RIVAL managers Billy Davies and Simon Grayson unsurprisingly had different views on the incident involving Nottingham Forest’s Chris Gunter and Leeds’ Sanchez Watt in the 1-1 draw at The City Ground yesterday.

Nottingham Forest 1 Leeds 1

BLACKPOOL stand on the brink of a return to the top flight for the first time since 1971 after a DJ Campbell hat-trick helped sink Nottingham Forest in a Championship play-off semi-final that swung one way then the other at the City Ground.

Blackpool 2 Nottingham Forest 1

Simon Cox’s second-half volley was enough to keep West Brom in the Coca-Cola Championship automatic promotion places with a 1-0 win at Plymouth.

Nottingham Forest 0 Birmingham 0

Nottingham Forest 2 Coventry 0

NEWCASTLE UNITED have become a gauge for the top flight ambitions of their Championship rivals. Labour against the Tynesiders, and you will struggle to compete with the promotion contenders; beat them, and the Premier League could be within reach.

SUBSTITUTE Marlon Harewood’s first Newcastle goal rescued a point for the Coca-Cola Championship leaders after QPR threatened to dent their promotion charge.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND midfielder Steven Reid made a return to action last night — playing 75 minutes of Blackburn Rovers’ 1-0 away Carling Cup Third victory over Nottingham Forest before being replaced by Irish team-mate Keith Andrews.

QPR will this morning begin the search for their fifth permanent manager in the past 18 months after insisting they had no option but to sack Paulo Sousa.

READING goalkeeper Adam Federici scored a dramatic stoppage-time leveller against Cardiff to keep the Royals in the Coca-Cola Championship automatic promotion places after their 1-1 draw yesterday.

QPR 0 West Brom 2

IF Wolves are serious about ending their tumultuous season with a scarcely credible promotion, they should look to Andy Keogh for inspiration.

DOES anyone really want to be promoted to the Premier League this season?

CHELSEA are English football’s answer to a cold shower.

QPR 1 Preston 0

STEFAN BAILEY was sent off in shame and Zesh Rehman scored a calamitous own goal as QPR gifted Luton a lucrative televised FA Cup fourth-round clash with Blackburn.

DARYL MURPHY and Grant Leadbitter fired Sunderland to a deserved win over QPR as Roy Keane’s side continued their steady rise up the Coca-Cola Championship table.

Cardiff 0 QPR 1

QPR have completed the signing of striker Dexter Blackstock from Southampton for an undisclosed fee.

READING extended their lead in the Coca-Cola Championship with a classy 5-1 victory overt Cardiff. With second-placed Sheffield United not playing Hull until today, the Royals took the opportunity to move further clear at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading extended their lead at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship with a classy 5-1 victory against Cardiff.

Southampton manager Harry Redknapp will consider young strikers Dexter Blackstock and Kenwyne Jones for places on the substitutes bench to give his side aerial options against Manchester United.

Southampton boss Harry Redknapp has recalled striker Dexter Blackstock from his loan spell at Coca-Cola Championship side Plymouth.

New signing Nigel Quashie will miss Southampton’s clash against his former side Portsmouth when the two sides meet for a place in the FA Cup fifth round at St Mary’s tomorrow.

Southampton manager Harry Redknapp will give an immediate debut to new signing Nigel Quashie as he bids for his first Barclays Premiership win since taking charge of Southampton against Liverpool tomorrow.

Midfielders Anders Svensson and Fabrice Fernandes are both fit to return to Southampton’s squad as they bid to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation with a win at Newcastle tomorrow.

Liverpool 1 Southampton 0

Liverpool 1 Southampton 0

Premiership:

Premiership:

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Liverpool v Southampton

Defenders Graeme Le Saux and Jason Dodd face fitness tests as Southampton bid to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation with victory over Charlton on St Stephen's Day.

Southampton striker James Beattie has recovered from injury and is included in the squad for the Premiership clash at Tottenham tomorrow.

Norwich v Fulham

Southampton head coach Steve Wigley will welcome three key players back to his squad for the trip to Manchester United.

Southampton keeper Antti Niemi has a knee injury and misses tomorrow’s relegation clash with Crystal Palace at St Mary’s.

Norwich 2 Southampton 1

Arsenal v West Brom

Arsenal v West Brom

Crystal Palace v Newcastle