Cardiff keep pace with Wolves
CARDIFF CITY remain in second place in the English Championship after a late Joe Ralls penalty proved enough to give Neil Warnock’s men a hard-fought 1-0 win at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Warnock, who is having to re-calibrate his ambitions this season, felt his side were deserved winners at the Riverside and admits he “worked on a system all week” to stifle Boro.
“It’s a tough place to come, just look at the teamsheet and the quality they’ve got. We worked all week on a system to get the best out of what we’ve got and I thought we did well,” he said.
“I thought we were the most dangerous team in terms of goalscoring chances and efforts. The players didn’t make it easy for me in the last 10 minutes with the misses they had, but all credit to them.
“We were aiming to be in the top six at the end of October but we’re setting our sights higher now. I’m too long in the tooth to get carried away, though,” Warnock said.
Wolverhampton Wanderers consolidated their position as leaders as Leo Bonatini’s brace secured a 3-2 win over Preston North End at Molineux .
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were in control as Bonatini added to Ivan Cavaleiro’s first-half opener with a 59thminute penalty and a second from closerange five minutes later.
But Preston reduced the deficit within a minute through Jordan Hugill, before a Conor Coady own goal 12 minutes from time led to a frantic finale in which Preston’s Alan Browne was sent off.
Sheffield United are level on points with Cardiff after a 2-1 win over struggling Reading at Bramall Lane.
Leeds United bounced back from three successive losses to end Bristol City’s run of 12 games unbeaten with an emphatic 3-0 win at Ashton Gate while Sunderland blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Brentford.
Bottom club Bolton were denied a second straight win as Idrissa Sylla’s 78thminute strike salvaged a 1-1 draw for QPR at the Macron Stadium.
Derby County capitalised on the fourth minute sending-off of Sheffield Wednesday’s Glenn Loovens to cruise to a 2-0 win while John Terry scored his first goal for Aston Villa in a 2-1 home win over Fulham
Fraizer Campbell’s 78th-minute effort gave Hull City a 1-0 win at Barnsley, while Nottingham Forest beat Burton Albion 2-0 at the City Ground. – AFP