WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS EXTENDED their lead at the top of the English Championship to eight points despite a draw with Millwall as Cardiff crashed to defeat at home.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s league leaders were forced to settle for a point at The Den as Millwall defender Jake Cooper headed home a second-half equaliser in a pulsating 2-2 draw.
Lee Gregory had put the home side ahead in the first half but Diogo Jota levelled and Romain Saiss then handed the visitors the lead after 56 minutes.
Despite the slip-up in the early kick-off, Wolves still increased their unbeaten run to 10 games and the point proved to be valuable due to Cardiff’s 4-2 defeat at home to Fulham.
Tim Ream and Floyd Ayite put the Cottagers 2-0 up after 56 minutes before a stunning strike from Kenneth Zohore reduced the deficit at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Ryan Sessegnon made it 3-1 in the 78th minute and Stefan Johansen capped the victory after Callum Paterson’s header in added time briefly gave the Bluebirds hope.
Bristol City moved above Cardiff on goal difference and into the automatic promotion places after a 2-0 win against Reading at Ashton Gate.
Substitute Jamie Paterson curled in a stunning effort in the 68th minute before being replaced by Lloyd Kelly, who sealed the points in added time to extend City’s unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions.
Birmingham remain rooted at the foot of the table, three points adrift of safety, after a 2-0 defeat at home to Norwich.
Tony Pulis watched on from the stands as Middlesbrough beat second-bottom Bolton 2-0 in the first game since Garry Monk’s departure.
Former West Brom chief Pulis was appointed as Boro’s new boss earlier on Boxing Day but the match was overseen by caretaker manager Craig Liddle.
Sheffield United claimed their first win in seven games while Sunderland remain in the relegation zone following a 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane.
Leeds came from behind to beat Burton 2-1 and extend their winning run to four games.
Sheffield Wednesday began life without Carlos Carvalhal with a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
QPR midfielder Josh Scowen was sent off in a 0-0 stalemate at Ipswich while Barnsley played out a goalless draw against Preston and Hull and Derby shared the points in a 0-0 draw.
English Championship results on Tuesday:
Barnsley 0 Preston 0
Birmingham 0 Norwich 2
Bristol City 2 Reading 0
Burton 1 Leeds 2
Cardiff 2 Fulham 4
Hull 0 Derby 0
Ipswich 0 QPR 0
Middlesbrough 2 Bolton 0
Millwall 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
Nottingham Forest 0 Sheffield Wednesday 3
Sheffield United 3 Sunderland 0
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As much as I’d love to see more Munster guys involved you can’t really argue too much with his selection. He’s capped a lot of guys over the last two seasons and this group knows the Irish system inside out. Cutting it down agsin is going to be a huge task. The one that irks me is stockdale over Daly. Daly has been so so consistent this season and has improved more than any Munster player this season imo. Still like other world cups there’s going to be a lot of injuries so let’s not write the non selected off yet
@Daithí: Don’t let it irk you too much. Stockdale is a proven quality player at the very highest level. Beset by injuries in recent seasons but showed real form/ fight in the last few months in an Ulster team that were losing. Farrell clearly rewarding that as a fit and firing Stockdale would be a serious asset to this team. Easy to forget he’s still only 27.
@Daithí: There is no place for that kind of measured and sensible comment here!
@Jack McCartie: oh for sure I totally get it, experience at international level is massive. Just thought over the season Daly had been the better player and he’s been in and around the Irish set up so it wouldn’t just be throwing him in there. Saying all that would either of the two be in the 23 ? I don’t think so
@Daithí: Exactly. He has been working with all these players for the past 2 years and he’s been imbedding different structures and systems in place. He’s been developing the likes of Baird, Frawley, Osborne, O’Brien, McCarthy, Prendergast, Stewart for a while now. He’s had a great year with the squad that he has stuck with. He’s hardly going to just drop all of those guys because a few Munster players have been playing well 2 or 3 months out from a World Cup. That would be totally reckless and erratic. Munster fans insisting Loughnan, Barron, Daly, Frisch be included when they’ve hardly ever been in the actual training squads. Like what planet are yous on haha
“Indeed, the selection strengthens the sense that Ireland will go into the World Cup with great cohesion and a confident sense of momentum based on their exploits over the past two seasons. Again, that’s more relevant than how Leinster or Munster have played recently.”
I’d disagree with this. There’s nothing better for momentum than winning. Adding an extra 3/4 of that Munster starting team to the squad would have raised the intensity of that environment in camp a lot I’d say.
First time in a decade there’s some genuine competition between Munster and Leinster and I think the coaches have missed a trick not harnessing that for the next few months, regardless of who they plan to bring on the plance to France.
@ttam 12: Genuinely curious, but who would you add/replace?
@Ruaidhri MagFhloinn: Daly for Earls, Kleyn for Treadwell. And then I’d have just selected Hodnett and Haley as specialists at 7 and 15. Insurance in the camp in case anything happens to JVDF or Keenan before they leave.
I think those 4 have been Munster’s best players this season, along with Nash and Beirne once he came back.
@ttam 12: there’s a long road yet before the squad departs never mind injuries that will undoubtedly occur along the way.
Winning a mickey mouse trophy is obviously not going to change Farrells plans, lets be honest
@Dave Moran: wouldn’t you have liked to win that Mickey Mouse trophy!
@Dave Moran: Ah your back, bit annoyed about Jordan I’d say?
@Dave Moran: well it is a trophy!
@Philyclever@eircom.net: again? Not really. Leinster’s season was a failure for not winning Europe.
@Dave Moran: Better than no trophy.
.. contd
Locks Back Row (10) : Baird, Beirne, Conan, Doris, VDF, O’Mahony, Ryan all certain. So pick 3 from Coombes, Henderson, McCarthy, Prendergast and Treadwell.
Scrum-halves-(3) done and dusted. JGP, Murray and Casey.
Out halves (3) Sexton, Crowley, Byrne
Centres (3) Aki, Henshaw and Ringrose
Back 3 (5) Hansen, Lowe, Keenan and certain. So choose 2 from Stockdale, O’Brien, Osborne, Frawley, Earls(?)
Really not much selections in play if there is no injury!
Team cohesion won the 6N for Ireland and no way was this going to be compromised for WC. Hence the incremental expansion. For a 33 man panel, there are very few open positions – assuming a 19/14 backs/forwards split and 3 needed for specialist positions:
Front row: only Herring/Stewart
Back
@John Morris: I think he goes 18-15 – goes with 8 front rowers with Bealham being versatile
@Owen ODonoghue: unless Furlong sorts his fitness issues, Bealham may well be starting TH!
@John Morris: very true , I’d go 9 front rowers and have Loughman over Kilcoyne, i don’t see Healey starting any games
Shocking shi… from Farrell.