Warnock points finger at ref

Leeds manager Neil Warnock claimed his side should have had two penalties in their 1-0 defeat to Cardiff. The Whites went down to Frazier Campbell's second-half effort and Warnock accused referee Mike Dean of being in a bad position when Cardiff captain Mark Hudson appeared to handle the ball. "It is a cruel game sometimes. Everything about this match was cruel," he said. "We missed open goals and the young lad (Byram) made a schoolboy error. I thought Mike Dean was brilliant but he didn't see the handball, when we all appealed, because he was in a bad position and should have been in a better one. "He had three or four bodies in the way. The linesman could have helped him out, but they don't, do they. Then there was another handball in the 93rd minute that wasn't given. "Our two centre-halves were magnificent, we played some good stuff against the top-of-the-table team and were better than them, so it's very frustrating that we got nothing."

Bolton 1-1 Millwall

Millwall boss Kenny Jackett declared himself pleased with his side's performance as they held Bolton to a 1-1 draw at the Reebok. Lions striker Andy Keogh won a penalty and delicately placed the ball past Adam Bogdan, but Keith Andrews managed to equalise from another spot-kick later in the first half. He said: "We had a bit of a threat on the break but overall we have got four points out of six against Bolton which is great against a team that have come down from the Premier League. "The first half we played well and caused Bolton problems. In the second half it was a rear-guard action from us and we defended well for long periods. "In terms of the table and where it leaves us we are still in there with a shout." It was also Republic of Ireland international Keogh's first game since he broke his toe and Jackett was delighted with his return and he was also impressed with debutant Martyn Woolford's performance. He said "I think Andy is a key player for us and I thought he played very well today. "Him and Danny N'Guessan up front gives us a lot of pace on the counter, which you need to take advantage of when you play a team which try to get on top of you like Bolton do." He added: "I was pleased with Walford's first game because he gave us balance on the left hand side and he had a great strike in the first half where he nearly scored as well."

Cardiff City 0-0 Ipswich Town

Cardiff boss Malky Mackay was in positive mood despite the 0-0 draw against Ipswich, which was the first time they've failed to score this season. Their opponents were well organised and could have snatched a win through Guirane N'Daw's curling effort that hit the woodwork. Despite that, Cardiff stretched their lead at the top of the Championship to eight points. Mackay said: "We were playing against a team who are right at the top of the form table with a new manager and some new players coming in. They'd only lost two in 10 so if we had not worked as hard as them then we'd have been beaten. "For us to come out with another clean sheet, our fourth in five games, on the back of 13 points out of 15 I'm delighted. "I think you can always hope you can create more chances. We created 20 attempts on their goal but it is the clinical nature of that final pass that was missing. "The conditions were pretty poor in terms of the wind and the rain and I think both sides struggled with that at times." It took Cardiff 27 minutes to create a real chance, Mark Hudson missing the first of two first-half headers in a match short on quality. Craig Bellamy and Aron Gunnarsson both had second-half chances to extend Cardiff's lead at the top of the table but couldn't find a way through.

Bristol City 0-4 Leicester

Chris Wood fired in a first-half hat-trick as Leicester secured an easy 4-0 win at Ashton Gate to send Bristol City to the foot of the npower Championship. The former Robins loanee made it nine from his last five games and six in three since joining the Foxes from West Brom. Most of the damage was done before the break, inflicted by a combination of Ben Marshall, home goalkeeper Dean Gerken and the unstoppable Wood. Marshall provided the ammunition for the first two goals, though Gerken will have to shoulder the blame for the second as he flapped at an 18th-minute corner. And Gerken looked culpable again when Wood's long-range shot crept under his body four minutes before the interval, taking the striker's tally for the season to 17. Matty James added the fourth to compound the woes of Derek McInnes, whose side now prop up the pile following Barnsley's victory over Leeds. It took just 11 minutes for the visitors to get off the mark. Marshall played a precise pass down the left flank, Wood controlled, cut inside and drove home. The visitors forced a corner seven minutes later and capitalised on some poor goalkeeping from Gerken, who tried to punch it clear but failed to make sufficient contact, and Wood tapped in the loose ball. McInnes' shellshocked side struggled to muster any meaningful response as Pearson's men continued to control proceedings. And they were rewarded with a third goal just before half-time. Wood unleashed a shot from 20 yards and though Gerken got across his goal to cover it, the ball squirmed under his body. Things got even worse for the hosts early in the second half. They sloppily conceded possession inside their own half, James took full advantage, advancing to within striking distance to pick out the bottom-right corner for his first goal since August.

