Soccer

Struggling Sheffield Wednesday put five past McCarthy’s Cardiff at Hillsborough

Championship round-up: Wycombe boost survival hopes with win over Rotherham

Sheffield Wednesday’s Jordan Rhodes celebrates scoring their fourth goal during the Sky Bet Championship match against Cardiff City at Hillsborough. Photograph: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire

Mon Apr 5 2021 - 18:13

Struggling Sheffield Wednesday stunned Mick McCarthy’s playoff hopefuls Cardiff with a 5-0 win at Hillsborough to lift themselves off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship.

Three of the goals came in the first 23 minutes, with Julian Borner, Callum Paterson and Adam Reach all on target.

Jordan Rhodes added a fourth goal approaching the midway point in the second half, before Reach rounded off the scoring with his second of the match.

Wednesday, who had won just once in their previous 10 games, had slipped to the bottom of the table following Wycombe's 3-0 win at Rotherham earlier in the day. They are now six points from safety.

READ MORE

The result completed a miserable Easter for Cardiff, following their 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Good Friday.

Coventry took a big step towards safety by beating Bristol City 3-1 to end their three-game winless run.

Leo Ostigard’s early strike and a second-half penalty from Matt Godden put the Sky Blues in control before Viktor Gyokeres ensured they would move seven points above the drop zone after Robins forward Nahki Wells pulled one back.

At the other end of the table, second-placed Watford missed the chance to significantly cut the gap to leaders Norwich after surrendering a lead to draw 1-1 at Middlesbrough.

Ismaila Sarr’s 10th goal of the season opened the scoring at the Riverside Stadium but Yannick Bolasie’s first Boro goal denied the promotion-chasing Hornets a seventh successive win.

Xisco Munoz's men sit five points adrift of the table-topping Canaries, who host Huddersfield on Tuesday, but more importantly moved 10 points clear of the chasing pack after goal-shy Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Preston.

Steve Cooper’s side have suffered four successive defeats without scoring after a late Matt Grimes own goal gifted North End victory.

Daryl Dike's brace boosted fifth-placed Barnsley's surprise playoff push as they won 2-1 against Luton at Kenilworth Road to move within a point of the Swans.

United States forward Dike squandered the chance to claim a hat-trick after seeing a penalty saved by Hatters goalkeeper Sam Sluga before Ireland striker James Collins’s consolation set up a nervy finish.

Reading remain sixth after beating Derby 3-1. Royals top scorer Lucas Joao came off the bench to secure victory with his 22nd goal of the season after Tom Lawrence's stunning long-range finish reduced the Rams' deficit following strikes from Michael Olise and George Puscas.

Bournemouth kept up the pressure on the Tykes and Royals with a 2-0 success against Blackburn.

In-form duo Philip Billing and Arnaut Danjuma were on target either side of half-time at Ewood Park to keep Jonathan Woodgate’s men a single point outside the top six, while Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic saved a late spot-kick from Adam Armstrong.

Millwall enhanced their slim playoff hopes as goals from Murray Wallace and Mason Bennett, either side of Jacob Brown's equaliser, secured a 2-1 victory at Stoke.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest beat QPR 3-1 at the City Ground. Alex Mighten, Lewis Grabban and James Garner wrapped up the points for Chris Hughton's hosts, prior to Lyndon Dykes's stoppage-time consolation.