Elsewhere, Pompey and Coventry City joined Rovers out of the Championship. Both the clubs lost their respective league outings to Derby and Doncaster but fellow strugglers Bristol City, who beat Barnsley 2-0, ensured that they would live to fight another season.
Hull City ground out a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, but results elsewhere meant that the Tigers will not competing in the playoffs this season. Ian Holloway’s Blackpool confirmed their spot with a 4-0 thrashing of Burnley, while Birmingham and Cardiff look good to join the Tangerines despite picking up only a point against Brighton and Leeds respectively.

Elsewhere, Peterborough United drew 2-2 with Watford at home while Andy Keogh’s brace helped Millwall beat Ipswich 3-0 at Portman Road. Keogh scored on either side of Liam Trotter’s goal to help the Lions move within two points of the Tractor Boys.

At the top of the table, leaders Southampton suffered a 3-0 loss to promotion hopefuls Blackpool. Billy Sharp’s missed penalty proved costly for the Saints as Blackpool took full advantage to stun them at Bloomfield Road. The Saints’ lead at the top of the table was also cut to two points as Reading picked up an impressive 4-2 win away at West Ham.

Ipswich and Peterborough both secured 1-0 wins at home over Barnsley and Leicester respectively. Birmingham triumphed 3-1 at Doncaster, but fellow promotion hopefuls Brighton and Hove Albion were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Boro.

Chris Iwelumo scored a rare brace for Watford as they beat Leeds United 2-0. There was also disappointment in store for Hull City, who like Leeds, suffered a 2-0 reverse at home. Liam Cooper and Cody McDonald netted for the Sky Blues.

There was further trouble in store for Pompey, who were thrashed 5-1 at home by Burnley. Fellow relegation candidates Bristol City however managed a 1-1 draw against Derby County, with Brett Pitman cancelling out Craig Bryson’s opener for the Rams.

Radoslaw Majewski scored a hat trick as Nottingham Forest beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park.

Both Sheffield teams kept themselves on Charlton’s tail. Second placed Sheffield United saw off mid table Bournemouth with three goals in the first ten minutes while Sheffield Wednesday rode on the back of a Ched Evans double to beat Brentford 2-0 away from home.
Three games ended in goalless stalemates, with Wycombe, Preston and Walsall all failing to make the most of home advantage against Colchester, Scunthorpe and Hartlepool United respectively.

Carlisle United remained in the hunt for a playoff spot as they thrashed Bury 4-1 at home. The Shakers took the lead through Gary Coke, but three goals in the last quarter put paid to their hopes as the Cumbrians notched up their 10th home league win of the season.
Bottom of the table Rochdale came back from behind twice in the game to draw 2-2 away at Huddersfield Town. Andrew Tutte and Ashley Grimes were on target for John Coleman’s men.

Huddersfield’s draw played into the hands of Milton Keynes Dons, whose 3-0 win over Exeter City saw them reduce the gap between fourth and fifth place to only two points.

Elsewhere, Tranmere beat Leyton Orient 2-0 thanks to goals from Andy Robinson and Enoch Showunmi. Yeovil Town edged Oldham Athletic 2-1 thanks to a goal each from Gavin and Andrew Williams, on either side of Zander Diamond’s second half goal for the Latics. Lowly Chesterfield were denied three surprise away points at Stevenage as the home side clawed back from 2-0 down to pick up a point thanks to two late goals in the space of a minute.

A Craig Davies penalty and a further strike from Ricardo Vaz Te had put the hosts Barnsley in command at the break and the Championship betting suggested the Tractor Boys were in for another defeat.

Loan midfielder Keith Andrews gave the visitors hope with a swift brace after the restart to level the game before Danny Collins, Michael Chopra and Jason Scotland also got in on the act.

Davies would grab a third for Keith Hill in-form side’s but Ipswich survived a crazy end to the game to collect a 5-3 win and three much-needed points.

Jewell said: “It was a credit to the players after being 2-0 down at half-time. I told them that it wasn’t a time for shrinking violets – we needed men.

