The twist and turn of the English Football League, Skybet Championship 2018-19 season will continue right into the last day of the season. While Norwich City looked clear cut favourite to win the Championship and secure the 1st automatic promotion slot, Sheffield United are leaving no stone unturned to secure the 2nd automatic slot. Leeds seem to be free fall from the top 2 fight, and into the dreaded playoffs fight, that includes West Brom, Aston Villa, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Bristol City, all occupying 3rd to 8th position respectively on the EFL log table after the latest round of matches, with just 2 matches to end the season. 1 defeat to either of these playoffs teams will change the look and position of the log table all over, as the last 2 matches remain delicately poised.
Stoke 2-2 Norwich
An entertaining match at the bet365 Stadium between home side Stoke City and Norwich City that ends in a 2 all draw. A Norwich victory would have secured promotion and clinched the championship had Sheffield United lost at Hull City and Leeds United lose at Brentford in a late kickoff, but that would have to wait with 2 games to go.
Norwich is a dip in form and coming from a run of 3 straight draws including the 2-2 draws at home against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday, While Stoke had not had it better either, just 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats in their last 5 matches has put manager, Nathan Jason Jones under pressure.
Norwich started brightly and got a deserved lead in the 24th-minute through striker, Onel Hernandez well-taken strike. The half ended with Norwich clearly in control, though could have pulled further away but been wasteful in front of goal. They were made to pay at the restart, as Stoke defender, Ashley Williams rose highest to nod in from a corner in the 47th minute. Norwich went back ahead in the 66th minute through Teemu Pukki's header, but the home side responded almost instantly with a 69th-minute strike from Tom Edward.
Norwich has now played 4 consecutive league draws, and with have to do better to secure the championship with 2 matches remaining against Blackburn Rovers at home and Aston Villa away.
Hull 0-3 Sheffield United
Sheffield United knows that their fate to gain promotion to the EPL remains solely in their hands, with better goal difference over their competitor, Leeds United, all they needed to do is march or better Leeds results in the last 2 games, and promotion is theirs. Hull City, on the other hand, have not lost at home since last year November and was expected to give Sheffield United a run for their money at the KCOM Stadium.
United was fast and furious and ensured victory in the 1st half, 3 1st-half goals snuffed the fire out of the home side. David McGoldrick was left unmarked in the box by Hull defenders, and he obliged with a towering header via a corner kick. McGoldrick then grabbed his 2nd in a delightful fashion, a right-footed curler from outside the box gave Hull goalkeeper, Goerge Long no chance in the 22nd minute. And then, 3 minutes to half time, Enda Stevens completed the win with a fine header. With 3-goals, half -time lead, United comfortably saw the match out in the 2nd half with no further goals. There were scenes of trouble between both home and away fans, but order was quickly restored. Sheffield United now face Ipswich Town at home and away at Stoke City in her last 2 games of the season.
Brentford 2-0 Leeds
Leeds United hope of automatic promotion may have been over with a nail-biting defeat at Brentford. The Marcelo Bielsa tutored side went down 2 nil and made their automatic promotion quest almost impossible to achieve.
Marcelo Bielsa infamous spying tactics seem to have been outdated, an inconsistent run of form that made them lost 2 matches in their last 5 matches including the last home defeat to Wigan Atletic. Brentford had only recorded a win in her last 5, drawing 2 and losing 2, the odds are against them to win against Leeds, but they prove the pundits wrong.
Leeds started with purpose as expected but were denied a clear spot-kick just a few minutes into the match when Patrick Bamford was clipped in the box by Julian Jeanvier, the spot-kick denial seems to have demoralised Leeds, as they allow Brentford to grow into the match and were duly punished in the dying minutes of the 1st half. Neal Maupay was put through on goal by a teammate, Sergi Canos, and the Frenchman coolly lobbed the ball over Kiko Casilla in goal for Leeds. The home side started the 2nd half the better side and were rewarded for their efforts in the 62nd minute when 1st goal provider turned scorer of the 2nd Brentford goal, it was game over at that point as Leeds struggled to put anything together. The final whistle couldn't have come sooner for Bielsa and his lads as automatic promotion are out of their hands.
