Welsh Players Christmas-New Year matches 2010-11 (Championship, Part 3)

Millwall
Steve Morison has been attracting the attention of Premier League clubs which can only mean one thing – he has been playing brilliantly for Millwall despite a recent goal drought. Poor Steve missed out on the New Year’s Day game with flu and judging him from his performance a couple of days later, it wasn’t the sort of flu footballers get sometimes when they’re in talks with a new club. Let’s hope he’s feeling better for Millwall’s FA Cup match against Birmingham City.
Portsmouth A 1-1 (played all)
Leicester H 2-0 (G1 12, played all)
Palace H 3-0 (out, flu)
Derby A 0-0 (starts, off 71)

Norwich City
Norwich were predicted to struggle and to be fair, they are struggling to get into the automatic promotion places. It’s been an excellent season so far and part of the reason for that is Andrew Crofts.
Coventry A 1-2 (out, illness)
Sheff Utd H 4-2 (played all)
QPR H 1-0 (played all)
Boro A 1-1 (played all)

When Owain Tudur Jones returned from a loan spell at Yeovil Town, I wasn’t sure how many chances he’d have at Norwich and was very happy to see him on the bench for the very next game. Not only that, he came off the bench too. Since then, he’s always been a substitute except for his most recent match, where he got his first Norwich start of the season (he did get substituted at half-time but that’s not necessarily a very bad thing).
Coventry A 1-2 (bench)
Sheff Utd H 4-2 (bench)
QPR H 1-0 (bench)
Boro A 1-1 (starts, off 46)

Josh Dawkin has made one appearance on Norwich’s bench this season and it wasn’t at Christmas but let’s hope his next appearance isn’t too far away.

Nottingham Forest
Chris Gunter kept his place in Forest’s starting line-up as they pushed slowly up towards the right end of the table and (briefly) into the play-off places.
Palace H 3-0 (played all)
Derby H 5-2 (played all)
Barnsley A 2-2 (wins pen 68, played all)
Ipswich A 0-1 (played all)

Robert Earnshaw started most matches over the Christmas period and got a hat-trick in the process. Three goals in three games doesn’t really seem like a reason to drop a player to the bench but that’s what happened.
Palace H 3-0 (played all)
Derby H 5-2 (G2 24, G4 53, G5 94, Y 94, played all)
Barnsley A 2-2 (starts, off 75)
Ipswich A 0-1 (bench)

Preston North End
Craig Morgan has been in and out of Preston’s squad and in and out of the starting line-up as they desperately try to save themselves from relegation.
Boro H 1-3 (played all)
Derby H 1-2 (bench)
Palace A 0-0 (played all)

Paul Parry has always been in the squad but his knee problems have prevented him from starting many games. Now if Paul refused to come out of retirement for Wales for injury reasons, I would have no cause for complaint. (Not that I necessarily have cause the other times.)
Boro H 1-3 (bench, on 85)
Derby H 1-2 (starts, off 71)
Palace A 0-0 (bench)

Reading
Simon Church was back on the bench over Christmas but his one goal was rewarded with one start in the very next match. But he couldn’t get two in two (how many strikers do that?) so he was back on the bench again against Burnley.
Derby A 1-2 (bench, on 65)
Bristol C H 4-1 (bench)
Hull A 1-1 (bench, on 58, G1 82)
Swansea A 1-0 (played all)
Burnley H 1-1 (bench, on 72)

Hal Robson-Kanu has had a similar problem to Simon although he did get an assist.
Derby A 1-2 (bench, on 76)
Bristol C H 4-1 (bench, on 80, A4 89)
Hull A 1-1 (bench)
Swansea A 1-0 (starts, off 71)
Burnley H 1-1 (bench, on 67)

Jake Taylor made his long-awaited return following knee surgery but he’s only been on the bench once so let’s hope he hasn’t had a relapse.
Derby A 1-2 (unselected)
Bristol C H 4-1 (unselected)
Hull A 1-1 (unselected)
Swansea A 1-0 (bench)
Burnley H 1-1 (unselected)

Sheffield United
Ched Evans got four goals in four games, helping to get some much-needed wins against form teams. He can even score penalties, always a useful trait in a Welshman.
Swansea H 1-0 (starts, G1 44, off 93)
Hull H 2-3 (G1 62, G2 73, played all)
Norwich A 4-2 (played all)
Burnley A 4-2 (G2 pen 47. played all)
Doncaster H 2-2 (played all)