Warnock and Mowbray do Middlesbrough favours in Championship promotion race’s latest twists
With three of the top six in the FA Cup Championship this weekend including Sheffield United, Middlesbrough’s 4-0 win over Preston North End ensured they kept the pressure on the Blades.
The three points for Carrick’s side put them within three points of Paul Heckingbottom’s side with eight games remaining after the international break. But Sheffield United have another game in hand against Boro after beating Blackburn Rovers in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-finals to book a place at Wembley next month.
With Sheffield United not playing in the league at the time, the weekend’s win over Preston was more about cementing Boro’s top-six credentials after they lost two points to Stoke City midweek. And they have two former Boro managers to thank, which has been a really positive weekend in that regard.
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Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland couldn’t do Boro any favors on Wednesday night as the loss to Sheffield United allowed them to build a six-point lead over Boro in the race for second place. But this weekend they did Boro a favor by drawing against Luton Town, whose midweek win had left them just a point behind Boro in fourth place. This gap is now three points again.
Elsewhere, Neil Warnock’s Huddersfield Town clinched an important win at Millwall, who are currently sixth in the table. The gap between Boro and the Lions widened to seven points thanks to Warnock’s win, with Boro returning to Huddersfield after the international break.
Norwich are currently in seventh place and they suffered a goalless draw at Stoke City meaning Boro’s margin between them and elimination from the play-off places is now ten points, with Coventry City beating Blackpool and also by 57 points to eighth place. They overtook Chris Wilder’s Watford, who drew just 1-1 at Wigan Athletic to fall five points adrift of the top six.
West Brom were out of action over the weekend as they were due to play FA Cup-focused Sheffield United. If they won that game, they would move up to seventh place, reducing Boro’s lead to nine points. But in that scenario, they would be taking points from Sheffield United, which would obviously benefit Carrick’s side.
As well as the rearranged West Brom game which is currently set to take place on Tuesday April 25, Sheffield United must now also rearrange their league trip to Huddersfield which was due to take place on Saturday April 22 as this the weekend is they will be in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.
That could benefit Boro as they have an extra game to play in the final weeks of the season, while the FA Cup trip is due just days before the already rearranged West Brom game. Despite this game being played at Bramall Lane, the Baggies showed Boro what they are capable of last month and are the only team to have beaten Boro in their last ten games.