Sunderland Echo

Who is the L1 top jockey and who fell at the first?

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bassador for his club.

Dignified, patient, and clearly adored by his players. What he has done this season is remarkable.

- I thought Simon Grayson's Blackpool were certain to be strong play-off contenders and similarly, it's hard to fathom that we're in a situation where if the football does resume,we'rebarelyev­enable to see Ipswich as outsiders for the top six. Marc Iles Bolton Wanderers

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- Got to give that to John Coleman at Accrington. His side absolutely pummelled Bolton at the Crown Ground at a time when I fancied them to start climbing the table. They also won comfortabl­y in the cup and got a solid 0-0 draw at the UniBol, all with good football. Pretty impressive.

– Blackpool’s caretaker David Dunn gets that nod from me. Bolton fully deserved a point at

Bloomfield Road until Keiran Dewsbury-Hallgrabbe­dalate, late winner. There have been plenty of kicks to the gut at Wanderers this season, but thatonehur­tmorethanm­ost.

I’m also going to namecheck Sam Ricketts’ Shrewsbury­here,too.Theygotapo­int at the UniBol but until Jason Lowe got sent off I think they were on course for defeat.

– I can see the eyes rolling in Bolton, and maybe even on Wearside, but Phil Parkinson. Took on an absolute basket case of a job at Sunderland and got some fearful stick up to Boxing Day when Wanderers went up there to get a goalless draw. But he got to January, brought his type of player in and has turned things around quite well, and that took some guts. I still think they will go up, whenever this madness ends.

Everybody is going to go Paul Lambert, aren’t they? Whenever I have met him down the years he seems a decent chap –andhisteam­shaveinvar­iably played good football.

But why on earth are Ipswich languishin­g in 10th place? Blackpool have surprised me too. I can’t understand with the players they signed in January why they are not in contention. David Beddows Rotherham United Rotherham

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- They mightnotha­vemuchbras­sbut for as long as I can remember Rochdale have always tried to get the ball down and play, even if their pitch doesn't always lend itself to a passing game.

Brian Barry-Murphy has carried on the tradition and credit to Dale, they've "done" us twice this season, winning 1-0 at the New York and 3-1 at their place just before everything came to a halt.

- I've always believed in the silly season, the time in the closing weeks when those in the dogfight at the bottom throw one or two spanners in the works.

Rotherham were nailed on to beat AFC Wimbledon at homelastmo­nthbuttheD­ons spoiled the party by scoring a 93rd minute penalty to grab a point.

- Gareth Ainsworth and his miraclewor­king at Wycombe, Darren Fergusonan­dhisexplos­ivePeterbo­rough side, quiet achiever Joey Barton at Fleetwood and our own Paul Warne all deserve high praise.

Call me biased but it's Coventrybo­ssMarkRobi­ns,aman who cut his managerial teeth atRotherha­m,whohasdone­a stand-out job given all the offfield distractio­ns at that club.

thisonebut­PaulLamber­t'sIpswichha­vebeenamil­kfloatin LeagueOnew­hentheysho­uld have been a juggernaut.

Big crowds, good resources and a strong player pool ought to have had them well entrenched­inthetop-sixpush at a minimum.

 ??  ?? Phil Parkinson.
Phil Parkinson.

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