Albion Give Toon A Warning As They Rise To The Top!

Last updated : 01 November 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor

Roberto Di Matteo: "It is amazing we get all this criticism for not scoring in two games. We are still up there with the top scorers.

"It is a very tough division and it seems to me that people expect us to be 10 points ahead of everyone else. But I cannot see any team running away.

"The criticism did upset me as we have a young team. I know at the end of the day it is all about results and we want to get results but people also forget we have very important members of our team who are missing.

"We have been up there at the right end of the table all season and we have to stay there as long as we can.

"I just want to get promoted and then I will be a happy man at the end of the season."

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

West Brom 5 Watford 0
Middlesbrough 0 Plymouth 1
Bristol City 1 Sheff Wed 1
Doncaster 3 Blackpool 3
Preston 1 Palace 1
Scunthorpe 0 Swansea 2
Coventry 1 Reading 3
Ipswich 1 Derby 0
Peterborough 1 Barnsley 2
QPR 1 Leicester 2

Ipswich finally broke their Championship duck as David Wright netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Derby.

Roy Keane's side remain bottom despite their first victory of the season, achieved when Wright headed in on 66 minutes.

Plymouth and Reading stayed above the Tractor Boys with victories of their own.

Grzegorz Rasiak put the Royals ahead in the opening minute at Coventry and they did not look back in a 3-1 triumph.

Jobi McAnuff made it two and Rasiak secured the points 18 minutes from time after Freddy Eastwood had halved the deficit.

Plymouth ensured it was a losing start for Gordon Strachan as Middlesbrough boss, Jamie Mackie netting the only goal in the 64th minute.

Adam Johnson missed a golden chance to equalise 10 minutes from time when he missed a penalty.

West Brom regained top spot from Newcastle in emphatic style with a 5-0 victory over Watford.

With the Magpies and Cardiff not in action, the Baggies took full advantage with goals from Jonas Olsson and Graeme Dorrans putting them in charge at the interval.

Things got even better in the second half as Luke Moore, Gianni Zuiverloon and Simon Cox boosted West Brom's goal difference.

Bristol City climbed to fifth despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield Wednesday. Nicky Maynard put City ahead but Luke Varney levelled with 15 minutes remaining.

Doncaster and Blackpool shared the points after a see-saw battle that saw Rovers twice take the lead only to need a last-minute goal from Billy Sharp to secure a 3-3 draw.

Strikes from Martin Woods and Sharp were cancelled out by Ian Evatt and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. Ben Burgess put the visitors ahead for the first time 13 minutes from time but Sharp slotted in at the death.

Preston were also limited to a point as they climbed to eighth after a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

Ross Wallace gave the hosts the lead with a curling left-footed strike before Darren Ambrose equalised for the Eagles.

Peterborough dropped to second bottom after Barnsley came from behind to win 2-1 at London Road.

George Boyd opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot after 23 minutes but the visitors equalised almost immediately through Daniel Bogdanovic and Jon Macken added a second six minutes before the break.

Swansea also picked up maximum points on the road as Craig Beattie's superb free-kick and a second-half strike from Cedric van der Gun gave the Welsh side a 2-0 win at Scunthorpe.