Burnley 1-0 Crystal Palace

Burnley boss Sean Dyche hailed his side's "excellent" play as they edged past Crystal Palace 1-0 at Turf Moor. Junior Stanislas marked his first start since November by scoring the only goal of the game with a brilliant strike into the top corner from outside the box with nine minutes to go. The Clarets survived a late scare as Lee Grant got down brilliantly to turn the ball away after Jason Shackell had diverted Jonathan Parr's cross towards his own goal and Mile Jedinak hit the crossbar in stoppage time, but Dyche's side held on. He said: "I thought our football was excellent but it was a tight game and we did well to win it. "We asked the players to give a lot in their performances and they did that once again. "I am sure Ian Holloway will argue that Palace should have got something from the game and if you isolate the second half maybe he is right, but over the 90 minutes I think we deserved to win. "We scored a fantastic goal and I am delighted for Junior, but the whole team worked hard for it. "Football is swings and roundabouts and I think we have been hard done by at times but when we apply ourselves then we don't have to worry about silly decisions and we can challenge anyone in the league. "We need to improve our consistency now and see if we can get more wins on the board. If we can do that then who knows where it could take us."

Middlesbrough 1-2 Watford

Scott McDonald's injury-time goal was not enough for Middlesbrough as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Watford. Czech Republic striker Matej Vydra, signed on loan by Gianfranco Zola from Italian side Udinese in the summer, fired home in time added on at the end of the first half and struck his second in the 83rd minute. Scott McDonald headed home a consolation for Boro in the third minute of stoppage time but it wasn't enough to prevent Tony Mowbray's side from losing for only the second time in their last 10 outings at the Riverside. Defenders Seb Hines and George Friend, midfielders Josh McEachran and Faris Haroun, plus strikers Scott McDonald, Emmanuel Ledesma and Lukas Jutkiewicz all returned to Middlesbrough's starting line-up, and as a result, Boro took time to adjust, despite making all the running. Ledesma's 30-yard effort in the second minute warmed Almunia's hands and Jutkiewicz's shot from inside the penalty area was blocked by Watford defender Joel Ekstrand. Friend then blasted the subsequent corner over the bar. Hines then blazed his shot from six yards off target from Grant Leadbitter's corner as Boro did everything bar score in the opening half an hour. But Watford scored with their first shot on target. Vydra pounced on a loose ball in first-half injury time before firing a drilled left-footed shot into the bottom corner. Reach (twice), Ledesma and Faroun all tried their luck from outside the area, the latter's superbly held by Almunia before Boro boss Mowbray sent on Ishmael Miller for Jutkiewicz in the 69th minute. But Watford doubled their advantage when Vydra steered home his second in the 83rd minute, taking Abdi's cross from the left in his stride to bury another finish into the bottom corner. McDonald headed home Reach's cross in the 93rd minute, but it was a mere consolation.

Kelly completes Bristol City move

Liam Kelly has joined Bristol City for an undisclosed fee after passing a medical. Kilmarnock accepted an undisclosed bid for the midfielder on Thursday and Kelly passed a medical later that day, meaning the move is now only subject to international clearance. The 22-year-old has made over 100 appearances for Killie and won the Scottish League Cup there. Manager Derek McInnes told the Robins' official website: "He has accumulated quite a lot of games and experience in the Scottish Premier League and has been a key player for Kilmarnock over the last few seasons. "He has amassed quite a lot of Under-21 games for Scotland and is now involved in the full senior squad as well. "Liam is someone we think will only get better. He gets around the pitch, utilises the ball well and takes responsibility for his position." Kelly added: "I'm pleased to be signing for a fantastic club. "I've been in England before with MK Dons, served my apprenticeship and then moved to Kilmarnock for four seasons. "It's a big step to take (to come to Bristol City) but one I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to get going now and get training with the lads."

Peterborough Shock Cardiff

{EAV:fc609102412da165}  Darren Ferguson was pleased with his Peterborough team after they recorded a shock 2-1 win at Cardiff. The hosts had won all 10 of their previous home league games this season, but goals from Michael Bostwick and Dwight Gayle gave Posh a surprise 2-0 lead. Rudy Gestede grabbed a goal back for the Bluebirds late on, but the visitors were able to hold out for their first win since October 27, much to the delight of their manager. He said: "We have beaten the best team in the league so that shows we can beat any team in this league. "It's a very good day. I have always believed in the players and maintained the confidence that we can get the job done. "We stuck to the game plan and deserved the win but we didn't finish them off. We were hanging on a bit at the end. But if we continue to perform like that we will be fine in this league."

Zola named new Watford Manager

Former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has been named as Watford's new manager on a two-year contract. The announcement comes after new owner Giampaolo Pozzo announced on Monday that the Italian would take charge of the Championship outfit following a verbal agreement with the 46-year-old. The club sacked Sean Dyche, who had been in charge of the club since June 2011 and managed to lead the club to their highest finish in five seasons (11th), last week to pave the way for Zola's arrival. Zola has two years managerial experience at the top level, having been West Ham boss from 2008-10 when they were in the Premier League, where they have just returned. He was praised for an attractive style of football at the east London club, while also being hailed for integrating the youth set-up into the first team. However after finishing just five points above the relegation zone in his second season, the former Blues man had his contract terminated. The board are hoping he can bring a free-flowing attacking style of football to the team, while insisting the ex-Italy international is a good fit for their vision.

Woodgate Returns to Middlesbrough

Jonathan Woodgate has completed a return to Middlesbrough after agreeing a three-year deal. Boro have confirmed that the 32-year-old former England international has signed for his hometown club for the second time after making a £7million switch from Real Madrid in 2007. Woodgate was a free agent after his contract at Stoke expired at the end of last month. The defender, who expects to end his career at the Riverside Stadium, told the club's official website: "The pull of helping Boro back in the Premier League is very strong for me, and from what I have seen of the current squad I think it's achievable. " [Manager] Tony Mowbray explained his plans for next season and how he is building a team that wants to get back in the Premier League as soon as possible. "I want to be part of that and if we can achieve promotion in my time here, it will be a fantastic way to end my career."

Watford confirm Dyche departure

Watford's new owners have confirmed the sacking of manager Sean Dyche in a statement issued on their official website. Dyche, 41, only in the post for 12 months, guided Watford to an 11th-placed finish in the npower Championship last season. But the Italian-based Pozzo family, who already own Serie A side Udinese and Spanish club Granada, completed their takeover of Watford from Laurence Bassin on Friday with countryman Gianfranco Zola expected to now take the helm from Dyche. Giampaolo Pozzo told Sky Italia on Sunday that they had reached a verbal agreement with Zola, who has been out of work since being dismissed by West Ham in May 2010. The statement read: "Watford football club confirms that it has terminated the contract of first-team manager Sean Dyche, with immediate effect. "His achievements under difficult circumstances mean that he will rightly be held in high regard by Watford supporters. Everyone at the club extends their warmest wishes to Sean for the future."

Wayne Bridge joins Brighton

Manchester City's Wayne Bridge has dropped down to the npower Championship and joined Brighton on a season-long loan deal. The 31-year-old former England left-back moved to the Etihad Stadium from Chelsea in 2009 but has endured a torrid time in recent years, having fallen well behind Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov in boss Roberto Mancini's plans. Bridge was farmed out to West Ham and Sunderland over the past two seasons and has now agreed another loan that will see him spend next term with the Seagulls. Seagulls manager Gus Poyet revealed Bridge has been one of his main summer targets and is delighted to be able to bring in the former Southampton defender. "It's difficult to say how I happy I am because it's not easy to get top-class players," Poyet told the club's official website, www.seagulls.co.uk. "I'm absolutely delighted to have Wayne with us. He's been one of the top three left-backs in this country for many years. "There were a lot of things that had to come together to make it happen. Firstly, (City first-team coach) David Platt has been great at Manchester City and then Wayne and his agent have helped a lot too."