Leeds now host in-form Aston Villa at Elland Road and travel to Ipswich Town in the last game of the season, hoping for a miracle elsewhere for results to swing in their favour.
Reading 0-0 West Brom
West Bromwich Albion secured their playoffs spot with 2 games to spare despite playing a boring goalless draw at the Madejski Stadium, Reading. Sitting in 4th position and 10 points clear of Bristol City on 8th place, the Baggies can begin their playoffs strategies in earnest.
Reading, undefeated in her last 3 matches, 1 win and 2 draws were in high spirit coming into the game while West Brom were equally on a high too, back-to-back home victories over Preston and Hull City respectively a testimony to that.
Albion had a couple of chances in the 1st half of few chances, with Robson-Kanu, former Reading and Jacob Murphy drawing smart saves from the Reading goalkeeper, Arsenal loanee, Emiliano Martinez. The 2nd half was much livelier than the 1st, with the host taking the fight to Albion, substitute, 18-year-old Danny Loader tested Albion goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone, but the goalkeeper saved well. Robson-Kanu and Murphy kept Martinez busy too, but no breakthrough at either end. stalemate it ended, as West Brom secured their playoffs spot.
Albion's remaining 2 matches are a home game against Rotherham and a scintillating encounter at Derby Country in the last game of the season
Aston Villa 1-0 Millwall
Aston Villa's quest for promotion through the playoffs is still on track with another home win over Millwall at the Villa Park. Dean Smith"s tutored side were battling it out in mid-table few months ago but has successfully turned the corner and were on a record-equalling run of 9 straight wins prior to the tie against Millwall. While Villa seeks promotion, Millwall, on the other hand, languishing at the rear end of EFL table, Millwall fights to beat the drop ahead of Rotherham United which currently occupied the last spot.
Aston Villa is without their top scorer, Tammy Abraham due to a shoulder injury, yet still dominated the proceedings at the Villa Park, with Jack Grealish pulling the strings for the home side. The home side could not find the breakthrough goal until the 30th minute as Millwall were defending in numbers, but they did get the goal when Villa's El Ghazi provided the assist for Jonathan Kodjia to score. Though Villa could not find the cushion goal, Millwall offered little to trouble or punish Villa, with just a solitary effort on target all evening compared to Villa's 7 on target.
It's now 10 consecutive league win for Aston Villa, a club record, beating the previous record of 9 set in 1910. Villa now faces 2 tricky ties away at Leeds United and home to leader Norwich City to finish the season.
Derby 2-0 QPR
Drama at the Pride Park Stadium as 2 stoppage time goals helped Derby County secure a victory over Queens Park Rangers, and now moved back into the last playoffs spot with 1 game still at hand.
The Rams as Derby are popularly called have been poor and shaky in recent times especially on the road, the main reason they are here fighting for 6th position, however, they have been ruthless at home scoring 10 goals in their last 2 home games, they put 4 past Bolton Wanderers and 6 past Rotherham United, and were expected to put a couple past QPR. They sure left it late, don't they? QPR are not in a great run of form either, 1 win, 1 draw and e defeats in their last 5 matches are nothing worthy of any commendation, but they did give a fight at Derby.
It was a cagey affair all evening with QPR defending resolutely and Derby not making the most of the few chances that came her way. The visitors had just 2 attempts on target out of their 11 total shots, Derby, on the other hand, had 17 total shots, 8 0f the shots on target and did get their goals from those 8 on target. An injury and treatment to Derby's Craig Bryson meant the referee put additional 9 minutes to the 90 played. Then came the controversial 90+5 minutes spot-kick, Luke Freeman was adjudged to have brought down Derby's Jayden Bogle in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot, which was cooly converted by Harry Wilson, and just when QPR poured out plotting their equalizer, they were caught short at the back, with a breakaway goal by Harry Wilson again in 90+11 minutes of play, fired in through QPR's goalkeeper, Joe Lumley's arm.
With this victory, and a game at hand Derby can steer further clear of Middlesbrough which sits on the 7th spot on the EFL league table, but it won't come easy, they have to travel to Bristol City which sits on 8th position and still hopes of making the playoffs, then another away at Swansea City, and then, an home game against 4th on the log, West Bromwich Albion.
Thank you all for your time.
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