And here’s a roundup of all today’s Championship action:
Right then - that’s us. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! Ta-ra.
There’s a lot of jubilation in the ground, which is a bit odd given how little getting to them means and how badly Derby habitually do in them. Not that it isn’t something, and football is the opposite of perspective, but Lampard takes care to note that there’s work to do. Then he’s off to milk the adulation, and why not - he’s done a great job so far.
He says “take away all the spying stuff, in those games Leeds beat us well and they beat us true ... now we’ve got two more opportunities.”
Lampard says that what’s gone on with Leeds is in the past now, and his team need to think about what they can do.
Lampard then says how much respect he has for every manager he played under - Avram Grant in particular, I’d expect.
He says that some of the older players had to put aside their playoff misfortune, but having so many younger players helped. He says that the personal feeling when you have the responsibility as manager equals anything that he felt as a player - though he notes that his team haven’t won anything yet.
Lampard speaks and says that he hoped to get it done at Swansea but had to suffer today. He’s proud of how his team played today, saying they were great in passages and praises Mount and Wilson in particular but doesn’t want to leave anyone out. Before the game, he told his player to accept the ball, move the ball, be brave and enjoy the occasion. They listened.
Full-time: Brentford 3-0 Preston North End
That’s the final result in.
One thing which might mither Derby is Waghorn’s injury. They’ve no obvious replacement for his goals and threat, but perhaps he’s not too badly hurt. I’d be surprised if he made the first leg, at least.
Here’s Nick Miller’s report of the Derby-West Brom game.
So what’s going to happen in the playoffs? Leeds look finished, and though I can’t forget how well they played last week, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Derby run them off the pitch. Villa though, have the best players and, most importantly, the best midfield. Given their form on top of that, it’s hard to pick against them, though this stuff rarely works out as you expect it to.
Your full-times...
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Derby County 3-1 West Brom
Brentford 3-0 Preston - with four minutes to go
Stoke City 2-2 Sheffield United
Rotherham 1-2 Boro
Wigan 1-0 Millwall
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 QPR
Reading 0-0 Birmingham City
Ipswich 3-2 Leeds
Blackburn 2-2 Swansea
Hull 1-1 Bristol City
Villa 1-2 Norwich
Full-time: Derby County 3-1 West Bromwich Albion
An excellent performance from the Rams, who held their nerve when West Brom equalised before storming through them. They join those same opponents, plus Leeds and Villa, in the playoffs.
NORWICH CITY ARE CHAMPIONS!
Sheffield United have drawn 2-2 at Stoke, so the Canaries win the league!
GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 QPR (Smith 90+3)
This is very nicely taken, a volley from a cross.
RED CARD! Robson-Kanu, only just on as sub, backeeled Johnson.
The ref had no choice but to send him off.
Full-time: Reading 0-0 Birmingham City
John O’Shea came on for the final moments, to celebrate a fine career. I am unsure, as yet, whether there was any nutmegs.
GOAL! Ipswich Town 3-2 Leeds United (Quanner 90)
More hilarity. Casilla and Jansson - I think - collide - and Quanner slides home what will probably be the winner!
At Pride Park, Derby knock it about. Mason Mount has been excellent today.
GOAL! Rotherham 1-2 Middlesbrough (Smith 86 pen)
Life in this one!
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Norwich City (Vrancic 86)
Good work from Lewis down the left sees the ball transferred inside, where Vrancic drives low past Steer.
Hector’s penalty was very nicely dispatched, punched hard into the corner.
GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 QPR (Hector pen 84)
NO THEY DON’T! QPR, in their pink rigs, concede a penalty. Hector takes the third one of the afternoon, and is the first to score.
Missed penalty! Eze the culprit, the second such of the game, but QPR still lead Wednesday 1-0.
Elsewhere, the prolific Scott McTominay has put Manchester United ahead against Huddersgield Town.
Ahahahahahahahaha! Roofe slips as he addresses the ball and it goes miles over.
