sky |
| Saturday 21st December 2019 |
| | Home | Away | TV |
| 12:30 | Cardiff |
Preston | Sky |
| 15:00 | Fulham | Leeds | |
| 15:00 | Huddersfield | N Forest | |
| 15:00 | Hull | Birmingham | |
| 15:00 | Luton | Swansea | |
| 15:00 | Millwall | Barnsley | |
| 15:00 | QPR | Charlton | |
| 15:00 | Reading | Derby | |
| 15:00 | West Brom | Brentford | |
| Sunday 22nd December 2019 |
| | Home | Away | TV |
| 12:00 | Sheff Wed | Bristol City | Sky |
| Monday 23rd December 2019 |
| | Home | Away | TV |
| 19:45 | Blackburn | Wigan | Sky |
|
|
Bryan Mbeumo netted for the fourth game in a row as Brentford won the west London derby against Fulham at Griffin Park to move up to fourth in the Championship.
The Frenchman took his tally for the season to eight when he volleyed in Said Benrahma's lofted ball at the back post midway through the first half.
Brentford hit the woodwork three times, with Ollie Watkins, Pontus Jansson and Mathias Jensen all seeing efforts come back off the post.
Fulham's Neeskens Kebano also struck the upright early on, but they rarely tested Bees keeper David Raya.
The result maintains Brentford's recent stranglehold over their rivals - they have now lost just one of the past nine league meetings with Fulham, winning five.
Most importantly, it sent the Bees into the top four for the first time since September 2018 and lifted them above Scott Parker's side, who have now lost their past three matches.
| 15:00 | Bristol City | 0-2 | Blackburn |
21180 |
Bradley Johnson and Adam Armstrong scored as Blackburn extended their unbeaten run to six matches at the expense of Bristol City.
Johnson thumped in from Lewis Holtby's corner in just the second minute and then laid on the second for Armstrong late on.
City threatened in response to Johnson's opener, with Niclas Eliasson having a shot saved while Ashley Williams nodded wide.
But they were unable to conjure an equaliser and paid the price when Armstrong struck.
Robins head coach Lee Johnson's pre-match plans were quickly ripped up following namesake Bradley Johnson's superb effort.
The absence through suspension of 10-goal Bradley Dack did not seem to unduly affect Blackburn, as they won at Ashton Gate for the first time since December 2015.
Armstrong's goal, created after some dogged work by Johnson, was the highlight of a second half that lacked the chances of the first.
Rovers are now a point off the play-off places as the Championship nears its halfway mark, with City dropping out of the top six.
| 15:00 | Derby | 0-1 | Millwall | 26272 |
Rooney in January will not be enough on its own to arrest his side's poor form.
The Rams have scored just three goals in the past seven games and went down 1-0 at home to Millwall on Saturday.
Last season's play-off finalists are 16th in the Championship.
England's record goalscorer Rooney will be available at the turn of the year following his move from DC United.
"We can't think we get Wayne in January and everything will be fine, I don't think that's enough. We need more," Cocu said following the loss at Pride Park.
Derby were booed off by their home fans after they went a fifth game without a victory.
| 15:00 | Leeds | 3-3 | Cardiff | 34552 |
Cardiff City fought back from 3-0 down and equalised when down to 10 men to prevent Leeds United from returning to the top of the Championship.
West Bromwich Albion had gone top by beating Birmingham in the early kick-off but Marcelo Bielsa's men responded with three goals, the first from Helder Costa and two by Patrick Bamford, including a penalty.
Lee Tomlin gave Cardiff hope of a late revival on the hour and Sean Morrison added their second, only to then be sent off for a late tackle.
Despite their man disadvantage, Cardiff staged a grandstand finish as Robert Glatzel guided in Tomlin's flick to level.
Neil Harris' side drop three places to 12th, with Leeds finishing the day second behind West Brom.
The draw ended Leeds' seven-match winning run as Cardiff produced a remarkable comeback, largely against the run of play.
| 15:00 | N Forest | 0-4 | Sheff Wed |
28002 |
ordan Rhodes ended a 20-month wait for a Sheffield Wednesday goal with a hat-trick at Nottingham Forest that lifted the Owls into the play-off places.
Rhodes, who scored nine goals to help Norwich to the Championship title last season after being sent out on loan, put Wednesday in front early on with a fine left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
While it took 87 weeks for the long out-of-favour striker to get back on the scoresheet for the Owls, having last netted on 14 April 2018, it took just four minutes for him to score the second of the day, heading home from close range.
He completed his treble with a spectacular overhead kick before Steven Fletcher stabbed home a fourth in first-half injury time as Wednesday extended Forest's winless run to four games in devastating fashion.
Wednesday's third win in a five-game unbeaten run was never under threat in a relatively subdued second half at the City Ground, which saw Garry Monk's side move up to fifth in the table, while the Reds slipped from fifth to eighth.
| 15:00 | Preston | 2-1 | Luton | 12083 |
Preston North End scored a late winner to beat a resilient Luton and go third in the Championship.
Paul Gallagher opened the scoring early on, tapping in a rebound after his initial penalty had been saved.
Luton then levelled as James Collins struck a spot-kick of his own straight down the middle after Paul Huntington tripped Callum McManaman in the box.
But Preston substitute Jayden Stockley ensured victory with six minutes remaining, slotting the ball home following a goalmouth scramble.
Preston beat Fulham 2-1 on Tuesday to end a run of four consecutive Championship defeats without scoring a goal.
| 15:00 | Stoke | 0-0 | Reading | 21701 |
Stoke City and Reading both failed to register a shot on target in their goalless Championship stalemate.
Potters winger Tom Ince came closest to a winner, sending an effort just off target from 25 yards before half-time.
The former Derby and Huddersfield player also had a first-half goal ruled out for offside and curled a late attempt wide.
Stoke's first draw in seven games under Michael O'Neill kept them in the bottom three, five points below the Royals.
Reading, whose manager Mark Bowen spent four and a half years as Mark Hughes' assistant at Stoke, have now only won one of their past six league matches, but are undefeated in their past three games away from home.
| 15:00 | Swansea | 3-1 | Middlesbrough | 14625 |
wansea City ended a six-match winless run as Andre Ayew scored two goals to help them beat nine-man Middlesbrough.
Ayew's first-half penalty put the hosts in front before Marcus Tavernier equalised after the break with a powerful effort.
But just three minutes later, Boro were down to 10 men when substitute Marcus Browne was sent off for a lunge on Mike van der Hoorn.
Ayew then restored the Swans' lead and Sam Surridge added a third before Paddy McNair saw red for a late elbow on Matt Grimes.
A fractious end to the second half undermined Boro's hopes of salvaging anything from this encounter and, after a draw and a win from their previous two matches, this result keeps them 20th in the Championship table and now only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Swansea, by contrast, move up one place to 10th, only a point adrift of the play-off spots.
| 15:00 | Wigan | 1-1 | Huddersfield | n/a |
Championship relegation rivals Wigan and Huddersfield played out a 1-1 draw which helped neither side's fight against the drop.
Former Huddersfield youngster Josh Windass livened up an uninspiring first half by intercepting goalkeeper Kamil Grabara's poor clearance and calmly putting the Latics ahead just before the break.
Another defensive error almost let Windass in again early in the second half, but Jon Stankovic cleared off the line after the forward had picked up Danny Simpson's weak backpass and rounded Grabara.
Karlan Grant levelled with 20 minutes to go as he whipped the ball into the top corner after turning his man just inside the box.
The Latics stay second from bottom, but they are now two points from safety after Luton and Middlesbrough both lost, while Huddersfield remain in 19th place.