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Championship MatchDay 25 Wrap-up
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Championship MatchDay 25 ended with Fulham again placed at the top of the Championship table after an exciting double come back win at home to Bristol City. There is now a two point gap to second placed Bournemouth and third placed Blackburn,
who are seperated by goal difference. .
Fulham 6 - 2 Bristol City
Aleksandar Mitrovic stuck a first-half hat-trick as Fulham hit Bristol City for six to return to the top of the Championship.
The Serbian now has 27 goals this season and his treble came in an enthralling opening 45 minutes that saw the Robins twice take the lead.
Antoine Semenyo scored either side of Mitrovic's first before Neeskens Kebano levelled and Fabio Carvalho put the hosts in front after 36 minutes.
Mitrovic completed his hat-trick in first-half injury time and Kebano made it six just before the hour to complete a resounding win.
Free-scoring Fulham beat Reading 7-0 in midweek and have now scored 64 goals this season - 20 more than second highest scorers Blackburn.
Fulham moved to the summit of the Championship, replacing Bournemouth, who were defeated by Luton earlier in the day.
Fulham have another re-arranged game on Tuesday evening when they face Birmingham City at The Cottage with a 19:45 kick off.
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Championship table - 15th January 2022 |
|
Home |
Away |
|
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
| 1 |
Fulham |
25 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
30 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
34 |
11 |
43 |
51 |
| 2 |
Bournemouth |
26 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
26 |
13 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
17 |
10 |
20 |
49 |
| 3 |
Blackburn |
26 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
30 |
17 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
14 |
11 |
16 |
49 |
| 4 |
QPR |
25 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
17 |
11 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
21 |
19 |
8 |
44 |
| 5 |
West Brom |
26 |
7 |
5 |
0 |
18 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
13 |
14 |
11 |
42 |
| 6 |
Middlesbrough |
26 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
20 |
13 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
11 |
12 |
6 |
42 |
| 7 |
Huddersfield |
27 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
19 |
15 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
14 |
15 |
3 |
41 |
| 8 |
Stoke |
25 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
17 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
13 |
12 |
5 |
38 |
| 9 |
N Forest |
26 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
14 |
17 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
19 |
11 |
5 |
37 |
| 10 |
Coventry |
24 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
20 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
13 |
17 |
5 |
37 |
| 11 |
Millwall |
25 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
14 |
12 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
13 |
16 |
-1 |
33 |
| 12 |
Blackpool |
26 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
12 |
15 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
15 |
17 |
-5 |
33 |
| 13 |
Luton |
23 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
20 |
15 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
14 |
14 |
5 |
32 |
| 14 |
Sheff U |
23 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
15 |
11 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
14 |
19 |
-1 |
32 |
| 15 |
Preston |
24 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
16 |
13 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
11 |
17 |
-3 |
32 |
| 16 |
Bristol C |
26 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
15 |
17 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
17 |
28 |
-13 |
30 |
| 17 |
Swansea |
23 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
14 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
13 |
20 |
-5 |
28 |
| 18 |
Birmingham |
25 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
13 |
16 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
17 |
-9 |
28 |
| 19 |
Hull |
25 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
11 |
16 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
15 |
-11 |
23 |
| 20 |
Cardiff |
25 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
9 |
19 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
17 |
25 |
-18 |
23 |
| 21 |
Reading ** |
25 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
18 |
25 |
4 |
0 |
8 |
12 |
20 |
-15 |
22 |
| 22 |
Peterborough |
24 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
15 |
15 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
6 |
33 |
-27 |
19 |
| 23 |
Derby * |
26 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
16 |
11 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
9 |
13 |
1 |
14 |
| 24 |
Barnsley |
24 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
15 |
0 |
4 |
8 |
8 |
21 |
-20 |
14 |
|
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Cardiff City 0 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers maintained the pressure on the teams at the top of the Championship by grinding out a 1-0 win at Cardiff with 10 men.
Joe Rothwell gave Blackburn the lead as he cut through the Cardiff defence and finished from outside the penalty area.
Cardiff improved after the break and the visitors saw Ryan Nyambe sent off with 14 minutes remaining when he received a second yellow card.
However, Rovers held on as Cardiff were beaten at home yet again.