That was extremely amusing.
PENALTY AND RED CARD AT IPSWICH!
Luke Chambers pulls back Roofe after Ayling puts him through - the man was between him and the ball, so double jeopardy came into play.
GOAL! Stoke City 2-2 Sheffield United (Stevens 77)
One more for Sheffield United and it’ll be a nervous end for Norwich, who have the upper hand against Villa but haven’t scored again.
GOAL! Ipswich Town 2-2 Leeds United (Dallas 76)
Another fine bit of play from Ayling, who crosses; the ball his Roofe, hits the bar, and Dallas runs it in.
“Is it time for my classic babysitting for Brian Clough yarn?” emails Dave McMurrugh. “He said ‘ Young man, drink what you want from the fridge. He went to an awards ceremony, myself and his neighbour, my woman at the time, took advantage of the situation, after making sure little Nigel, and others were fast asleep. When he came back, he knocked on the window, even though he had keys. He knew the craic.”
GOAL! Derby County 3-1 West Bromwich Albion (Wilson 73)
Wilson opens his body, holds his nerve, and passes into the bottom-left. I’m still not sure if that was a penalty - there was possibly a touch with trailing leg on toe, but that doesn’t mean it’s a foul. Still, Derby won’t care and they’re going to the playoffs!
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PENALTY TO DERBY!
Brilliant from Lawrence, who comes in off the left, beats two men, and cuts inside Bartley ... who slides in, but seems to miss the man. Lawrence then slips, and the ref points to the spot!
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GOAL! Derby 2-1 West Brom (Bennett 70)
Derby are back in front! They’ve forced this! They’ve done brilliantly to raise it since West Brom scored, and their perseverance in the box, first to every loose ball and attacking the box in numbers, allowed Bennett to thrash past Johnstone after a succession of bundles and blocks.
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GOAL! Stoke City 2-1 Sheffield United (Shawcross 69)
Shawcross, who might’ve been sent off for deliberate handball on the line a little while ago, bundles home from a corner. Norwich are very nearly champions.
GOAL! Brentford 2-0 Preston (Malpay 54)
Nice footwork from Canos, who tees up Malpay to glance home.
Bristol City think they’ve equalised at Hull, but the ref disallows the goal for apparent handball. I’ve not seen it, but there’s some pleasing consternation.
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Frank Lampard sends Bennett on for Holmes. The crowd are starting to panic.
Mo Besic has just raced at the Rotherham defence and rifled 439 yards over the bar from ten yards.
Villa have just broken 4 on 3, while Norwich had a man down. Naturally, they hoofed the ball out. They carried on playing.
MISSED PENALTY! Forrestieri opens his body, leans back, and places a penalty high and wide.
QPR still lead.
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What larks! Back in Derby, Sam Johnstone has been booked for timewasting, with 33 minutes remaining. Credit to Derby, they’ve stepped it up since conceding.
GOAL! Hull City 1-0 Bristol City (Irvine 56)
This is a fine finish, driven low and true from 15 yards. It’s looking good for Tony Pulis, and who woulnd’t be excited to see him back in the Premier League?
Derby turn it up, Mount shooting from distance; Johnstone shovels away, and Gibbs turns behind. Then, from the corner, Johansen - I think - clears a bobbling ball off the line
GOAL! Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Swansea City (Dack 47)
That Swansea away kit receives due punishment.
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Huge change for Derby, Lawrence sliding Nugent in, but the England international rushed his finish, firing into Johnstone’s body.
GOAL! Ipswich Town 2-1 Leeds United (Dozzell 47)
Leeds looked better last week, but they’re back to their old tricks this, caught upfield when Ipswich break, and Dozzell springs into the space where a left-back should be, slotting home confidently.
GOAL! Stoke City 1-1 Sheffield United (Dowell 48)
Decent team-talk at the Britannia, Sheffield United pouring forward to seize a equaliser - through their half-time sub.
