Relegation scrap is hotting up in the Championship
WITH seven National League South games to go, and five of them away from Plainmoor, Torquay United’s interim manager Aaron Downes says the two games over Easter are ‘massively important.’
On Good Friday, Torquay are at leaders Yeovil Town, and on Monday, they are at home against Weston-super-Mare, before running into the end of the season with games against Welling United (away), Truro City (away), Bath City (away), Taunton Town (away) and Havant & Waterlooville (home) on Saturday, April 20.
So, after last Saturday’s 1-0 win against Hampton & Richmond Borough, which added an important three points to their reduced-points total, winning more points over Easter is paramount.
However, with Yeovil such big favourites for the title, let alone to beat Torquay, Downes says it is nice to be going into a game as the underdogs for once.
JUST five points covers 23rdplaced Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall in 16th position as the fight against relegation from the Championship really hots up.
Bottom-of-the-table Rotherham United are 18 points adrift of Wednesday and doomed to drop into League One for the 2024/25 campaign, but the two other teams who will join them is anyone’s guess. They include Plymouth Argyle, who are 18th in the table, just a couple of points above the relegation zone.
Ian Foster’s Pilgrims have slid perilously close to the bottom three after losing six of their last nine league games and winning only one of them - a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
There is a lot at stake, therefore, going into the always important Easter weekend of games, when all of the teams threatened with relegation will play twice in four days. Here,
takes a close look at those fixtures.
16th: Millwall Played 38 Points 43 Goal difference -14
Millwall have moved up the table by winning three and drawing one of their five Championship games since Neil Harris returned to the Den for a second spell as the Lions’ full-time boss after Joe Edwards’ tenure lasted just 19 matches.
Their recent good form will be severely tested when they host fifthplaced West Bromwich Albion on
He said: “Easter is massive for numerous reasons, more so because you have two games in quick succession, and at either end, nothing is sorted out really – so a lot of things can get sorted out at Easter time.
“For ourselves, we can move ourselves away from the dangerzone and give ourselves quite a bit of breathing room if we get the two results you need. So it is an important
Good Friday but will be confident of picking up maximum points when they travel to rock bottom Rotherham on Easter Monday.
17th: Blackburn Rovers Played 38 Points 42 Goal difference -13
Blackburn have drawn six and lost two of their eight league games since John Eustace took over as their boss last month after the departure of Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Their wait for a first win under Eustace could continue beyond their Good Friday home match against third-placed Ipswich Town, so the trip to play managerless Sunderland, who are 12th and very much out of form, at the Stadium of Light on Easter Monday is shaping up to be very important for Rovers.
18th: Plymouth Argyle Played 38 Points 41 Goal difference -8
Argyle will be in far-away Norfolk on Good Friday as they take on in-form Norwich City, who have won six and drawn two of their nine Championship games since the start of February and will be eager to avenge their 6-2 hammering by the Pilgrims at Home Park in September.
The Pilgrims will then face 14thplaced Bristol City at Home Park on Easter Monday. Liam Manning’s period for everybody, especially us.”
Saturday’s win on Devon Day, when fans of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City came to Plainmoor to show solidarity to a neighbouring club in crisis, was borne of possession and passing football in the first half, and hard work and determined defending in the second.
Downes made the big call to partner
Robins are out of play-off contention and appear safe from any relegation worries so Argyle, who have lost their last four home games without scoring in any of them, will definitely want maximum points from this clash.
19th: Stoke City Played 38 Points 41 Goal difference -18
Former Argyle manager Steven Schumacher (left) has seen his Stoke side lose eight of their last 11 league games, but they have at least won the other three to just about stay out of the relegation positions for now.
The Potters are away to Hull City on Good Friday, against opponents who have struggled for wins at the MKM Stadium this season despite currently being seventh in the table. Stoke then have a massive home match against 22nd-placed Huddersfield Town at the bet365 Stadium on Easter Monday.
20th: Queens Park Rangers Played 38 Points 40 Goal difference -14
QPR looked to be moving clear of relegation trouble after they won 2-1 away to table-topping Leicester City to make it five victories out of eight Championship matches but they have drawn two of their last three and drawn the other one - 0-0 at Sunderland
last time out - so the west London club are still very much at risk.
Rangers have a vital clash against 21st-placed Birmingham City at Loftus Road on Good Friday before travelling to South Wales to play Swansea City, who are 15th, on Easter Monday.
21st: Birmingham City Played 38 Points 39 Goal difference -17
Birmingham appointed their former boss Gary Rowett as their interim manager last week in the continued absence of Tony Mowbray, who has been undergoing medical treatment for an unnamed illness. Blues had lost five out of six games under Mowbray’s assistant Mark Venus, leading to Rowett’s return to St Andrews.
Rowett’s first match is a big one, away to the team immediately above them in the table, QPR, on Good Friday. They will then host Ryan Lowe’s ninth-placed Preston North End, who have won their last three away games, on Easter Monday.
22nd: Huddersfield Town Played 38 Points 39 Goal difference -19
Town have won just one of their six Championship matches since the appointment of Andre Breitenreiter as their new boss last month, although they have also drawn twice under the German’s leadership.
FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City will visit the John Smith’s Stadium on Good Friday before the Terriers travel to Stoke City for what will be a relegation six-pointer.
23rd: Sheffield Wednesday Played 38 Points 38 Goal difference -31
When Wednesday beat Argyle 1-0 at Hillsborough on March 5 it was their fifth successive win.
Since then, though, they have lost 2-0 at home to Yorkshire rivals Leeds United and been thrashed 6-0 by Ipswich Town at Portman Road, leaving them one position off the bottom of the table.
Another side under German management, Danny Rohl’s Owls will be at home to Swansea City on Good Friday before travelling to the northeast to take on 10th-placed Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Easter Monday.