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Old 15-05-2007, 12:49
ONEDUNME ONEDUNME jest offline
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17299
Re: Coca-Cola League Championship playoffs 15-16th May

Sorry mate can't access that info. Here's some stuff from the BBC website though.


Derby hope to be able to add midfielder Morten Bisgaard and striker Paul Peschisolido to their squad.

Peschisolido has recovered from an ankle injury and Bisgaard a hamstring problem to boost boss Billy Davies.
Southampton have been further hit by injury blows, with defender Gareth Bale (ankle) and striker Kenwyne Jones (groin) almost certainly out.
Darren Powell's hopes of returning in defence are receding, while Alexander Ostlund is nursing an ankle injury.





BIG-MATCH FACTS

DERBY COUNTY go into the second leg of the Championship play off semi-final, holding the upper hand against Southampton. The Rams came from behind to an Andrew Surman goal at St Mary's with a double from Steve Howard - one from the penalty spot - and lead 2-1 at half way. The winners will face either West Brom or Wolves in the multi-million pound final, with the Baggies leading 3-2 going into their 2nd leg at the Hawthorns. Southampton 1-2 Derby Report
Wolves 2-3 West Brom Report

The Rams, who are attempting to return to the Premiership after an absence of five seasons, are appearing in the play-offs for the fourth time and are yet to be promoted through them. They were losing semi-finalists to Blackburn in 1992, and to Billy Davies' Preston in 2005, having trailed by two goals in the first leg on both occasions. In 1994 they led Millwall 2-0 after the home leg of the semi, and won the tie 5-1 on aggregate, then lost 2-1 to Leicester in the final at Wembley.
This is also the third taste of play-off experience for manager Billy Davies in as many years. His Preston side reached the final in 2005, after dismissing Derby. At the Millennium Stadium, they lost 0-1 to West Ham. Last season, Davies took his Preston outfit to Leeds in the semi-final, drew 1-1, then lost the home leg 0-2.
The momentum was not on Derby's side going into these play-offs. County started April at the top of the table, but failure to win four of the last six saw them slipping out of the automatic promotion spots, ending the regular season third, four points off the pace and two points short of runners-up Birmingham. Billy Davies' record against his opposite number and fellow Scot George Burley is impressive. They have been in opposite dug outs on seven occasions, with Davies' managed clubs winning four, drawing three and losing one.
SOUTHAMPTON have it all to do to reach Wembley in their first ever encounter in the cut and thrust of play off competition, and end the promotion hopes of Derby, who parted company with Saints manager George Burley in acrimonious circumstances in June 2005. Burley may be one of the most experienced managers when it comes to this end-of-season lottery, but he's never entered the second leg of a play off semi-final with the luxury of a lead (drawing in two, losing in three).
Even in the year of Burley's one success when he famously took Ipswich into the Premiership by winning the final match at the old Wembley against Barnsley in 2000, the Suffolk club drew the first leg of the semi-final with Bolton 2-2, before winning 5-3 at Portman Road. That was also the only occasion, Burley has successfully negotiated this semi-final stage.
The Saints, who've spent two years outside the Premiership, sneaked into the play offs by winning five of their last seven matches of the regular season, including the last three. They edged out Preston on the last day to finish sixth in the table, one point ahead of North End, who lost six of the last eight. The club finishing sixth in the second tier has progressed to the play off final in 10 of the last 16 seasons, and gone on to gain promotion and win the final five times, since it became a one-off match in 1990.
The south coast side have only won one of seven meetings with Derby, and none of the last five. Southampton have never won at Pride Park (drawn four, lost four), and have picked up just one victory in 21 League and Cup visits to their east Midlands opponents - the one exception being 0-1 in the top flight on 23 September 1989, when Rod Wallace scored. In this season's Championship fixtures, the Rams drew at Pride Park and won at St Mary's. Derby 2-2 Southampton Report (6 August 2006)
Southampton 0-1 Derby Report (3 February 2007)
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