Championship preview

28 August 2009 13:15
While the pacesetters will aim to maintain their early-season form in the Championship, it is the East Midlands derby that dominates the bank holiday weekend fixtures. Last term saw Nottingham Forest and Derby renew local hostilities after three seasons apart and they also faced each other twice in the FA Cup. The Rams came out on top, winning their last two meetings, and the odds are stacked in their favour for the City Ground clash. Forest legend Nigel Clough has led Derby to two wins from their opening four league games, leaving them just outside the top six. Forest are still searching for their first league win and have failed to beat Derby in their last eight meetings, but they will be buoyed by the midweek Carling Cup win over Middlesbrough. Boro are one of four teams with 10 points from 12 and will be up against it to claim their fourth straight league win as they visit Bristol City. Cardiff are top of the Championship on goal difference, with Michael Chopra grabbing his eighth goal in six games in the midweek Carling Cup win over Bristol Rovers, and they travel to winless Doncaster. West Brom are joint top and their unbeaten start could come under threat as they have a testing trip to last season's play-off finalists Sheffield United, who are also unbeaten. Preston are level with the Blades and will be looking for a third straight win as they visit Roy Keane's Ipswich, who have claimed just one point so far. Eighth-placed Coventry suffered their first league defeat at home to Swansea last week and face a trip to Blackpool, who have drawn each of their four league games and pulled off the shock of the round in midweek by thumping Premier League Wigan 4-1. Sheffield Wednesday enjoyed a 4-0 victory against Scunthorpe to register their first league win and will hope to condemn Plymouth to a third straight defeat as they head south to Home Park. Watford will have a new-look line-up for their visit to Swansea having sold Tommy Smith and Jobi McAnuff this week. Scunthorpe will aim to bounce back from two successive defeats at home to QPR, who are level on points and just two places above them in 16th. Saturday's other fixture sees rock-bottom Barnsley desperate to avoid a fourth straight defeat as they host Reading, in 21st place after just two draws so far but boosted by the midweek signings of McAnuff and Grzegorz Rasiak.

Source: SKY_Sports