Sheffield United close on Leeds with QPR

LONDON: David McGoldrick scored the lone goal as Sheffield United beat Queens Park Rangers 1- 0 on Saturday to move up to second place in English football’s second-tier Championship.

McGoldrick’s f irst- hal f header, the former Ipswich striker’s fifth goal in his last six league games, saw the Blades move to within four points of Yorkshire rivals Leeds.

The table - toppers had al ready played, beat ing Derby County 2- 0 on Friday in a victory overshadowed by Leeds manager Marco Bielsa’s admission he had sent a spy to the Rams’ training ground.

Saturday’s other matches saw Jordan Rhodes rescue a point for third-placed Norwich City with an equaliser seven minutes from time in a 1-1 draw against West Brom, who led through Dwight Gayle’s early goal.

Only the top two sides at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to the lucrative Premier League, with the next four clubs competing for the one remaining spot in the top f light via a series of play- off games.

Middlesbrough remained in the top six following a 2-1 win at Birmingham.

Lewis Wing put Boro ahead in the 37th minute and although Che Adams equalised for the Blues, Britt Assombalonga grabbed a late winner.

Nathan Jones’s reign at Stoke manager started with a 3-1 defeat while Nottingham Forest’s first match since Aitor Karaka left the City Ground on Friday ended with a 2- 0 loss to Reading.

To make matters worse for former European champions Forest, they ended the match down to nine men after both Danny Fox and Tendayi Darikwa were sent off in the second half. — AFP