Championship round-up: Blackpool relegated, Wigan's Mackay sacked, Brentford late draw

BLACKPOOL’S relegation fate was finally sealed yesterday, without even kicking a ball.

Lee ClarkGETTY

Blackpool have been relegated to League One

The Seasiders have been bottom of the table for the last six months and Rotherham’s 1-0 win over Brighton, thanks to Matt Derbyshire’s early winner, finally consigned them to the drop with six games remaining. 

Rotherham moved seven points of safety and and left Wigan and Millwall starring down the barrel. 

At the opposite end of the table, Norwich moved second after easing past Sheffield Wednesday thanks to Bradley Johnson double. The only sour note was Johnson’s 10th booking of the season that will rule him out of two key games in the run-in.

Derby’s 2-0 win at Wigan, thanks to second-half goals from Chris Martin and Darren Bent, saw Malky Mackay lose his job.

Derby manager Steve McClaren claims automatic promotion remains “a long shot” and his side might have to settle for the play-offs at best despite ending their seven-games winless run.

“I think it’s a long shot,” McClaren said. “It’s out of our hands, we’ve not got control of it.”

Derby overhauled Brentford in the table and Bees boss Mark Warburton claimed his side were their own worst enemies despite salvaging a last-gasp point in their 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.

Warburton said: “We have to recognise that we dug a hole - we’d dominated possession and we’ve dominated chances.”

Tyler Walker, son of ex-Forest favourite Des, and Todd Kane but the visitors in command.  But Andre Gray hit back late on and Jota levelled at the death.

Mick McCarthy admitted he needed time out to clear his head after his Ipswich side missed the chance to move back into the play-off zone after crashing 2-1 at Huddersfield.

First-half goal from Nahki Wells and James Vaughan struck for Huddersfield. Luke Varney claimed his first Ipswich goal but they never looked like completing a comeback.

McCarthy said: “Shouting and swearing doesn’t help but I did have to walk away at the end to calm down when I normally shake hands with all my players.”

Bolton striker Craig Davies returned to Wales to hit a second-half brace as Bolton cruised to a 3-0 win over mid-table Cardiff.

In a dead-rubber, three goals in 18 second-half minutes via Eidur Gudjohnsen and Davies proved the difference.

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