Championship

Sports Mole's Championship Team of the Week

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 02 March 2014

Sports Mole picks out its best XI, highlights the biggest numpty and chooses its favourite goal from Saturday's Championship action.

Plenty happened on Saturday in the Championship as all 24 teams played, with 35 goals and five red cards across the division.

Leaders Leicester City look nailed on for automatic promotion as the gap between them and Derby County in third place is now up to 13 points, after the Foxes saw off Charlton Athletic and second-placed Burnley edged out the Rams.

Queens Park Rangers' chances of finishing in the top two look slimmer as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United, while Wigan Athletic convincingly beat Nottingham Forest to edge Reading out of the playoffs.

The Royals couldn't beat bottom club Yeovil Town, who managed to hang on for a point, despite having three men sent off at the Madejski Stadium.

Here, Sports Mole selects its best XI, highlights the biggest numpty and chooses its favourite goal from Saturday's second-tier action.

Marek Stech (Yeovil Town)
Yeovil had to play more than 30 minutes with fewer than 11 men as three were rightly sent off. Reading peppered the Glovers' area, but they hung on for a point thanks to a strong display between the sticks by Stech, who also saved a penalty just before Reading equalised.

Simon Francis (Bournemouth)
Cherries right-back Francis provided two assists as they romped past Doncaster Rovers 5-0 at the Goldsands Stadium.
Oguchi Onyewu (Sheffield Wednesday)
A rare start for Onyewu in defence and he was a rock at the back as Wednesday squeezed past Middlesbrough, who have now gone seven games without winning.
Jason Shackell (Burnley)
It was a huge match for Burnley when Derby visited Turf Moor and the Clarets more than stood up to the challenge. Even though Shackell was helped by the fact that Derby's top scorer Chris Martin was sent off, he was still the standout defender in the contest.
Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester)
Filling in for the suspended Paul Konchesky, Schlupp was up and down the wing all game long and constantly aided the Foxes' attack against Charlton Athletic.

Jordi Gomez (Wigan)
It was one of Wigan's best performances of the season as they trounced fellow playoff hopeful Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Gomez was at the heart of most of the Latics' attacks and rounded of a great performance with a dipping drive from over 30 yards.
Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers)
A second week in a row here for ex-Liverpool man Spearing, who scored Bolton's fierce third on their way to a 4-0 thrashing of Lancashire neighbours Blackburn Rovers
Harry Arter (Bournemouth)
Bournemouth were superb against Doncaster and Arter provided a brace from midfield, with the first especially good as he fizzed a left-foot half-volley into the net.
Danny Ward (Huddersfield Town)
Another convincing home win came at the John Smith's Stadium as Huddersfield spanked Yorkshire rivals Barnsley. Ward was a livewire down the left and scored the Terriers' second.

Troy Deeney (Watford)
There were plenty of convincing home wins yesterday and another came at Vicarage Road as Watford blew away ailing Blackpool. Both Deeney and strike partner Mathias Ranegie could be here, but we've given the edge to Deeney for his brilliant curling second goal.
Yann Kermorgant (Bournemouth)
Last, but certainly not least, is Bournemouth's January signing Kermorgant, who opened his Cherries account with a clinical hat-trick against Doncaster.

Numpty of the Week

John Lundstram: Yeovil ended up clinging on for a point, but they should never have conceded the goal that they did against Reading. Soon after Stech's penalty save, Everton loanee Lundstram got his feet muddled inside his own six-yard box and somehow poked the ball into his own net. A frontrunner for comedy own goal of the season.

Goal of the Week

David Jones (Burnley) vs. Derby: There were plenty of wonderful strikes yesterday but none better than Burnley's opener. Clarets top scorer Danny Ings set up Jones by scooping the ball cleverly into his path, and then the former Wigan man kneed the ball up before dipping a magnificent volley in off the underside of the crossbar.