Results Tonight provide huge boost to Cardiff making the play-offs as a minimum

Tonight’s Championship results

Barnsley 3 Crystal Palace 1

Doncaster 0 Reading 1

Ipswich 1 Burnley 1

QPR 1 Swansea City 0

That’s a set of result that means Cardiff City’s chances of making automatic promotion are as tough as ever but with Ipswich and Burnley drawing while Swansea lost in London, the likelihood are making the play-offs as a minimum as looking better than ever.

The one bad result, Bluebird-wise, was Reading grabbing a 1-0 victory at Doncaster who give Cardiff no helping hand having also lost at home to Birmingham last weekend. The Royals winner came 8 minutes from time from returning on-loan man Dave Kitson.

It was a very poor encounter in which both sides has seemed resigned to a goalless draw until Kitson gave manager Steve Coppell something to celebrate in his 1,000^th game as a manager.

Burnley – after 2 emphatic victories – appeared to be on their way again when Elliott fired them into the lead in another unremarkable game but Dos Santos levelled up with 15 minutes to go retaining Ipswich’s outside hopes getting into the play-offs.

However Swansea followed up Saturday’s crash at home to Crystal Palace with another setback to London opposition, this time falling 1-0 at QPR to Leighterwood’s 30^th minute goal. The Jacks had no answer to that.

City go into tomorrow’s encounter with Watford 11 points off an automatic promotion spot but with 3 games in hand on Birmingham while Reading are now 7 points ahead but have played 2 more.

Where it looks really good for City is making the play-offs as a minimum. In 6^th tonight, they now enjoy 3 games in hand on the 4 sides below them who are the only likely sides to break into the Top 6 as well as a far superior goal difference and upto 5 points advantage as well.

	Team	P	GD	PTS
1	Wolverhampton	39	23	74
2	Birmingham	39	14	71
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3	Reading	38	30	67
4	Sheff Utd	38	18	63
5	Burnley	39	7	62
6	Cardiff	36	17	60
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7	Preston	39	3	60
8	Bristol City	39	7	58
9	Swansea	39	11	57
10	Ipswich	39	8	55
11	QPR	38	-2	50
12	Crystal Palace	38	1	50
13	Sheff Wed	39	-9	50
14	Doncaster	39	-13	49
15	Coventry	37	-5	47
16	Watford	37	-4	46
17	Derby	37	-5	46
18	Blackpool	39	-12	46
19	Barnsley	37	-11	43
20	Plymouth	39	-13	43
21	Norwich	39	-8	42
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22	Nottm Forest	39	-18	41
23	Southampton	38	-16	39
24	Charlton	38	-24	28