Cardiff City play way into EPL

Fulham slump to playoff spot

London – Cardiff City secured promotion to the Premier League after a goalless draw with Reading yesterday helped them clinch second place in the second-tier Championship on the final day of the campaign.

Fulham, who were in contention for automatic promotion to the top-flight, slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Birmingham City to finish third. That result ended Fulham’s 23-match unbeaten run in the Championship and forced them to settle for a playoff spot.

Cardiff finished with 90 points, two points ahead of Fulham but nine adrift of champions Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“It’s the biggest achievement in my 38-year career by an absolute mile,” Cardiff manager Neil Warnock told Sky Sports. “Nobody gave us a chance. I’m so proud of them. In the end we did enough.

“I’ve had some great promotions and squads but because of the circumstances when I came here, second bottom, it’s the proudest achievement of my life,” added Warnock who became the first manager in English senior football to win eight promotions.

Birmingham’s win helped them avoid relegation but there was misery for Burton Albion and Barnsley, who dropped into League One after losing 2-1 to Preston North End and 4-1 to Derby County respectively. Bolton Wanderers narrowly avoided the drop after staging a comeback in the closing minutes to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.

Fulham will play sixthplaced Derby in the first leg of their playoff semifinal on May 11 while fourth-placed Aston Villa face Middlesbrough a day later.