SHINNIE BACKS RAMS TO SHINE
Sonny drags Huddersfield deep into trouble
MIDFIELDER Graeme Shinnie reckons hosting the Championship’s most in-form side today is just what Derby need.
Wayne Rooney (below) and his Rams team-mates have dropped off the pace in the play-off race in the last week.
They salvaged a last-gasp point against Nottingham Forest before losing 2-0 at West Brom, and today welcome high-flying Brentford, who have won six in a row.
“Saturday’s another tough match but sometimes they are better games,” said Shinnie (top).
“You know you need to be right at the top of your game if we are to beat them and that can be a good thing. We’ve had the defeat against West Brom and need to try to get back to winning ways.”
Louie Sibley, 18, who scored a hat-trick at Millwall, is available for County after his midweek red card was rescinded.
vChampionship: 3pm
Championship: 12.30pm
CHARLTON chief Lee Bowyer admits he has been forced to become a tinkerman.
The Addicks have rotated their side since the restart, despite their relegation fears, to limit injuries.
There will be more changes at home to Reading today, and Bowyer said: “I want to pick the strongest team without putting them in danger – that’s why I’ve been making so many changes.
“Would I rather keep the same team? Of course I would, but with my players’ injury record I would be putting them at risk.
“From when we started after lockdown we’re in a better position. It’s in our hands.”
Championship: 3pm
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DANNY COWLEY’S Huddersfield continue to make hard work of avoiding an unwanted piece of football history only completed by three other clubs.
Swindon in the mid-’90s and more recently Wolves and Sunderland, are the only teams to fall straight through from Premier League to League One in successive seasons.
And given their sluggish return from lockdown, the only thing that offers Cowley hope is the poor form of teams below them and the 12-point penalty Wigan are facing for going into administration.
Last night, they fell behind to a classic sucker punch when bottom-placed Luton took the lead soon after the break from their first chance of the game.
With the Hatters packing the six-yard box at James Bree’s corner, the full-back’s superb delivery found Sonny Bradley, who powered a header past under-pressure keeper Jonas Lossl.
The Terriers were in deeper trouble after 71 minutes when James Collins broke upfield on the counter-attack, thanks to a brilliant Elliot Lee pass, and battered a shot against the post.
But Lee was following up and blasted a superb strike past the stranded home goalkeeper from 15 yards.
It was a stunning contrast to a soporific opening 45 minutes with neither keeper forced into a meaningful save.
Veteran Fraizer Campbell looked lively for Huddersfield and his strong early challenge on Bradley opened up a chance for Emile Smith-rowe which Cameron Carter-vickers blocked well.
But apart from a couple of long-range Smith-rowe efforts, they were rare glimpses of goal with Luton failing to muster a single shot of any sort.
Pelly Ruddock-mpanzu’s 49th-minute shot changed that stat and won the corner which brought the opener.
And as the contest finally opened up, Collins came close to doubling the lead when his shot flew just wide, while Smith-rowe missed a superb chance when he failed to hit the target.
Championship: 3pm