GARY GETTING TOUGH BRUV FROM COACH
Monk: Lockdown did wonders for our mental game
Referee: John Brooks
BRISTOL CITY:
SHEFF WED:
FRIDAY
Charlton Athletic v Millwall 8.15pm SATURDAY
Derby County v Nottingham Forest 12.30pm Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United 3pm Brentford v Wigan Athletic 3pm Bristol City v Cardiff City 3pm Fulham v Birmingham City 3pm Huddersfield Town v Preston North End 3pm Luton Town v Reading 3pm Stoke City v Barnsley 3pm SUNDAY
Swansea City v Sheffield Wednesday 12pm Middlesbrough v QPR 3pm West Bromwich Albion v Hull City 3pm JULY 7
Nottingham Forest v Fulham 5pm Brentford v Charlton Athletic 6pm Reading v Huddersfield Town 6pm Cardiff City v Blackburn Rovers 7.45pm Luton Town v Barnsley 7.45pm
JULY 8
Millwall v Middlesbrough 3pm West Bromwich Albion v Derby County 5pm Birmingham City v Swansea City 6pm Wigan Athletic v QPR 6pm Bristol City v Hull City 7.45pm Sheffield Wednesday v Preston North End 7.45pm
JULY 9
Leeds United v Stoke City 5pm
JULY 11
Charlton Athletic v Reading 12.30pm Barnsley v Wigan Athletic 3pm Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion 3pm Derby County v Brentford 3pm Fulham v Cardiff City 3pm Huddersfield Town v Luton Town 3pm Hull City v Millwall 3pm Middlesbrough v Bristol City 3pm Preston North End v Nottingham Forest 3pm QPR v Sheffield Wednesday 3pm
Wells Wickham Luongo
GARRY MONK reckons his players have come out of lockdown with a “fresh attitude and mentality”.
The Sheffield Wednesday boss saw his side follow up a point against Nottingham Forest with a deserved win over another of the Championship play-off hopefuls. A goal in each half from Connor Wickham and Massimo Luongo claimed a victory that was all the more important with a possible points deduction hanging over the Owls. Monk (with Kadeem Harris, below) said: “We can only focus on things we can control and I sense the start of the culture change I was talking about before the season was interrupted. “We needed a fresh attitude and mentality because we were letting ourselves and our fans down. “The players have had time to reflect and to work on their fitness. It is only a couple of steps forward, but I have been really pleased with the last couple of games, though there is still work to be done.” Wickham was given the freedom of Ashton Gate to head Wednesday in front from Jacob Murphy’s 13th-minute corner. And City were caught out again on 59 minutes when sloppy defending at a corner allowed Luongo room to net with a close-range volley.
Nahki Wells reduced the arrears, heading home on 68 minutes after Wednesday keeper Joe Wildsmith had done brilliantly to keep out a Nathan Baker header.
But it wasn’t enough to stop City’s play-off hopes suffering another blow, or improve on their dismal home form.
Head coach Lee Johnson, who made seven changes from the side beaten 3-1 at Blackburn, said: “You can’t win games if your defenders don’t do their jobs.
“I still believe we can go to Nottingham Forest and win our next game, but not if we defend like that.”
MOTM
JULY 12
Stoke City v Birmingham City 3pm Swansea City v Leeds United 3pm
JULY 14
Reading v Middlesbrough 6pm Wigan Athletic v Hull City 6pm Brentford v Preston North End 7.45pm Cardiff City v Derby County 7.45pm Luton Town v QPR 7.45pm Millwall v Blackburn Rovers 7.45pm Sheffield Wednesday v Huddersfield Town 7.45pm West Bromwich Albion v Fulham 8pm JULY 15
Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic 6pm Nottingham Forest v Swansea City 6pm Bristol City v Stoke City 7.45pm Leeds United v Barnsley 7.45pm
JULY 18
Barnsley v Nottingham Forest 3pm Blackburn Rovers v Reading 3pm Charlton Athletic v Wigan Athletic 3pm
BARRY BANNAN (SHEFF WED)
Derby County v Leeds United 3pm Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday 3pm Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion 3pm Hull City v Luton Town 3pm Middlesbrough v Cardiff City 3pm Preston North End v Birmingham City 3pm QPR v Millwall 3pm
Stoke City v Brentford 3pm Swansea City v Bristol City 3pm
JULY 22
Birmingham City v Derby County Brentford v Barnsley
Bristol City v Preston North End Cardiff City v Hull City
Leeds United v Charlton Athletic Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers Millwall v Huddersfield Town Nottingham Forest v Stoke City Reading v Swansea City Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough West Bromwich Albion v QPR Wigan Athletic v Fulham
BIRMINGHAM
HULL
GARY GARDNER revealed how he is cashing in on some tough love from brother Craig.
Gardner, who turns 28 today, salvaged a point for Birmingham with the first brace of his career, including the equaliser (above) two minutes from time.
Craig is now Blues’ playercoach and will retire from playing at the end of this season.
The sharpshooting former Blues, Villa and Sunderland man hit the target 41 times in 392 games from midfield, including many like Gary’s 25-yard rocket that started this comeback.
“Craig’s pulled me in the office a few times. He’s been harsh, but sometimes you need that,” said Gary. “He’s told me to get forward more – get in the box when I can add more attacking to my game.
“He said to take the shackles off. The first goal was up there with my best strikes and hopefully I can get many more.”
Gardner’s first equaliser was a header, with sub Jeremie Bela supplying the crosses for that goal and Dan Crowley’s effort.
The midfielder spent much of his career out on loan before making his move from Villa to St Andrew’s permanent last summer. Now he feels settled.
“Most definitely. I’m at the club I love and support and I feel like I’ve found my home,” he said.
Josh Magennis and James Scott had put Hull ahead 2-0 and Herbie Kane’s free-kick made it 3-2 for the visitors.
Boss Grant McCann thinks they have the firepower to stay up, despite taking just three points since New Year’s Day. “I feel more confident,” he said. “We scored three and could have had six.”
BIRMINGHAM:
HULL: