Born-again Reading learn from their stunning slide
Reading’s Championship triumph would not have been possible without experiencing the lows of last year’s slide down the rankings.
Jose Gomes’s side beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 to claim their first win since 12 January to lift the Royals above the drop zone. It was a time for the best lineup-searching but the experience made them stronger.
Leeds United won back the top place in the league in Elland Road, with goals from Pontus Jansson and Jack Harrison knocking down Norwich City on match day 32.
Norwich have lost six of their thirty two matches in the competition. Their 3-1 defeat by Preston North End prevented them from extending their stay in the first place.
They were beaten by just two football clubs – Stoke City and Preston North End ranked outside the championship top six during Daniel Farke’s tenure as manager this season.
While several promotion hopefuls lost and their problems went deep, not everything went their way. Middlesbrough suffered a blow as Sheffield United sealed their seventeen wins in Bramall Lane. Oliver Norwood was the star for the Blades with a brilliant free kick delivery to Richard Stearman as the Boro were crushed 1-0 in a top six meeting.
Famara Diedhiou added a converted penalty at the dying minutes as Bristol City completed a superb comeback which saw them register their nine wins consecutively in all competitions.
Jay Rodriguez scored from the penalty spot to level at 16-goal mark with his teammate Dwight Gayle to earn his WBA’s side a home draw with Nottingham Forest.
Bolton Wanderers and Brentford were anything but impressive as they scraped past Birmingham City and Aston Villa 1-0 to resurrect their forms.
Ipswich Town won their first point in five games after substitute Jon Nolan’s goal clinching a draw. Derby County returned home to face Wigan Athletic and try to climb back into the Play-off places.
Wigan Athletic and Millwall only shared a point apiece in a goalless stalemate while Hull City conceded an own goal to give the away team Rotherham a priceless one point. However, the point for Rotherham could not stop Reading replacing the Millers as the 21st thanks to their 2-1 win over Blackburn Rover.