The Tigers’ defeat to Luton has proved to be even more damaging after the Rams’ latest win.
Derby County’s impressive revival under John Eustace continued on Wednesday night as the Rams leapfrogged Hull City with a 2-0 win over Preston North End.
After a drab, goalless first half, the Rams came alive at the start of the second half with two quick-fire goals in four minutes from veteran defender Craig Forsyth and Jerry Yates, both created by ex-Tiger and League One promotion winner Callum Elder, though the visitors will point to an offside call in the first half at 0-0 which went against them when they had the ball in the net, with replays saying it was not in fact, offside.
Their fourth straight win in the Championship means Derby move out of the bottom three and above the Tigers, with both clubs tied on 41 points, leaving Cardiff City dumped back into the bottom three a point further back on 40. Luton sit second bottom on 38 and Plymouth Argyle 34, seven behind 21st-placed City who are now just one place above the drop zone.
The result is a disastrous one for City, who have been royally punished for their disappointing 1-0 home loss to Luton Town on Saturday after Alfie Jones’ unfortunate but calamitous own goal just seconds into the second period.
Before their creditable 1-1 draw at West Brom before the international break which extended their unbeaten run to four games, City had a five-point cushion to the bottom three, but in the space of two games and only one point in their pocket, that gap has been cut by four to leave the Tigers firmly back in deep trouble.
City boss Ruben Selles admitted he would be watching the Pride Park contest with the Tigers hosting the Rams in their final MKM Stadium outing at the end of the month, and he will not have enjoyed what he saw, though he will have been encouraged by how poor the Lillywhites were, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side due in East Yorkshire on Easter Monday.
City have seven games to secure their survival and will go in search of a first win in three outings when they travel to face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday, knowing if they fail to secure a positive result, they could end the weekend back in the bottom three and staring relegation in the face with time running out.
This weekend, Luton Town host Leeds United while Oxford United face Sheffield United at the Kassam Stadium; Stoke City go to Preston with QPR and Cardiff City facing off at Loftus Road. The in-form team at the bottom, Derby, face Swansea City in South Wales.
