Millers send Blackpool down
BLACKPOOL’S fate was fi nally sealed yesterday, without kicking a ball.
The Seasiders have been bottom of the table for the past six months and Rotherham’s 1- 0 win over Brighton, thanks to Matt Derbyshire’s eighth- minute strike, consigned them to the drop with six games remaining. Rotherham have moved seven points clear of the relegation places.
At the other end of the table, Norwich moved second after easing past Sheffi eld Wednesday thanks to a Bradley Johnson brace.
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The only sour note was Johnson’s 10th booking of the season, which will rule him out of two key games in the run- in.
Derby’s 2- 0 win at the DW Stadium, thanks to second- half goals from Chris Martin and Darren Bent, saw Wigan fi re boss Malky Mackay. His Derby counterpart, Steve McClaren, says a top- two fi nish remains unlikely. “It’s a long shot,” said McClaren. “It’s out of our hands, we’ve not got control.”
Derby overhauled Brentford in the table and Bees boss Mark Warburton claimed his side were their own worst enemies despite salvaging a point in their 2- 2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest.
Warburton said: “We have to recognise that we dug a hole – we’d dominated possession and we’ve dominated chances.”
Tyler Walker, son of ex- Forest favourite Des, and Todd Kane put the visitors in command. But Andre Gray hit back late on and Jota levelled at the death.
Ipswich missed the chance to move back into the play- off zone after crashing 2- 1 at Huddersfi eld.
Nahki Wells and James Vaughan struck for Huddersfi eld before Luke Varney claimed his fi rst Ipswich goal but they never looked like grabbing a draw.
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy said: “Shouting and swearing doesn’t help but I did have to walk away at the end to calm down.”
Bolton striker Craig Davies returned to Wales to hit a secondhalf brace, as Bolton cruised to a 3- 0 win over mid- table Cardiff.