by Mark Denham
Three points for Cardiff City against an in-form Nottingham Forest side on Sunday (Kick-off 5pm, at Cardiff City Stadium) will see the Bluebirds return to the summit of the Coca-Cola Championship table. A win for the visitors however, would see them jump to fifth. Cardiff go in to Sunday's clash sitting in fourth place, whilst Forest look to move up from tenth.
Leicester City briefly took second spot on Friday evening following the Foxes' 2-1 victory at Queens Park Rangers. Nigel Pearson's men slipped back down to third following Saturday's results, whilst QPR dropped to ninth.
West Bromwich Albion romped to a 5-0 home victory against Watford at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon. The Baggies' emphatic victory saw them leapfrog Leicester and former table-toppers Newcastle United in to top spot, though the Magpies could return to the top on Monday evening if they win at Sheffield United.
Bristol City remain in the play-off picture, despite a disappointing result on Saturday afternoon. Gary Johnson's Robins couldn't hold on against an illness stricken Sheffield Wednesday side at Ashton Gate, as Luke Varney's equaliser fifteen minutes from time cancelled out Nicky Maynard's fifty-ninth minute opener. Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough meanwhile dropped to seventh after succumbing to a fourth home defeat this season, as struggling Plymouth Argyle came away from the Riverside with an impressive 1-0 win.
Ian Holloway's Blackpool played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday. Billy Sharp's last minute equaliser salvaged a point for Rovers, denying the flying Tangerines fifth place. Nevertheless, Blackpool move up to sixth whilst Doncaster have now slipped to nineteenth.
Saturday was a good day for three of the bottom four Championship clubs. Ipswich Town secured their first win of the season at home to a struggling Derby County thanks to a solitary second-half David Wright header. The Tractor Boys remain rooted to the foot of the table, though are now level on points with Peterborough United who slipped to twenty-third after a 2-1 defeat at home to Barnsley. Plymouth's fantastic win at Middlesbrough would have been enough to move them out of the bottom three had Reading not pulled off an important 3-1 win at Coventry City.
Championship Weekend Round-up:
Bristol City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Coventry City 1-3 Reading
Doncaster Rovers 3-3 Blackpool
Ipswich Town 1-0 Derby County
Middlesbrough 0-1 Plymouth Argyle
Peterborough United 1-2 Barnsley
Preston North End 1-1 Crystal Palace
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Leicester City (Friday Evening)
Scunthorpe United 0-2 Swansea City
West Bromwich Albion 5-0 Watford