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LOVELY GOAL! Derby County 1-1 West Bromwich Albion (Johansen 47)
This is an excellent finish. Rodriguez does well on the left, clips a pass over the far side of the box, and a low, curling, hissing finish did the rest. As things stand, Boro are going into the playoffs!
Updated
We’re back underway at Pride, Passion and Uvver Fings Park.
Half-time: Brentford 1-0 Preston North End
Still awaiting news on Janvier I’m afraid.
As it stands: Norwich will be champions, Leeds will hang onto third and Derby will nab sixth.
GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Preston North End (Konsa 45+4)
13 minutes injury-time at Griffin Park - I’ve not got any more news on Janvier, I’m afraid - and Brentford take advantage of them, Konsa opening his body to slot home after Preston failed to clear and and get out after a corner.
Half-times...
Wigan 1-0 Millwall
Derby 1-0 West Brom
Hull 0-0 Bristol City
Blackburn 1-1 Swansea
Rotherham 0-2 Boro
Villa 1-1 Norwich
Half-times, then.
Stoke 1-0 Sheffield United
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bolton
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 QPR
Ipswich 1-1 Leeds
GOAL! Ipswich Town 1-1 Leeds United (Klich 45)
A fine run down the right from Ayling - he played really well last week too - followed by a cut-back, which Klich thumps past Bialkowski.
Half-time: Reading 0-0 Birmingham City
Sounds like a bazzer.
Bad news for Derby: Martyn Waghorn has limped off. They’ll hope to be ok today, but will be needing him thereafter.
GOAL! Rotherham United 0-2 Middlesbrough (Obi Mikel 37)
Paddy McNair thunders into a header, attacking a corner, and the ball drops to the deadly left foot of Obi Mikel, who panels home his second goal in several hundred appearances.
Updated
Tom Ince has hit the bar for Stoke. Sheffield United are struggling.
However: Swansea’s away kit is I can’t even.
Updated
GOAL! Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Swansea City (McBurnie 35)
Grimes whips in a free-kick and McBurnie heads hard at the near post, the ball flying Leutwiler.
Waghorn is a proper danger in the air; he’s just crunched his neck muscles into another header, that flew straight at Johnstone.
“I was just wondering whether Robert Heath has any news on the state of Patrick Bamford’s forehead?” asks Paul Flint. “Can’t be much left of it after what Villa did to him last week. Poor lad.”
I feel like Cilla Black here, hosting Guardian MBM soulmates.
Ipswich Town 1-0 Leeds United (Downes 30)
Leeds fail to clear a free-kick, the ball breaks to Downes, and he leathers home from close range.
GOAL! Rotherham 0-1 Middlesbrough (Assombalonga pen 28)
Assombalonga coaxes himself off the ground to drill home the opener.
Updated
PENALTY TO BORO! Assombalonga falls over with a defender sort of pulling him back!
GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 QPR (Scowen 28)
I’ve not seen this one, but I believe it happened.
GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bolton Wanderers (Lolley 28)
The ball breaks in the box and Lolley uses a defender as a screen, looking far post and dragging a shot inside the near, Solskjaer-style.
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Swansea City (Baker-Richardson 25)
You won’t like Swansea when they’re angry. They build nicely, and a near-post header sorts out a left-wing cross.
Lampard is wearing a jumper under a blazer. In April. Far be it from me to snark about private school.
“What? Kodjia scores for Villa?” asks an incredulous Robert Heath. “That must be the brother of the lad who was so grievously injured at Elland Road last week that play needed to be stopped immediately...........can’t actually be the same lad, because he limped off down the tunnel with an obviously serious injury.”
Modern medicine, eh. I wonder if Bielsa would’ve so magnanimous in a game that counted.
GOAL! Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Swansea City (Lenihan 21)
This is a delightful mess, Swansea failing to clear a corner before Rothwell whacked a cross-shot that Nordfeldt blocked; Lenihan then jumped with him and scored off his back.
