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Championship MatchDay 39 Wrap-up
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Championship MatchDay 39 ended with table topping Fulham now eleven points clear at the top of the Championship table and
17 points clear of third placed Huddersfield with 7 games to
go. Second placed Bournemouth helped out by losing 2-0 at West Brom.
Fulham will be promoted if Nottingham Forest lose to Birmingham on Saturday and
Fulham then beat Coventry at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Fulham
Fulham inched ever closer to Premier League promotion with a hard-fought win over Middlesbrough in atrocious conditions at the Riverside Stadium.
|
Championship table - 7th April 2022 |
|
Home |
Away |
|
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
| 1 |
Fulham |
39 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
45 |
16 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
48 |
16 |
61 |
83 |
| 2 |
Bournemouth |
38 |
11 |
5 |
3 |
38 |
20 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
24 |
15 |
27 |
72 |
| 3 |
Huddersfield |
40 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
27 |
20 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
25 |
23 |
9 |
66 |
| 4 |
Luton |
40 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
34 |
21 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
25 |
24 |
14 |
65 |
| 5 |
N Forest |
38 |
10 |
4 |
6 |
32 |
21 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
27 |
15 |
23 |
64 |
| 6 |
Sheff U |
40 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
32 |
13 |
7 |
6 |
8 |
21 |
28 |
12 |
64 |
| 7 |
Middlesbrough |
39 |
12 |
2 |
5 |
29 |
17 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
23 |
24 |
11 |
62 |
| 8 |
Blackburn |
40 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
35 |
21 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
16 |
20 |
10 |
62 |
| 9 |
QPR |
40 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
28 |
22 |
8 |
2 |
9 |
26 |
29 |
3 |
59 |
| 10 |
Millwall |
40 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
23 |
14 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
18 |
25 |
2 |
58 |
| 11 |
West Brom |
40 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
26 |
12 |
5 |
5 |
11 |
18 |
25 |
7 |
57 |
| 12 |
Coventry |
40 |
10 |
5 |
6 |
31 |
21 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
29 |
1 |
56 |
| 13 |
Preston |
40 |
7 |
9 |
3 |
25 |
21 |
6 |
6 |
9 |
16 |
24 |
-4 |
54 |
| 14 |
Swansea |
39 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
23 |
20 |
7 |
4 |
10 |
23 |
32 |
-6 |
54 |
| 15 |
Stoke |
40 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
28 |
21 |
5 |
6 |
9 |
22 |
25 |
4 |
52 |
| 16 |
Blackpool |
39 |
10 |
3 |
8 |
23 |
23 |
4 |
7 |
7 |
20 |
23 |
-3 |
52 |
| 17 |
Cardiff |
39 |
7 |
3 |
11 |
21 |
27 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
24 |
33 |
-15 |
46 |
| 18 |
Birmingham |
40 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
22 |
25 |
4 |
7 |
9 |
21 |
33 |
-15 |
45 |
| 19 |
Bristol C |
40 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
26 |
27 |
5 |
2 |
13 |
25 |
45 |
-21 |
44 |
| 20 |
Hull |
40 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
16 |
26 |
6 |
5 |
9 |
17 |
19 |
-12 |
41 |
| 21 |
Reading ** |
40 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
28 |
37 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
19 |
38 |
-28 |
37 |
| 22 |
Barnsley |
39 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
17 |
22 |
1 |
4 |
14 |
12 |
33 |
-26 |
29 |
| 23 |
Derby * |
40 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
27 |
17 |
2 |
6 |
12 |
12 |
28 |
-6 |
28 |
| 24 |
Peterborough |
40 |
4 |
7 |
9 |
20 |
31 |
2 |
2 |
16 |
13 |
50 |
-48 |
27 |
|
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Aleksandar Mitrovic's 38th Championship goal of the campaign was enough to end Boro's eight-match winning streak at home and put Fulham on the cusp of a return to the top flight.
Mitrovic headed in Harry Wilson's pinpoint free-kick in the second half to give Fulham their 25th victory of the season.
Matt Crooks' half-volley deflected over for Boro before Josh Coburn headed agonisingly off target and Duncan Watmore blazed over in the final seconds as the hosts failed to find a deserved equaliser.
West Bromwich Albion 2 - 0 Bournemouth
West Bromwich Albion kept their slim play-off chances alive with victory over Championship promotion hopefuls Bournemouth.
The Baggies were 2-0 up inside 12 minutes at The Hawthorns through Alex Mowatt's long-range strike and Andy Carroll's powerful finish.
Bournemouth, who dominated possession but failed to get any of their 17 shots on target, improved after the break as the hosts dropped deeper.
West Brom are seven points outside the play-offs with six matches remaining and would realistically need to win all of those games to stand a chance of sneaking in.
Peterborough United 1 - 1 Luton Town
Jonson Clarke-Harris salvaged a late point for Peterborough as the Championship strugglers held play-off chasers Luton.