Derby County have sold Jason Shackell to Championship rivals Burnley

Derby County have sold Jason Shackell to Championship rivals Burnley and the Rams are close to signing another central defender.The fee for Shackell is undisclosed but is thought to be in the region of £1.1m. He has signed a four-year deal.The 28-year-old centre-back was ever-present in the back four last season and departs 12 months after arriving in a £750,000 deal from Barnsley. Chief executive Tom Glick said the club were disappointed to see Shackell leave and confirmed that Derby were set to make their own move in the transfer market. "Plans are well under way to not only secure the services of a central defender but also strengthen other areas of the first-team squad." said Glick. Derby turned down four bids for Shackell last month. At the time, Manchester City-bound Glick described him as a top player in the Championship, saying: "So it would take a lot to pry him away from Derby. I expect him to be with us for the start of the season." Shackell made 49 appearances last season and wore the captain's armband in the absence of Shaun Barker. He was also runner-up to Craig Bryson in the fans' player-of-the-year poll. His contribution has been praised by manager Nigel Clough. "Jason has always been 100% professional and a fantastic player to work with," said Clough. "He played every game last season, so it came as no great shock when other clubs started to register their interest in him." Cardiff City and newly-promoted Charlton Athletic also entered the race to sign Shackell. Burnley are his sixth club, as he has also played for Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers. Clough said: "Although I am sad to see Jason leave, we have Jake Buxton, Tom Naylor and Mark O'Brien, who have all proved to be more than capable at performing in the Championship. "We are also actively looking to bring in another central defender and hope to make an announcement in the not too distant future." Derby have indicated all summer that they might cash in on Shackell at the right price if it would help to strengthen the squad.

Fans upset as Cardiff City go from blue to red

Cardiff City upset fans today after bosses confirmed that the club's kit would change from blue to red. The club's Malaysian owners unveiled the new kit today and fans immediately took to social networking site Twitter to voice their opinions. One said: "Sympathy for Cardiff City fans: robbed of history by foreign fast buck men. Football without history & legitimacy is nothing but a circus." Another commented: "Well then, it's confirmed. Cardiff City have become a joke, a sell out and an embarrassment." The switch - which also includes a new club crest and takes effect immediately - comes after the club's hierarchy approved the decision at a board meeting. The club have unveiled three new strips - a red home shirt, a blue away strip, and a third kit, which is mainly black. All new kits bear a redesigned badge, incorporating a main image of a dragon, with a small bluebird inserted underneath, and carrying the slogan "Fire and Passion". In addition to the new kit, the club have announced plans to build a brand-new training ground, pay off the historical Langston debt, provide manager Malky Mackay with a substantial transfer kitty, and explore the possibility of expanding the Cardiff City Stadium. A statement on cardiffcityfc.co.uk, said: "Following a comprehensive review of wider supporter feedback via email, letters, media coverage and polls run via the official Supporters Club and Media Wales and as a consequence of the above commitment, Cardiff City Football Club will also reactivate rebranding proposals with a view to exploiting and maximising its brand and commercial revenues in international markets, which it is hoped in turn will bring success to the club locally, whilst also attracting new partners and investors."

Match Report :Blackpool 1 Birmingham 0

Curtis Davies' unfortunate own goal gave Blackpool a slender 1-0 advantage over Birmingham in the first leg of their npower Championship play-off semi-final. Gary Taylor-Fletcher prodded home from an offside position for the hosts, while Davies headed off target at the other end in a frenetic opening. Marlon King might have done better when his shot from Chris Burke's cutback clipped the top of the bar at the end of a clinical 40th-minute counter attack. The hosts broke the deadlock 44 minutes into an evenly-matched first half when Tom Ince's speculative low drive took a significant deflection off Blues captain Davies. Ian Holloway introduced Nouha Dicko and and Kevin Phillips in a straight swap for forwards Stephen Dobbie and Taylor-Fletcher and the latter thought he had made an instant impact against his former club, only to be flagged offside after heading home a right-wing cross from namesake Matt. King was agonisingly close to levelling the tie in the first minute of stoppage time, stretching to steer Wade Elliott's knockdown against the woodwork.