“After being on a run like we’ve been on, it’s easy to feel sorry for yourselves. I told them to believe in themselves.”

Jewell admitted on Friday he was anxious about his position in Suffolk given the club’s poor form and the former Bradford City, Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday boss thanked his paymasters for their support.

He added: “We lost seven matches on the bounce and it’s not a situation I like but I’ve had nothing but support from (chairman) Marcus Evans.”

Ipswich continue their efforts to climb away from the Championship relegation zone when they take on Derby next and Jewell said there was still work to be done and the football betting~ reflects this.

He said: “It’s a huge relief for everyone at the club, but we’ve got to get better at a lot of things. Our concentration at times is poor and we’ve conceded far too many goals, but it’s a start.”

The Championship rivals will square off in the first of a two-legged last-four showdown at Selhurst Park on Tuesday 10 January before the deciding fixture in Wales 14 days later.

The Eagles earned the right to reach the semi-finals after stunning four-time winners of the competition Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford and Freedman was hoping for another glamour clash against either Manchester City or Liverpool.

The draw means a Championship team will be in the final of the Carling Cup for the first time in 11 years and those looking at the Carling Cup betting should remember this.

Palace have already lost to the Bluebirds this season – a 2-0 defeat in November, and the football odds show things will be tough.

Freedman said: “It is going to be difficult because we’ve played against Cardiff and got beaten. I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing them a few times and they are a very good side.

“It’s probably the hardest draw, to be honest. They are up at the top of the Championship and it is going to be very difficult for us.”

Former Palace striker Freedman took over on a permanent basis at Selhurst Park in January this year, having been promoted from the coaching staff, and scored 108 goals in 368 appearances in two spells at the club.

He said he was delighted for his players but reiterated the immediate priority was to avoid another season of flirting with relegation in the Championship and the football odds show they are in danger of slipping down the table.

He added: “I am just proud of the lads, to get through to the semi-finals from where we have come from in the last couple of years – relegation zones and administration. We will approach that when it comes along.”

Eriksson, who has notched up management roles in six countries since 1977, including Mexico and Cote d’Ivoire, joined City in October, last year. The Swede took the club from the drop zone to tenth in the table over the course of several months, but an inconsistent start to the 2011/12 campaign saw the board lose patience. Anyone following the online betting will know the side were strong favourites at the start of the season.

“Football is a results industry, and unfortunately we couldn’t quite get things right enough of the time”, Eriksson said.

“I am disappointed to be leaving Leicester City. It was always my aim to lead the club into the Barclays Premier League, and I am very sorry that I won’t be able to do that.”

The Foxes’ decision to sack Eriksson may come as a surprise to some fans. Leicester are not in a difficult position, standing two points adrift of the coveted play-off spots, but after investing heavily the club’s owners clearly want instant results. The betting shows they weren’t doing as well as they should be.

The former England manager was reportedly lining up a coaching position for his comrade in the England dugout, Steve McClaren, prior to being given the boot by City. However, the likelihood is that McClaren will remain in the dole queue, as Leicester are looking elsewhere for their next boss.

City are rumoured to be interested in appointing Martin O’Neill, who guided the club to the Premier League and then Europe back in the late 1990s.

Darren Purse, formerly of Birmingham and West Bromwich, will play for Yeovil Town for the next month, after the Glovers persuaded his current club, Millwall, to part with the defender.

Purse, a veteran of the game, will serve as a temporary replacement for Yeovil regular, Paul Huntington, who is struggling with a broken hand, and is unlikely to make a return to the dressing room for 3-4 weeks.

Everton’s Kenny Orenuga has made the trip to Nottinghamshire, after County, claimed the 18-year-old on a month-long loan deal.

Orenuga, who has yet to play for the Toffees in the league, arrived at Meadow Lane last week and played in County’s draw against Brentford, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute. Those following the football betting will be keeping a close eye on him.

Finally, Brighton have captured Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara on a deal that will keep him at the club until January.

