As the Tigers falter, rivals are closing in
MCCANN’S MEN ARE WELL PLACED, BUT NEED TO FIND CONSISTENT RUN
HCity’s hopes of an immediate return to the Championship took another blow on Tuesday as they slumped to a defeat at home to Ipswich Town. The 1-0 loss saw Grant Mccann’s side lose more ground on the top two, and now fans are looking nervously over their shoulders.
Having played more games than anyone else in League One, City may well have to rely on results elsewhere as they try to retain at least a play-off place.
So, how are the other teams currently in the top eight faring at the moment, and can City take any hope from how their rivals are getting on?
Peterborough: WWWWW
The Posh are leading the way in every sense at the moment.
Darren Ferguson’s side have worked their way to the top of the table in recent weeks, having picked up 25 points out of a possible 30 in their last 10 games.
Nineteen goals scored and just five conceded during that time tells you all you need to know, and with Wigan and Burton coming up in two of their next three games, it looks unlikely their form will drop soon.
Worryingly, they then host City on March 9 - Mccann’s side desperately need to pick up some form before then.
Lincoln City: WDDWD
The Imps’ title challenge has faltered a little in recent games, although they’re still firmly in the hunt.
Just the one defeat in the last 12 games shows they’re still one of the division’s form sides, but three draws in their last four games has seen them replaced at the summit.
Their next three matches are all against mid-table sides in Plymouth, Fleetwood and Crewe - if they can pick up the winning habit in those fixtures, it looks like the title could be a two-horse race for them and Peterborough.
Hull City: DLWDL
City fans can see their promotion hopes slipping away from them, and given their recent form it’s not a huge surprise.
It’s by no means the worst in the league, but it’s certainly not what you’d expect from a side looking for an immediate return to the Championship.
Just nine goals scored and eight conceded in the last eight games tells you a lot - that run includes just the one goal in their last four home games.
Portsmouth: DWLLW
Pompey are very much an all or nothing side at the moment - five wins and four defeats in their last 10 games bears that out.
Heavy defeats against City and Peterborough in January would also suggest they can be got at, but then beating Oxford in their most recent outing will have given their hopes a big boost.
They’re certainly not a team you’d like to predict right now.
Sunderland: DLWWW
Lee Johnson’s arrival has certainly given Sunderland more hope they can finally return to the Championship. They look as though they might be timing things just right, with six wins and two draws from their last 10 games, and a hat-trick of victories recently would suggest they might have kicked the habit of drawing fixtures which has held them back this season.
No side has lost fewer games in the division than the Black Cats - they’ll be there or thereabouts right until the end.
Doncaster Rovers: WLLLD
Doncaster have had a tough run of it recently, and with games against Ipswich and Portsmouth coming up, things don’t get any easier for them.
That form will give City hope that they can hang on to their place in the top six, although they would have felt much better had they held on for that win against them last weekend.
And with Rovers holding onto four games in hand, it’s well within their grasp to push City out of the picture.
Accrington Stanley: LDWDL
Few would have expected Accrington to be in the hunt for a place in the Championship next season, although their challenge does look to be faltering now.
One win from their last six games and just four goals scored in that time has seen them lose some ground on the top six.
Their next fixtures do look a little kinder though, with Fleetwood, Swindon and Bristol Rovers all coming up in their next four games, presenting an opportunity to make up ground on City.
Oxford United: LWWDL
Karl Robinson’s side would look to be the best bet to break into the top six out of those just on the fringes.
Five wins from their last eight games places them five points off the play-off places, and nine off City with three games in hand.
The two sides meet on March 13 in what is set to be a pivotal game for City’s hopes of staying in the hunt for promotion.
SUPER League matches will return to single-game events from round three of this year’s competition.
Organisers have confirmed that the opening two rounds of the competition will take place at Emerald Headingley and the Totally Wicked Stadium respectively.
It was a decision that angered some fans, who were angry that their clubs were effectively giving up home advantage.
That decision was made to ensure Sky Sports would show all six games from the opening two rounds, with one venue reducing costs for the broadcaster.
The Mail can reveal clubs will host their own games from the third round of the season, which will see teams make a long-awaited return to their own venues.
It’s believed they will show a limited number of matches from round three onwards, which has resulted in games returning to the venues of the home side of all respective fixtures.
Super League is expected to confirm the news today when they reveal the full details of this year’s schedule, with all fixtures set to be released.
Organisers have already confirmed the fixtures for four rounds; Magic Weekend, Rivals Round and the opening two weeks of the campaign.
It will also be announced that Super League fixtures will take place during the international weekend in June, a weekend that will see England take on the Exiles.
The Grand Final will take place at Old Trafford on October 9, just two weeks before the World Cup starts.
Fans will be eager to see who their team plays in the opening home games of the campaign, given they will not be able to attend matches until May.
Last year, Super League manipulated the fixture list so the competition’s more attractive games were played near the end of the season, with the hope that fans would be able to attend the big clashes.
A second wave in the pandemic saw those hopes crushed, but there is optimism that won’t be the case this year.
Hull FC will hope to have a full house when they host Hull KR in August this season. The pair will meet in Super League’s ‘rivals round,’ which will be played out between August 19 and 22.
FC and KR last met in front of a crowd in February 2020, but this year’s Hull derby promises to be the hottest ticket in town, with a packed out KCOM Stadium seen as a real possibility.
The Hull derby has always been well-attended at the KCOM Stadium and the opportunity to host the money-spinning event is sure to be welcomed by the Black and Whites.
Elsewhere, Wigan will take on St Helens, Leeds are to due play Huddersfield and Castleford will play Wakefield across the same round.