Last Updated on: 30th May 2018, 09:42 am
With the Premier League still a week from finishing, the Championship drew to a close with only the playoffs remaining this season. Already promoted Leicester and Burnley knew that Premier League football was already guaranteed for next season and, with the third, fourth and fifth places already confirmed, there was only one place up for grabs in the playoffs.
Reading hosted promoted Burnley and knew that either a win or equalling Brighton’s result would mean that there was a potential for a return to the top flight, and at half time everything was looking good for them, Brighton were trailing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest and even though they were losing as well they knew that at the time that was enough to claim the last playoff place.
The second half of both games proved decisive, within 10 minutes of the second half starting Brighton had equalised and as it stood were claiming sixth place, but with news of this getting to Reading they equalised against Burnley and once again had the edge. However, in the dying minutes, Brighton top scorer Leonardo Ulloa headed home from close range to secure a place in the playoffs and a potential place in the Premier League for the first time.
At the bottom of the league it was almost as exciting, with two teams already down, Doncaster and Birmingham travelled to Leicester and Bolton, with the hope of staying in the Championship. With only a point separating the two before the games Birmingham knew that they needed to at least draw and hope that Doncaster would be beaten to have a chance. An hour in to the game Birmingham went a goal down to Bolton and then with only fifteen minutes to go things got even worse as they went two down.
Doncaster looked all but safe only to concede a highly controversial penalty with just fifteen minutes remaining that was converted to leave them preying that Bolton would hold on and beat Birmingham.
When all looked lost Birmingham fought back and scored to give themselves hope in the 78th minute of the game. As the 90th minute came Birmingham poured forward looking for the vital equalizer and with the final whistle about to sound Paul Caddis scored a dramatic equaliser to save Birmingham from relegation and sentence Doncaster to relegation down to League One along with Barnsley and Yeovil.
How do you think the promoted and relegated teams will fare in their new divisions next season?
Who would you tip to triumph in the playoffs and win a place in the Premier League?
Tags: championship, football, football league, playoffs, promotion