It's Round and It's White
Liam O’Connor rounds up the action from matchday seven of the Championship.
We begin our round-up of matchday seven of the Championship at Ewood Park in the Friday night fixture between Blackburn and Middlesbrough, with the visitors coming out on top with a 2-1 scoreline. A goal in both halves from Lukas Jutkiewicz ended Middlesbrough’s away-day blues, with Grant Hanley heading in for Blackburn a minute from time.
Onto Saturday’s action now, where Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to defeat Cardiff City at Selhurst Park. Two goals in the opening 15 minutes set Cardiff on their way to what they thought would be a comfortable win from then on. Aron Gunnarsson got the opener after 13 minutes, with Don Cowie’s volley extending their lead just two minutes later. However, a second-half hattrick from Glenn Murray secured the points for Palace, with two of them coming from the spot, stretching the Eagles run to four games unbeaten.
Four goals were equally shared at Vicarage Road as Steve Davies’ equaliser seven minutes from time rescued a point for Bristol City against Watford. With all the goals coming in the second half, James Wilson handed the home side the lead after putting the ball into his own net. Marvin Elliott headed an equaliser just four minutes later, but Matej Vydra restored Watford’s lead on 72 minutes. Bristol City had Steve Davies to thank on 83 minutes, as he scrambled the ball home from close range to make the scores 2-2 and earn his side a point.
Brighton moved two points clear at the top of the Championship after surviving a Millwall fightback to earn a 2-1 win. Ashley Barnes capitalised on some sloppy Millwall defending after 17 minutes, firing the ball past David Forde following Will Buckley’s cutback. It wasn’t until the second-half when Brighton doubled their advantage courtesy of Adam El-Abd’s strike inside the box following Andrea Orlandi’s corner. Substitute Chris Taylor was sent-off for the Lions for a second bookable offence as he collided with goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. Despite being down to ten men, Chris Wood pulled a goal back for Millwall on his first start for the club with 10 minutes remaining, but Brighton held on for the win.
Goals from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Bjorn Sigurdarson ensured Wolves left London Road with all three points, extending their winning run to three games and leaving Peterborough as the only side in the Football League without a single point. Ebanks-Blake scored from the spot after 33 minutes after being tripped by Grant McCann in the area. Sigurdarson guaranteed the win late on, lifting the ball over Robert Olejnik.
Mark Davies’ second-half strike earnt Bolton their first away win of the season at Hillsborough as Sheffield Wednesday continue to slip down the table following a 2-1 defeat. Marcos Alonso put the visitors ahead just before half-time, before Everton loanee Ross Barkely equalised from the spot after 62 minutes. Just three minutes later Bolton struck back, and what a fine goal it was. Mark Davies beat three players on a fantastic striving run, then dispatched his shot into the top corner which proved to be the winning goal.
Nottingham Forest suffered their first league defeat of the campaign as they went down 2-1 at Elland Road. Luciano Becchio set Leeds on their way as he followed up El-Hadji Diouf’s cross for his seventh goal of the season. Becchio then turnt provider, setting up Dominic Poleon for his first senior goal. Dexter Blackstock replied on the hour but it wasn’t enough to prevent Forest’s unbeaten run coming to an end.
Two quick-fire second half goals secured Charlton’s first away victory of the season as they mounted more pressure on Ipswich boss Paul Jewell. Johnnie Jackson fired the visitors infront just after the re-start, then Ricardo Fuller doubled their lead just two minutes later, drilling in a shot past Scott Loach. Jason Scotland pulled one back to make it 2-1 but it was Charlton who came out victorious. Elsewhere, a last-gasp winner from Charlie Austin earnt Burnley a vital away win at Pride Park. Derby took the lead through the inform Jamie Ward after 20 minutes, but Austin hit an equaliser after 32 minutes. He then won the game for the visitors in the 89th minute, heading home for his ninth goal of the campaign.
The result of the day came in Saturday’s evening kick-off, as Barnsley scored five second-half goals at St. Andrews to record an impressive victory over Birmingham. Stephen Foster opened the scoring after 50 minutes, slotting home at the far post to make it 1-0. The man of the moment was Barnsley striker Craig Davies, who scored four times in 19 minutes to embarrass Birmingham. The visitors secured their first clean sheet in 24 away games, as Barnsley moved into the top half.
The only game on Sunday came at the King Power Stadium, where a David Nugent hattrick sealed a comfortable 3-1 for Leicester over the inform Hull City. Nugent scored two first-half goals, but inbetween that Jay Simpson replied for the visitors. The hattrick was completed in the 90th minute to heap misery on the Tigers, which was made worse as manager Steve Bruce was sent to the stands.
Monday night’s game came from Bloomfield Road, where Blackpool were easily beaten 3-1 by Huddersfield as Simon Grayson’s side continued their impressive start to life in the Championship, moving up to 2nd. Lee Novak put the visitors ahead inside the opening 15 minutes before Thomas Ince set up Gary Taylor-Fletcher for Blackpool’s equaliser. James Vaughan restored Huddersfield’s lead on the stroke of half-time, then Oliver Norwood made sure of the points just after the restart.
