Irvine returns just in time to back on the winning track
Hull City’s Australian forward Jackson Irvine only got back from the Asian Cup, but rode to his luck of his injury-hit club side with a resolute performance as they kept a clean sheet to beat Stoke City 2-0 in the Championship Saturday.
Irvine had barely got over the disappointment of his national team’s elimination from the continental tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where they lost 1-0 at the quarter-final stage to UAE, before he was pulling his socks up for the Tigers.
A series of injury suffered by defender Reece Burke and his 4 central defence partners has left the home side light backline, meaning Irvine has been given little time to recover after Australia’s exit.
But a Grosicki goal after Bowen’s free-kick opener from the edge of Stoke’s box put the home side of KCOM back to their winning way.
Confidence is a preference for the Londoner Brentford of what is known as (a miracle comeback).
And two early quick-leaked goals can be avoided if Thomas Frank takes a route straight through what is known as (Championship rout at Griffin Park life).
The Bees finally put five goals into Rovers’ net as their instant reply in this turnaround.
A drab 0-0 draw did little good for Reading in their battle to avoid dropping into the Championship’s relegation zone while Millwall and Rotherham shared a spoil with a goalless draw.
The results left three sides in unchanged position from 30 matches, after the bottom-two – Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town – failed to come out anything in their respective defeats (away lost 2-0 and home lost 1-0).
New Nottingham Forest signing, Yohan Benalouane, who is 31-year-old Tunisia international and a former Leicester player was sent off in dying minutes when he received a straight red card in second-half injury-time, as he handled the ball on the line. The Reds suffered a 2-0 defeat in Birmingham City.
It could, possibly, be a six-point gap before the instrumental Bosnian Mario Vrancic gave Norwich an early lead, only for Patrick Bamford to score a consolation goal in dying minutes after Teemu Pukki scoring a closed-range finish and Vrancic’s second goal. To compound Bielsa’s unhappiness, Leeds United missed out their target of Daniel James in last loan transfer market and lost their top place when they tied in 57 points.
Elsewhere, Derby County failed to keep the pace in the promotion push on Friday after a stalemate goalless draw in Preston. A much-changed new-faced side Wigan Athletic deserved a 2-1 win over QPR. Middlesbrough hanged on the nervy clash with Play-off rival WBA when coming from behind to win 3-2. Thanks to an early lead taking by George Saville and a late double from the Boro’s substitute Britt Assombalonga. Bristol City’s 2-0 win over Swansea is enough to move to the last Play-off place.