The Hatters hit the front soon after the break when Fred Onyedinma fizzed a ball across the six-yard box where Danny Hylton tapped in.
But Joe Ward swung a fine cross into the Luton box where Clarke-Harris powered in a header with three minutes left.
Luton, who would have climbed to third with a victory, remain fourth, three points clear of seventh-placed Blackburn, while Peterborough are 10 points adrift of safety following Reading's win.
| Championship MatchDay 39 ~ Results |
| Tuesday 5th April 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Res |
Away | Att |
| 19:45 | Millwall |
0-1 |
Swansea | 11670 |
| 19:45 | Peterborough |
1-1 |
Luton | 10940 |
| 19:45 | Preston |
1-0 |
Blackpool | 18740 |
| 19:45 | Sheff Utd |
1-0 |
QPR | 26488 |
| 20:00 | Reading |
2-1 |
Stoke | 9928 |
| Wednesday 6th April 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Res |
Away | Att |
| 19:45 | Middlesbrough |
0-1 |
Fulham | 21995 |
| 19:45 | N. Forest |
2-0 |
Coventry | 28977 |
| 20:00 | West Brom |
2-0 |
Bournemouth | - |
|
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Nottingham Forest 2 - 0 Coventry City
Nottingham Forest kept their Championship play-off bid on course with victory against Coventry City.
Goals from Brennan Johnson, his 15th of the season, and James Garner secured the win at the City Ground.
A third successive success moves Forest up to fifth in the table with eight matches remaining, and Steve Cooper's side have two games in hand on most of their rivals.
Defeat for the Sky Blues, who drop to 12th, all but ends their promotion hopes as they are now eight points below the play-offs with six games left.
Sheffield United 1 - 0 Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield United won for only the third time in eight games as they beat Queens Park Rangers to climb back into the Championship play-off zone.
Ollie Norwood scored the only goal on nine minutes to hand QPR their sixth defeat in seven league games - and a fourth in a row.
John Fleck's corner was dummied, allowing midfielder Norwood to find the bottom-right corner from 18 yards - his first goal in over two years. He last scored in a 2-0 FA Cup win at Millwall in January 2020.
The hosts, who are now unbeaten in 11 home league games, of which they have won eight, could have sealed victory by a wider margin.
Millwall 0 - 1 Swansea City
Millwall's Championship play-off hopes suffered a setback as Joel Piroe's clinical finish gave Swansea City victory at the Den.
The Lions' seven-game unbeaten home run came to an end after Piroe struck in the opening seconds of the second half.
Defeat leaves Millwall four points adrift of the top six with six games remaining.
They will need a strong finish to the season if they are to come through the congested race for a play-off spot.
Swansea, who climb to 14th, have too much to do to reach the play-offs, but Russell Martin's side are showing promising signs ahead of next season having claimed 10 points from their last four games.
| Championship MatchDay 40 ~ Fixtures |
| Saturday 9th April 2022 |
| KO | Home | Away | TV |
| 12:45 | Sheff Utd |
Bournemouth | Sky |
| 15:00 | Blackburn |
Blackpool | |
| 15:00 | Bristol City |
Peterborough | |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough |
Hull | |
| 15:00 | Millwall |
Barnsley | |
| 15:00 | N. Forest |
Birmingham | |
| 15:00 | Preston |
QPR | |
| 15:00 | Reading |
Cardiff | |
| 15:00 | Swansea |
Derby | |
| 15:00 | West Brom |
Stoke | |
| Sunday 10th April 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Away | TV |
| 15:00 | Fulham |
Coventry | skyrb |
| Monday 14th February 2022 |
| KO | Home |
Away | TV |
| 19:45 | Huddersfield |
Luton | Sky |
|
|
Preston North End 1 - 0 Blackpool
Cameron Archer's goal gave Preston a West Lancashire derby win over Blackpool in a mid-table Championship tussle at Deepdale.
Andrew Hughes headed Ben Whiteman's corner against the top of the crossbar and Brad Potts' deflected cross also found the same piece of the frame for the hosts before the only goal of the game.
It was enough to earn Preston only a second win in eight games as they climb to 13th and leapfrog Blackpool who drop to 16th.
Reading 2 - 1 Stoke City
Reading edged closer to securing Championship survival as a second-half own goal gave them victory against Stoke City.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed into his own net under pressure from Lucas Joao as Reading retook the lead just after the hour.
Michael Morrison had headed them into an early lead, but Stoke substitute Romaine Sawyers equalised just before half-time when home keeper Orjan Nyland failed to hold his shot.
But Harwood-Bellis' own goal would prove the difference and enough for Reading to make it four games unbeaten and stretch the gap between them and the bottom three to eight points with six games to play.
Stoke missed chances to level again when Tyrese Campbell flashed a shot across goal and Jacob Brown missed the target from close range after Campbell's cross had found him unmarked.
Despite the nervy atmosphere, Paul Ince's Reading picked up a second win in as many home games and also built on their crucial 1-1 draw at third-bottom Barnsley on Saturday.