Championship Review: West Brom held, Harris suffers first Cardiff defeat

West Brom missed the chance to return to the top of the Championship as their six-match winning run was halted in a 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic.

Slaven Bilic’s side had to recover from a goal down to snatch a point that lifts them level with Leeds United, who beat Hull City on Tuesday to climb into top spot.

Brentford got their play-off charge back on track with a 2-1 win over Cardiff City, inflicting a first defeat of Neil Harris’ reign on the Welsh side.

Elsewhere, QPR moved into the top half of the division with a 2-0 away win at Birmingham City, while the other three games that took place on Wednesday finished 1-1.

WEST BROM DROP POINTS

West Brom had won four successive away league matches without conceding, but they came unstuck against a determined Wigan side at the DW Stadium.

Bilic’s decision to rest some key players backfired as Sam Morsy’s free-kick came back off the post, hit Sam Johnstone and crossed the line for an own goal.

Michael Jacobs hit the bar in a real let-off for the visitors four minutes before Charlie Austin fired an indirect free-kick through a sea of bodies once teed up by Jake Livermore.

West Brom could not find a winner, however, meaning just goal difference keeps them behind pacesetters Leeds, while Wigan are within three points of safety.

Just five points separate 3rd and 13th positions in the @SkyBetChamp with 21 games played! #EFL pic.twitter.com/Mc5yZ1JaTz

— EFL (@EFL) December 11, 2019

HARRIS SUFFERS FIRST DEFEAT

After dragging Cardiff into play-off contention by collecting 10 points from the first 12 on offer, Harris saw his side leapfrogged by Brentford with a narrow loss at Griffin Park.

City had won the most recent three of those matches but fell behind to Bryan Mbeumo’s strike 25 minutes in.

Mbeumo then claimed an assist for his side’s second goal, with Ollie Watkins converting a free header to leave Cardiff with a big mountain to climb.

Marlon Pack’s long-range strike with 26 minutes to play gave Harris’ men some hope, but Brentford saw out victory to move into seventh place, a point off the play-offs.

#BrentfordFC https://t.co/TDWx9mloWI

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 11, 2019

OSAYI-SAMUEL STUNNER HELPS SINK BIRMINGHAM

Bright Osayi-Samuel scored an impressive solo goal to help QPR on their way to a 2-0 win at Birmingham, who entered the match level on points with their opponents.

The 21-year-old midfielder picked up the ball in his own half and galloped all the way into the opposition box, where he kept his cool to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.

That incredible strike added to Grant Hall’s opener in first-half stoppage time as QPR made it back-to-back wins against a Birmingham side who now have one win in seven.

Who enjoyed that then?#BIRQPR pic.twitter.com/gP3gZkRnRP

— QPR FC (@QPR) December 11, 2019

DRAWS GALORE AS MARTIN RESCUES POINT

Sheffield Wednesday would have climbed back into the top six with victory against Derby County, but they were held to a 1-1 draw at Pride Park.

Steven Fletcher’s sweeping finish gave Wednesday a 23rd-minute lead, only for Chris Martin to level from the penalty spot late on after Moses Odubajo – sent off in the 90th minute – fouled Jack Marriott.

Out-of-form Swansea City also played out a 1-1 draw in their home meeting with Blackburn Rovers, stretching their winless run to six matches.

Ex-Swan Danny Graham gave Rovers an early lead, which Andre Ayew cancelled out six minutes later in a game that saw Tom Carroll and Bradley Dack shown second-half reds.

Meanwhile, Barnsley remain rooted to the foot of the table following a 1-1 draw with Reading at Oakwell.

Lucas Joao struck in the second half to rescue a point for fellow strugglers Reading, who fell behind to a Cauley Woodrow goal just before the hour mark.