In a hectic league weekend in the Championship, five key performances from a select few players proved to be crucial for teams’ respective wins and draws.
From the heights of a 5-0 victory for Cardiff City to the disappointing 2-0 home defeat that Middlesbrough suffered at the hands of Bristol City, there were plenty of talking points in the second tier this weekend.
Jason Knight – Bristol City
The 23-year-old midfielder provided a man of the match performance for the Robins this weekend as he supplied assists for both goals against Middlesbrough. Knight was exceptional at creating chances for Bristol City as they opted for a very counter-attacking approach. This takes the former Derby County man’s goal contribution tally up to four this season – his third assist in nine games.
Rubin Colwill – Cardiff City
A phenomenal 5-0 thumping against Plymouth Argyle was spearheaded by a scintillating performance from Colwill this weekend. The attacking-midfielder was at the epicentre of a strong Cardiff showing, taking them off the bottom of the table. The Welshman created five decent chances for the Bluebirds but grabbed the headlines with two assists and a cooly-finished goal in the 24th minute to add Cardiff’s second.
Robbie Brady – Preston North End
Despite only narrowly beating Coventry City 1-0 at home, Brady’s performances for the Lilywhites and Ireland continued to thrive. Having scored and assisted for his country in a 2-1 against Finland in the international break, the 32-year-old translated this fine form to Deepdale.
The ball fell to Brady, from a corner-kick situation in the 72nd minute, and the former Premier League player floated a lofted pass into the danger area, to which Emil Riis climbed highest to score with his head. As well as this assist, the wing-back won nine duels and made eight recoveries to compliment Preston’s clean sheet.
Elliott Moore – Oxford United
A point was rescued by Oxford United very late on, as a 1-1 draw couldn’t separate themselves and Carlos Corberan’s West Bromwich Albion. Moore, who attempted nine clearances and won two aerial duels to keep his side in contention, provided the assist for substitute Dane Scarlett in the 92nd minute. The centre-back headed the ball across goal to the Tottenham Hotspur loanee before it eventually hit the back of the net.
Alfie Doughty – Luton Town
Luton have finally started to show their real quality following a disappointing initial return to the second tier, after Premier League relegation. A 3-0 victory over Watford emphasised Alfie Doughty’s real quality again, with the 24-year-old picking up an assist. An impressive 74 touches highlighted his reliability in the Hatters’ lineup and he acted as a great attacking outlet all game.
