Like the Premiership, The second tier of English football returned to action with a frenetic round of games this past weekend. Round six of the 2011-12 English Championship season had 11 games on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Chris Wood was the headline act in week six of the 2011-12 English Championship. His hat-trick on Sunday night helped relegated Birmingham get their season up and running with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Milwall at St. Andrews. With just four points from their first four games, Birmingham were in danger of becoming stymied in mid table but now have a second win, seven points from five games and a game in hand on all those around them. Boaz Myhill also impressed between the sticks with a clean sheet, his second such achievement in a winning cause at home this year.
West Ham continued their good form with a thrilling 4-3 win over Portsmouth at home. Arsenal loanee Henri Lansbury, former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole, ex-Portsmouth defender Matt Taylor and Mark Noble, from the spot, all scored for the Hammers. Luke Varney had earlier given Pompey the lead, and David Norris had levelled at 2-2 before Sam Allardyce's men pulled away. Like Noble, Greg Halford also converted a penalty, which was nothing more than a late consolation. Lansbury was today rewarded with a long term contract at parent club Arsenal and it is fitting reward for an excellent past year on loan and for the U-21 English team.
In the clash between the two big clubs of Southampton and Nottingham Forest, the Saints kept up their good form with an exciting 3-2 home win over the visitors. Rickie Lambert scored a hat trick, put Southampton in the lead twice and then popped up with the winner in the 82nd minute after Forest had twice levelled through Matt Derbyshire and Radoslaw Majewski. Derbyshire has had spells with Blackburn and Olympiakos in Greece and has been a promising pickup by Forest. The result however left the pre-season promotion favourites perilously perched in 21st spot, just one above the drop zone with only five points from their six games. Southampton remain on course for the step up to the top flight with 15 points from their six matches, sitting in second spot.
They were paced at the top of the pile by Middlesbrough, who kept up their encouraging start with an impressive 2-0 win at Burnley. Nick Bailey and Joe Bennett scored the goals that kept Boro in third, still unbeaten with 14 points. At the top, Brighton are still flying high with their fifth win of the season. Ashley Barnes scored the winner at Bristol City as the Seagulls have defied expectation to soar into the Championship lead.
Erstwhile high flyers Derby however, seem to be stuck in reverse, with their second loss in a row, falling 2-0 at Coventry. Lukas Jutkiewicz and Carl Baker scored the goals at the Ricoh Arena to bring Derby down to fifth. They had started the season with four wins in a row but are now in a slump that extends across the Midlands to Forest as well. Leicester managed to escape the spell of bad form but could only manage a draw at Barnsley with Andy King cancelling out Jacob Butterfield's opener for the Clarets who remain in the lower reaches of the table while City are tenth.
In the other games, Hull beat Peterborough United with a winner from Aaron Mclean. United lose for the second game in a row and haven't won since their 7-1 demolition of Ipswich. Speaking of Ipswich, the Tractor Boys slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Blackpool with Barry Ferguson and Gary Taylor-Fletcher scoring the goals for the Tangerines. Cardiff, who lost in the playoffs last season, moved into the top six with a 2-0 defeat of Doncaster - Anthony Gerrard and Rob Earnshaw scored to secure the points against the league's bottom club. Rovers are now three points adrift of Reading at the bottom. Reading lost succumbing at home to Watford, in another 2-0 loss. Mark Yeates and John Eustace scored for the Hornets who won for the first time in five games.
In the remaining game two former Premiership regulars squared off at Elland Road with Leeds just edging Crystal Palace 3-2. Just like the other two games between big former top flight sides (West Ham v Portsmouth and Southampton v Nottingham Forest), this game was another blinder with both ebb and flow.
Ross McCormack had given Leeds the lead before the impressive Sean Scannell and Patrick McCarthy swung the pendulum Palace's way. However late goals from Luciano Becchio and Ross McCormack again gave Leeds the points with the latter scoring with just six minutes to go. With their first defeat in five games, Palace drop out of the top six after an impressive start. Brighton, Southampton and Middlesbrough head the table while Doncaster, Reading and Bristol City round out the bottom three. With almost everyone in the division having played six games, the table finally has some truth and substance to it.
Ross McCormack and Rickie Lambert lead the scoring charts with five goals each.
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