Ipswich look destined for second as Millwall and Middlesbrough trip up again
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Ipswich Town.
It is very much Ipswich’s to lose now. For a long time it was about their games in hand. Now it is just about them, thanks to an emphatic win at the home of their rivals – the first time they have secured all three points at Carrow Road in 20 years.
It also completed the league double over Norwich, and put a complete pin in any slim hopes the Canaries had of sneaking up towards the play-offs.
“This is a brilliant result for the club,” said Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna. “As soon as I came here I was told how important this fixture was and that it had been so long since we’d beaten them.
“We finally got a win at our place earlier in the season and now we’ve backed it up by completing a double. I know how much this means to everyone connected with the club and I am sure they will all be enjoying it.”
Ipswich are now two points ahead of Millwall and three points ahead of Middlesbrough, who both tripped over themselves again, and they have two games in hand on both.
There are challenging games to come. Boro and Southampton – the latter of whom may be a bigger threat now in the race for second – still to face in their final six. But it is hard to see them not getting over the line and joining Coventry in the Premier League next season.
Coventry miss their first chance at promotion
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday.
Coventry needed three things to go their way this weekend to seal promotion, and it was perhaps the least likely of those permutations that fell away to make their wait go on a little longer.
Millwall and Middlesbrough had to drop points, they both duly did, but in between that the Sky Blues failed to put away Sheffield Wednesday.
They are, realistically, pretty much there. They are 12 points clear of Millwall in third with four games to go. Only a goal difference swing of almighty proportions now will deny them.
Frank Lampard admitted afterwards that tension set in.
“I think there’s understandable elements to the game, there’s a bit of tension to do that and a lot of the players are probably living this situation for the first time,” said Lampard.
“When are you going to do it, the expectancy to do it, and maybe there was a small effect on the game.
A point on Friday night at Blackburn, live on Sky, will be enough.
Southampton march on but Hull leave play-off door open
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Southampton and Derby County.
Southampton 2-1 Derby | Sheff Utd 2-1 Hull | Birmingham 2-0 Wrexham
It is not longer a case of if Southampton make the play-offs, it is a case of whether or not they can march higher.
The Saints hit back to beat Derby 2-1 on Saturday, their fifth victory in a row to climb into fifth in the table. Boss Tonda Eckert described it as ‘the best one of the week’ in terms of performance. Considering they beat Arsenal seven days before, and then flattened Wrexham 5-1 in midweek, that is no faint praise.
If they beat Blackburn on Tuesday night, they will move above Middlesbrough into fourth. A prospect that seemed so unlikely even a few weeks ago that it was never even mooted as a possibility.
They are six points behind Ipswich in second. They have played a game more, but still have to face the Tractor Boys. Keep going and you just never know.
Hull City, meanwhile, had the chance to pull up the play-off drawbridge, but fell to defeat from a winning position at Sheffield United. John Lundstram’s red card cost them badly at Bramall Lane.
But it could have been worse for the Tigers. They still have four points between themselves and Wrexham in seventh, after the Welsh side fell flat as a pancake at Birmingham on Sunday afternoon. Losing 2-0, barely laying a glove on their opponents at St Andrew’s, and missing the chance to close the gap.
With four games to go, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is not throwing in the towel for now.
“We’ve had a tough week this week. But we’re not down and out yet. It’s not over yet,” he said after their defeat.
“People will probably write us off and you can understand that to a certain degree, but inside the dressing room, we’re not writing ourselves off and we’re one win away from getting ourselves going again.”
Leicester fear deepens as Oxford & Portsmouth win
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Swansea City.
Leicester 0-1 Swansea | Middlesbrough 0-1 Portsmouth | Oxford 2-0 Watford
How has it come to this for Leicester City?
A dismal, lifeless 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea, and they find themselves four points adrift of safety with four games to go. It is difficult to see where points are going to come from.
The squad they have, the side they put out, should not be in the position they’re in. Even without the points deduction they would be 20th. It is near enough unthinkable.
“We just give a stupid goal away,” boss Gary Rowett said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve said it. It’s an absolutely ridiculous goal to give away, maybe we have to just go back to basics.
“We’ve struggled over a long period this season to do the basics well. The next game is going to define a lot. We’ve got to show more fight and show a little bit more desperation.”
The next game sees Leicester visit Portsmouth, who are one of their nearest challengers but found a way to win 1-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday. The gap is four points, but could be even bigger should Pompey manage to get anything at home to Ipswich on Tuesday night in their game in hand.
And then there is Oxford. Plucky, battling, and earning a deserved three points over Watford. It is 15 points in their last eight games now, which is quite remarkable. The only defeat in that period coming at Southampton.
Only one of those three sides seems to have accepted their fate. Leicester currently look doomed.
All Championship weekend results
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