GOAL! Derby County 1-0 West Bromwich Albion (Waghorn 19)
Bogle goes down the right, whizzes a terrific cross into the middle, and Waghorn leaps to flick a glorious header into the far side-netting. Derby look good for the playoffs now!
Updated
GOAL! Stoke City 1-0 Sheffield United (Vokes 19)
This is a lovely goal, Vokes chesting a loose defensive header just outside the box before whacking a volley into the corner.
There’s all sorts going on at Villa Park. First Aarons blocked from Greene, then Pukki smashed over.
At Brentford, Janvier is being fitted with a neck brace.
GOAL! Wigan 1-0 Millwall (Garner 15)
Nice football outside the box from Naysmith, playing a one-two then making space for a shot, allowed Garner to tap home when Martin could only parry back into space.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 Norwich City (Kodjia 14)
I contrived to miss this equaliser, but there was one.
What a chance at Pride and Prejudice Park! Rodriguez sees Murphy moving across the Derby centre-backs and slides him in with a clever pass - he’s in absolute hectares of space. But he loses he bearing somewhat and twizzles onto a low shot which scuttles wide.
Derby have started well, tearing into West Brom whernever possible. They’ve not made a good chance yet, but are looking likely.
Updated
At Griffin Park, Brentofrd’s Julian Jeanvier has taken a whack in the coupon. He stays down, but will hopefully be ok.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Norwich City (Pukki 7)
The champions-elect are on one, Vrancic finding Hernandez, who crosses low to the near post; Pukki gets across his marker to snap home. Of course he does.
Updated
At the KCOM, Bristol City have encountered nause: Adam Webster has gone off injured. Lloyd Kelly has replaced him.
“May I please nominate ‘Pride and Prejudice Park?’, tweets Adam Kline-Schoder. “Not as good as ‘Pride and Passion Park’ for a football stadium, but significantly more literary.”
I think Mansfield have missed a great opportunity.
The New York Stadium, known as the AESSEAL New York Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. And there, they kicked off three minutes late; the plot thickens.
Nice from Derby. Wilson finds Holmes charging down the right, but his low cross is behind all his mates and Bartley kicks clear.
Away we go!
The players are out at Pride Park. I wonder if anyone regrets that name - Pride and Passion Pak would be infinitely better.
How much Lampard wanted Keogh to play is also not surprising. In Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle, West Brom have one of the league’s most dangerous strike pairings, and only Norwich have scored more than their 86 goals, five more than the next best.
It’s not especially surprising that Lampard has done well at Derby. He was someone who probably had to think quite hard about how to maximise his talent, he played for different and interesting managers, and he speaks well. Assuming they make the playoffs, it’s hard to see Derby going up, but they’re a youngish squad who’ll be better next season.
The PA kid at Derby is doing a lot of shouting. It’s extremely invigorating, I can tell you.
Frank Lampard has seen togetherness and work ethic from his players. The players get on really well of the pitch, and he mentions their celebrations as reflective of this - a classic Alex Ferguson trope. He says Keogh will play through pain, and is a risk worth taking - he’s a “throwback”.
Derby’s Richard Keogh praises the staff “who’ve managed to get myself ready for the game”. The reflexive pronoun police have been notified.
This should be a really good game, as it goes. Derby have had a fine season whatever happens next, while West Brom need to keep momentum going.
Tangentially: Keith Andrews has a luscious, luxuriant heed of hair, and is also an excellent pundit. It just goes to show, virtue is rewarded.
Updated
Pulis adds that he doesn’t worry about things he can’t affect. Like his team playing watchable football, for example.
Updated
Tony Pulis thinks Boro have to be “positive”. I am not certain the Boro fans share his understanding of the word.
So let’s go through what may or may not happen today:
- Norwich need a point at Villa to become champions. If they lose, a win for Sheffield United at Stoke will see them take the trophy.
- Leeds will finish third if they get a point at Ipswich. If they lose and West Brom win, West Brom finish above them.
