Blackpool rocked as Bournemouth go top

Norwich blank Sheff Wed

LONDON, April 6, (AFP): Blackpool were relegated to the third tier of English football on Monday just four years after playing in the Premier League, while Bournemouth stormed to the top of the Championship with a dramatic 4-2 win over Birmingham.

Lee Clark’s Blackpool aren’t due to play until Tuesday when they host Reading, but that match is now meaningless for the bottom of the table Seasiders.

They have looked odds on for relegation for most of the season after starting the campaign with barely enough players to make a full team and Clark, who led Birmingham to second tier survival on the final day of last season, wasn’t able avoid the drop for a second successive year.

Their plunge into League One was confirmed by fourth bottom Rotherham’s 1-0 win over Brighton on Monday.

Matt Derbyshire’s early goal for Rotherham sealed the points at the New York Stadium, boosting the hosts’ survival hopes and making it mathematically impossible for Blackpool to beat the drop — just five years after Ian Holloway had guided the club into the Premier League, where they spent a season before being relegated in 2011.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth fought back from two goals down at Dean Court to return to the top in the race for promotion to the Premier League.

Birmingham, who had captain Paul Robinson sent off late on, had looked to be heading for a surprise win when Clayton Donaldson and David Cotterill struck in three first-half minutes.

But Eddie Howe’s team hit back as strikes from Steve Cook, Callum Wilson, Charlie Daniels and a Yann Kermorgant penalty helped Bournemouth equal their club record of 104 goals in a single season. The Cherries are now one point clear of second placed Norwich with five games remaining.

Bradley Johnson’s season to remember continued as Norwich recorded a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday to move into the top two for the first time since October. Former Leeds midfielder Johnson netted his 12th and 13th goals of the season late in the first half at Carrow Road to keep Norwich ahead of third placed Watford on goal difference.

Troy Deeney became the first Watford player in history to score 20 goals in three consecutive seasons as the Hornets beat previous leaders Middlesbrough 2-0 at Vicarage Road.

Elsewhere, Brentford fill the last play-off place after recovering from two goals down with 10 minutes left to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest. Bolton thrashed Cardiff 3-0 and Huddersfield beat Ipswich 2-1.

Play-off contenders Wolves play Leeds later on Monday.