Jara, who usually plies his trade at West Bromwich, was described as having “great pedigree”, by Gus Poyet, boss at the Seagulls. “He will bring quality […] and help us recapture our early season form.” The South American can play in any defensive position, according to Poyet.

The side have also brought in Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper on a month-long deal. Those following the Championship football betting will know he is a quality player.

However, the two loan signings were unable to stop their new side from falling to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham last night. Harper’s former Newcastle team-mate Kevin Nolan scored the only goal of the game in the first half.

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McClaren resigned from Forest on Sunday October 2, following an embarrassing spell in the league for the side. Ince, on the other hand, has been jobless since April 3, of this year, after coaching Forest’s rivals, Notts County, to a record nine consecutive losses. Those following the Championship football betting will doubtlessly question his credentials.

Forest are currently fourth-bottom in the Championship, with just eight points from ten games. Whether Ince can revitalise the Midlands team is debatable, given his record at County, but the 43-year-old claims that he can instil motivation and “a little bit of passion” in Forest’s younger generation of players. “That’s part of my game”, Ince told Sky Sports.

Ince said that he would be “foolish” not to respond to a job offer from the side if he were to receive one, although the football betting suggests this is unlikely to happen.

“Forest is a fantastic club, […] but the last time I saw, there were about 50,000 applicants [for the job],” he said.

Ince, added that it was a case of having to “wait, and see what happens”.

Forest are believed to be interested in appointing Roy Keane, Steve Cotterill, who is currently managing Portsmouth; Villa’s first-team coach, Kevin MacDonald, or former Barnsley chief, Mark Robins. Stan Collymore is reportedly interested in managing Forest, but, like Paul Ince, the 40-year-old is not an ‘official’ club target.

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The former England boss has been hit by the news that Chris Cohen faces up to a year on the sidelines and has moved quickly to bring the experienced Hill to the City Ground.

The left-sided Cohen has had his worst fears confirmed, with scan results revealing that he ruptured a cruciate ligament in Saturday’s defeat to Derby.

So Hill, who can play as a left-back of in the centre of defence, will move to Forest for an initial 93-day spell and is expected to make his debut in the away game at Watford on Saturday. Those following the football betting will know the side desperately need to shore up their defence.

The 32-year-old was sent off in QPR’s first Premier League game of the season and hasn’t featured since, so will be keen to get some regular first-team action.

McClaren is pleased with his latest addition, saying: “He has great experience and will add to our defensive options.”

Suring up the Forest backline looks to be the manager’s priority at the moment, as he tries to get them moving away from the relegation zone.

McClaren’s men have conceded more goals (13) than any other team in the Championship so far, and have only record two clean sheets, with one of those coming in the opening day 0-0 draw with Barnsley. The football odds indicated Forest would be challenging for promotion this season, but it looks like they are set to struggle again unless things change soon.

They should go into Saturday’s game at Vicarage Road with real hope though, after a much better display in the Carling Cup against Newcastle – whilst Saturday’s opponents are looking for their first home win of the season.

The 27-year-old made his debut for the Foxes last weekend, following his £2.5million switch from Everton on transfer deadline day.

Despite the addition of the former Leeds frontman, Leicester dropped points again as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Barnsley. People who have placed football bets will know the Foxes aren’t looking like the side people were expecting.

Having spent more than anyone else in the division and after recruiting over a dozen new signings, Eriksson is under no illusions that promotion is what is expected from the fans and the board and the football tips reflect this.

But after six matches, Leicester find themselves in mid-table with eight points from six games and the former England boss admitted that the display at Oakwell was “not good enough”.

Eriksson had been desperate to add another quality striker to squad last month and he believes Beckford can be a key player for the Foxes, once he settles into his new environment.

The Leicester boss said: “We all expect a lot from him. He is coming from the Premier League and he is an expensive player for this level.

“You can see he is a threat for anyone because of his pace, he runs in behind.”

Leicester’s home form has been a concern for Eriksson, with just three points from a possible nine so far this term.

The Foxes’ promotion credentials will be severely tested this weekend, when they entertain league leaders Brighton – unbeaten in their first six games – at the King Power Stadium.