- Leeds, West Brom and Villa are already ensconced in the playoff places. Derby will join them should they beat West Brom, but if not, Boro are there with a win at relegated Rotherham, and should both lose or draw, Bristol City can sort it out by beating Hull at the KC.
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The headline team news, I guess, is Villa settling for what they’ve got and giving a rest to their two best players. That’s good news for Norwich, who will fancy themselves something fierce now.
Sheffield Wednesday v QPR
Sheff Wed: Westwood, Palmer, lee, Pelupessy, Fletcher, Lees, Joao, Matias, Hector, Forestieri. Subs: Dawson, Thorniley, Penney, Hutchinson, Hooper, Nuhiu, Winnall.
QPR: Lumley, Furlong, Cameron, Leistner, Manning, Eze, Scowen, Luongo, Shodipo, Osayi-Samuel, Smith. Subs: Ingram, Bidwell, Hall, Freeman, Bansal-McNulty, Walker, Wells.
Reading v Birmingham City
Reading: Martinez, Gunter, Moore, Miazga, Yiadom, Ejaria, Rinomhota, Baker, Barrett, Loader, Olise. Subs: Walker, O’Shea, Baldock, McCleary, Barrow, Ezatolahi, Howe.
Birmingham City: Camp, Colin, Harding, Roberts, Pedersen, C Gardner, Lakin, Mrabti, Jota, Adams, Vassell. Subs: Weaver, Dacres-Cogley, G Gardner, Davis, Maghoma, Mahoney, Jutkiewicz.
Wigan Athletic v Millwall
Wigan Athletic: Walton, Robinson, James, Pilkington, Naismith, Kipre, Dunkley, Powell, Olsson, Evans, Garner. Subs: Jones, Gibson, McManaman, Roberts, Jolley, Merrie, Perry.
Millwall: Martin, Meredith, Cooper, Williams, Gregory, Ferguson, Romeo, Pearce, Tunnicliffe, Morison, Leonard. Subs: Amos, McLaughlin, Elliott, Skala, McNamara, Mitchell, Alexander.
Nottingham Forest v Bolton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest: Steele, Wague, Milosevic, Robinson, Byram, Yates, Cash, Osborn, Carvalho, Lolley, Grabban. Subs: Pantilimon, Figueiredo, Guedioura, Watson, Murphy, Yacob, Appiah.
Bolton Wanderers: Matthews, Taylor, Buckley, Noone, Hobbs, Connolly, O’Neil, Magennis, Grounds, Pritchard, Brockbank. Subs: Turner, Little, Oztumer, Donaldson, Earing, Johnson, Darcy.
Ipswich Town v Leeds United
Ipswich: Bialkowski, Kenlock, Nsiala, Chambers, Bree, Chalobah, Skuse, Downes, Judge, Quaner, Dozzell. Subs: Gerken, Jackson, Harrison, Elder, Emmanuel, Mizouni, Brown.
Leeds: Casilla, Dallas, Cooper, Jansson, Ayling, Phillips, Klich, Forshaw, Harrison, Hernandez, Roofe. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Berardi, Edmondson, Shackleton, Clarke, Gotts, Bogusz.
Good news for Leeds: Kemar Roofe is back, and he replaces the injured suspended Patrick Bamford.
Stoke City v Sheffield United
Stoke City: Butland, Bauer, Shawcross, Batth, Martins Indi, Ince, Etebo, Allen, Woods, McClean, Vokes. Subs: Federici, Williams, Afobe, Adam, Diouf, Bojan, Verlinden.
Sheff Utd: Henderson, Baldock, Stevens, Fleck, O’Connell, Basham, Sharp, Egan, Norwood, McGoldrick, Duffy. Subs: Lundstram, Dowell, Hogan, Madine, Stearman, Moore, Cranie.
One change for t’Blades: Sharp in, Hogan out.