The Bluebirds have lost eight of their last nine home league matches, and have earned fewer points at home overall this season than any other Championship side, with just seven points.
The defeat sees Cardiff remain 20th in the Championship, while Rovers are second on 49 points.
Luton Town 3 - 2 AFC Bournemouth
Bournemouth suffered a setback in their push for promotion as Kal Naismith's added-time goal gave Luton victory in a dramatic finish at Kenilworth Road.
Scott Parker's side, one point clear at the top of the Championship at kick-off, fell behind to an own goal by Lloyd Kelly, the ball ricocheting in off his shin after Mark Travers saved with his feet from Elijah Adebayo.
Luton doubled their lead when midfielder Allan Campbell beat Travers from 20 yards for his first goal for the club, but Bournemouth asserted themselves after the break and Emiliano Marcondes headed home Jack Stacey's cross.
Morgan Rogers levelled by firing into the roof of the net just moments after coming on as a substitute only for Naismith to snatch the win on the 77th birthday of former Luton boss David Pleat with a left-foot strike.
The defeat was only Bournemouth's third away from home in the league and the three points lifted Luton up to 13th, pending the results of later kick-
| Championship MatchDay 25 ~ Results |
| Saturday 15th January 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Res |
Away | Att |
| 12:30 | Cardiff |
0-1 |
Blackburn | - |
| 12:30 | Luton |
3-2 |
Bournemouth | 9649 |
| 15:00 | Derby |
2-0 |
Sheff Utd | 24597 |
| 15:00 | Fulham |
6-2 |
Bristol City | 17810 |
| 15:00 | Huddersfield |
1-1 |
Swansea | 20535 |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough |
2-1 |
Reading | 21634 |
| 15:00 | Millwall |
0-1 |
N. Forest | 13297 |
| 15:00 | Peterborough |
1-4 |
Coventry | 10282 |
| 15:00 | Preston |
1-1 |
Birmingham | 12821 |
| 15:00 | QPR |
1-0 |
West Brom | 16018 |
| 12:30 | Barnsley |
P |
Blackpool | P |
| Sunday 16th January 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Res |
Away | Att |
| 14:30 | Hull |
0-2 |
Stoke | 11067 |
|
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Derby County 2 - 0 Sheffield United
Wayne Rooney said Derby are "defying the odds", but need help off the pitch after victory over Sheffield United lifted his side off the bottom of the Championship table.
Tom Lawrence's second-half double secured the points, a day after the English Football League imposed a second transfer embargo in 12 months on the club.
The win - a year to the day since Rooney took permanent charge - lifted Derby above Barnsley on goal difference, despite the Rams having had 21 points deducted this season.
Huddersfield Town 1 - 1 Swansea City
Flynn Downes' late goal cancelled out Daniel Sinani's early opener as Swansea City fought back to claim a point at Huddersfield Town.
The Terriers were on course for a fourth victory in five league games after Sinani swept home on the rebound.
But Swansea surged back into the contest after the break and levelled as Downes steered in his first goal for the club.
Huddersfield drop a place to seventh in the table, while Swansea remain 17th.
This was a welcome point for Russell Martin's Swansea as they played a first league game in 35 days.
Carlos Corberan will feel his team could have been out of sight by half-time - though Swansea might have taken all three points given their dominance in the second period.
The Welsh club have just emerged from an unexpected winter break, with four straight league games postponed thanks to Covid-related issues.
They played - and were beaten by Southampton - in the FA Cup last weekend, but looked rusty early on as they returned to Championship action.
| Championship MatchDay 27 ~ Fixtures |
| Saturday 22nd January 2022 |
| KO | Home | Away | TV |
| 12:30 | Bristol City |
Cardiff | Sky |
| 12:30 | N. Forest |
Derby | Sky |
| 15:00 | Bournemouth |
Hull | |
| 15:00 | Birmingham |
Barnsley | |
| 15:00 | Blackpool |
Millwall | |
| 15:00 | Coventry |
QPR | |
| 15:00 | Reading |
Huddersfield | |
| 15:00 | Sheff Utd |
Luton | |
| 15:00 | Stoke |
Fulham | |
| 15:00 | Swansea |
Preston | |
| 15:00 | West Brom |
Peterborough | |
| Monday 24th January 2022 |
| KO | Home | Away | TV |
| 19:45 | Blackburn |
Middlesbrough | Sky |
|
|
Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Reading
Matt Crooks scored a 95th-minute winner as in-form Middlesbrough came from behind to beat Reading and make it six wins in seven Championship games.
