Reading manager Steve Coppell said his side landed a crucial psychological blow in the Championship promotion race by beating leaders Wolverhampton 1-0.
The Royals, in second place, are now just two points behind Mick McCarthy’s team after Wolves defender Neill Collins headed into his own net in the second minute at the Madejski Stadium. Collins was then sent off in the last minute after arguing with the linesman to cap a miserable performance.
“I see it as psychologically important to win. There is a third of the season to go and it is all to play for,” Coppell said.
Wolverhampton boss McCarthy is adamant his team have no reason to panic after a result that throws the promotion battle wide open.
“Apart from the goal which is a defining moment I’m delighted with how we played,” McCarthy said. “We scrapped to the bitter end and they’ve had a right go.
Birmingham got their promotion charge back on track as Lee Carsley’s second-half goal clinched a 1-0 win over Derby at St Andrews — the Blues’ first success in five matches.
Alex McLeish snatched the points when former Everton midfielder Carsley flicked in Hameur Bouazza’s right-wing cross in the 59th minute.
Playoff hopefuls Sheffield United were beaten 1-0 at home by Doncaster, who clinched the victory thanks to James O’Connor’s 50th-minute strike.
Swansea boss Roberto Martinez insisted his team are starting to hit top form after they routed Preston 4-1 at the Liberty Stadium.
Martinez’s Swans dumped holders Portsmouth out of the FA Cup on Saturday and chalked up a fifth successive win by brushing aside North End.
“They believe in what I have been doing my methods and my coaching and things are now beginning to work out for us on the pitch,” Martinez said. “The team is building up well and I think we are improving with each game at the moment.”
At the other end of the table, Charlton boss Phil Parkinson set his sights on survival after his side defeated south London rivals Crystal Palace 1-0 at the Valley to earn their first win in 19 league matches.
Elsewhere, Bryan Gunn was frustrated in his first match as permanent Norwich manager as Southampton hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Carrow Road.
QPR thrashed Blackpool 3-0, Nottingham Forest’s resurgence continued as they defeated 10-man Sheffield Wednesday 2-1, Ipswich won 2-1 at Barnsley, Bristol City won 2-0 at Plymouth and Watford strolled to a 3-0 victory over Burnley.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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