Updated
Rotherham v Middlesbrough
Rotherham: Price, Jones, Ihiekwe, Robertson, Mattock, Ajayi, Forde, Wiles, Crooks, Newell, Smith. Subs: Vyner, Wood, Palmer, Towell, Potter, Williams, Vassell
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Howson, McNair, Flint, Shotton, Saville, Mikel, Besic, Wing, Fletcher, Assombalonga. Subs: Dimi, Spence, Clayton, Downing, Tavernier, Hugill, Gestede.
Brentford v Preston North End
Brentford: Daniels, Henry, Canos, Maupay, Watkins, DaSilva, Marcodnes, Dalsgaard, Jeanvier, Konsa, Racic. Subs: Gunnarsson, Odubajo, Ogbene, Forss, Oksanen, Zamburek, Archibald.
Preston North End: Ripley, Fisher, Davies, Robinson, Browne, Johnson, Gallagher, Storey, Rafferty, Stockely, Maguire. Subs: Rudd, Huntington, Earl, O’Reilly, Ginnelly, Moult, Nmecha.
Updated
Hull City v Bristol City
Hull: Long, Lichaj, Burke, Stewart, Grosicki, Irvine, Batty, Bowen, Henriksen, Campbell, McKenzie. Subs: Marshall, Evandro, Dicko, Fleming, Sheaf, Martin, Ridgewell.
Bristol City: O’Leary, Dasilva, Webster, Wright, Brownhill, Diedhiou, Weimann, Paterson, Pack, Kalas, Palmer. Subs: Marinovic, Pisano, Taylor, Walsh, Watkins, Kelly, Eliasson.
Updated
Blackburn v Swansea City
Blackburn: Leutwiler, Bennet, Lenihan, Williams, Bell, Travis, Evans, Rothwell, Dack, Armstrong, Graham. Subs: Raya, Chapman, Mulgrew, Davenport, Brereton, Conway, Butterworth.
Swansea City: Nordfeldt, Roberts, Van der Hoorn, Carter-Vickers, John, Byers, Grimes, Fulton, Routledge, Baker-Richardson, McBurnie. Subs: Bendia, Dyer, Asoro, McKay, Rodon, Naughton, Dhanda
Updated
Derby County v West Bromwich Albion
Derby County: Roos, Keogh, Wilson, Mount, Waghorn, Lawrence, Johnson, Holmes, Bogle, Malone, Tomori. Subs: Carson, Marriott, Evans, Bennett, Nugent, Macdonald, Huddlestone.
West Brom: Johnstone, Bartley, Dawson, Hegazi, Holgate, Harper, Johansen, Gibbs, Murphy, Rodriguez, Gayle. Subs: Bond, Mears, Townsend, Morrison, Field, Phillips, Robson-Kanu.
One change for Derby: Huddlestone goes out, Holmes comes in; and one for West Brom, Brunt replaced by Holmes.
Updated
Aston Villa v Norwich City
Aston Villa: Steer, Hutton, Tuanzebe, Hause, Taylor, Whelan, Hourihane, Lansbury, Adomah, Green, Kodjia. Subs: Kalinic, Jedinak, Elphick, Bjarnason, Elmohamady, El Ghazi, Davis.
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Lewis, Vrancic, McLean, Buendia, Stiepermann, Hernandez, Pukki. Subs: McGovern, Leitner, Rhodes, Klose, Tettey, Hanley, Cantwell.
Hmmm. Villa rest their midfield two, McGinn and Grealish, who are omitted from the matchday squad; Norwich rock their classic line-up.
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Preamble
It’s been another vintage Championship season, featuring all manner of shirthousery and skullduggery - the greatest league in football never disappoints. The major issues are settled, it’s true, but there’s still plenty to go on this afternoon: can Sheffield United usurp Norwich City as champions? Will Marcelobielsa’s Leeds hang onto third place? Can Franklampard’sderbycounty hold off Boro and Bristol City to secure the final playoff spot?And, most importantly of all, who, if anyone, will cry for our entertainment?
This should be fun.
Kick-off: 12.30pm BST
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