Championship Round-Up - Week 45

Last updated : 01 May 2005 By Paul Farrington

The Latics faced Preston in the days early kick off, live on Sky Sports. The game was played in front of North End’s biggest attendance for three years, 20,221, more than 500 less that the Latics’ largest attendance of the season.

It finished 1-1, meaning that a win next week at home to playoff chasing Reading would put the Latics into the Premiership. Lee McCulloch got the Wigan goal with a thunderous header from Kavanagh’s free-kick, whilst Brian O’Neil headed Preston’s equaliser, unmarked, just before the break.

A Forest fan yesterday, gutted at his club's relegation to League One
The result meant that Ipswich needed a win against relegation threatened Crewe to keep the pressure up on the Latics. Kuqo, Magilton, Miller (2) and Counago got the Ipswich goals in a 5-1 hammering of the Alex. David Vaughan managed a last minute consolation.

Kuqi’s opener was a good finished from superb through ball by the recalled Ian Westlake.

Sunderland meanwhile managed to clinch the title in the away game with West Ham.

The Black Cats won the game 2-1, despite having a Chris Brown gopal disallowed for offside. They went behind initially to Marlon Harewood’s strike close to half time, but second half goals from Arca and Elliot won the game, and the title for Mick McCarthy’s men.

Down in the relegation fight, and Crewe sank into the bottom three after their hammering at Portman Road.

Gillingham now look safe and Cardiff are safe after they played out a 1-1 draw at the Preistfield while Ipswich’s opponents next week, Brighton also look safe after their away win at relegated Rotherham.

Two times European Champions, Nottingham Forest suffered relegation to League One yesterday after their 2-1 defeat to Q.P.R. at Loftus Road.

Just 25 years ago the club was retaining it's European Championship. They sit alongside Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and AC Milan as one of the eight teams to have won the European Cup in successive years but next season they will face demoralising trips to Colchester, Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale.

They last played in division three in 1951.

Results

Burnley(0)2Plymouth Argyle(0)012,893
Coventry City(4)6Derby County(0)222,728
Gillingham(0)1Cardiff City(0)110,810
Ipswich Town(2)5Crewe Alexandra(0)128,244
Preston North End(1)1Wigan Athletic(1)120,221
Queens Park Rangers(1)2Nottingham Forest(0)117,834
Reading(1)1Wolverhampton Wanderers(0)220,495
Rotherham United(0)0Brighton & Hove Albion(1)16,549
Sheffield United(0)0Millwall(1)119,797
Stoke City(0)0Watford(0)115,229

Table

Last game played on
Saturday 30th April 2005
PldHomeAwayOverallPtsGD
WDLFAWDLFAWDLFA
1[P] Sunderland 45154344211337312028710754191+34
2Wigan Athletic 45125539141274372024129763484+42
3Ipswich Town 4517335326796312924129845584+29
4Preston North End 451472442275102233211212665575+11
5Derby County 45976352912383330211014685973+9
6West Ham United 45125636248592831201015645570+9
7Reading 451373331566101726191313504170+9
8Sheffield United 4597728239672729181314555267+3
9Millwall 451246332267101823181116514565+6
10Wolverhampton Wanderers 458113362461073233142110685763+11
11Queens Park Rangers 451076322674112231171117545762-3
12Stoke City 451121022186881419171018363761-1
13Leeds United 4479628267872124141713495059-1
14Burnley 451076261957101220151416383959-1
15Leicester City 44787222041262526112013474653+1
16Watford 455107242376102734121617515752-6
17Coventry City 45878322856112843131319607152-11
18Plymouth Argyle 45976312353152141141021526452-12
19Cardiff City 45949231931192432121518475151-4
20Brighton & Hove Albion 45769232865121636131121396450-25
21Gillingham 451067222327132141121320436449-21
22Crewe Alexandra 45589353766112948111420648547-21
23[R] Nottingham Forest 4579624262714163891620406443-24
24[R] Rotherham United 45271417343613183551327356928-34