Former England striker Andy Carroll scored his second goal for Reading as they bounced back from a 7-0 thrashing by Fulham to take the lead.
Middlesbrough had come closest in a goalless first half with a Jonny Howson shot deflected just wide and a rebound off Reading defender Josh Laurent hit the post after Luke Southwood had saved from Andraz Sporar.
They drew level when Crooks headed past Southwood, and in added time he was left unmarked and met Isaiah Jones' cross for his second to move Chris Wilder's side up to sixth in the table.
The Royals remain 21st, just three points clear of the relegation places, and have now failed to win in their last six visits to the Riverside Stadium.
Millwall 0 - 1 Nottingham Forest
Lewis Grabban's goal in stoppage time secured a win for Nottingham Forest at Millwall in the Championship.
Millwall started well but were unable to capitalise on their early pressure and lost in-form goal scorer Tom Bradshaw to injury in the first half.
Forest grew into the game and were being kept at bay by Millwall goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski as both teams pushed for a winner.
But it was Forest who claimed all three points when Grabban tapped home into an empty net after Bialkowski saved well from substitute Philip Zinckernagel.
Victory moves Steve Cooper's side up to ninth, five points from the play-offs, with Millwall two places and four points below.
Peterborough United 1 - 4 Coventry City
Coventry City picked up their first win in seven Championship matches with a dominant victory at lowly Peterborough United.
Gustavo Hamer put the Sky Blues ahead with a strike from about 30 yards, which home keeper David Cornell could only parry in, with former Posh striker Matt Godden doubling their lead with a composed finish inside the far post.
The visitors carved Peterborough open with regularity although Darren Ferguson's side halved their deficit before the break when Jorge Grant impressively found the top corner from just outside the box.
However, it was one-way traffic after half-time, Callum O'Hare and Jamie Allen hitting the post for Coventry before they were finally rewarded, Nathan Thompson diverting a cross into his own goal and Godden adding his second after a late counter-attack.
The points lift Coventry up to eighth, five points from the play-offs, while Peterborough - who have won just one of their past 10 in the league - remain 22nd and three points from safety.
Preston North End 1 - 1 Birmingham City
Scott Hogan's late equaliser rescued a point for Birmingham to end Preston boss Ryan Lowe's winning league start.
The hosts took a deserved lead when Alan Browne drilled a low shot which Patrick Bauer got a touch to on its way into the bottom corner.
Preston missed a host of chances to seal a third straight league win for Lowe, with Blues goalkeeper Neil Etheridge twice denying Ched Evans a second.
And Hogan met a Ryan Woods cross at the near post to head in an equaliser just a few moments after coming off the bench.
Queens Park Rangers 1 - 0 West Bromwich Albion
Charlie Austin returned to haunt his former club as he struck in the 89th minute to send QPR above promotion rivals West Brom.
The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Austin arrived at the far post to head home Chris Willock's cross.
His goal moves QPR two points above Valerien Ismael's Baggies, who are now without a win in four games.
Sunday, 16th January 2022
Hull City 0 - 2 Stoke City
Covid-hit Stoke City made light of the absence of manager Michael O'Neill as they comfortably ended a three-game winless Championship run with victory at Hull.
Scotland international striker Jacob Brown headed the Potters' first-half opener before Tom Ince's neatly taken second after the break, both made by Sam Clucas, as confident Stoke rediscovered their touch in front of goal.
In a much-changed side, marshalled from the sidelines by Stoke assistant Dean Holden, 39-year-old Phil Jagielka and fellow new signing Lewis Baker both made their debuts - and there was also a first league start for D'Margio Wright-Phillips, grandson of former Arsenal legend Ian Wright and son of ex-Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
And the shake-up paid dividends as the Potters climbed back up to eighth, within four points of a play-off place, as they generally outplayed a relegation-threatened Tigers side whose own winless league run was extended to five games.
Barnsley v Blackpool Postponed