McPhail gets his marching orders
Cardiff captain Stephen McPhail has apologised for his sending off in the south Wales derby against Swansea.
McPhail, who was also sent off when the two sides met in the Carling Cup earlier in the season, was dismissed for two bookable offences during Sunday's 2-2 draw at the Liberty Stadium.
The Irishman was given his second yellow card for needlessly kicking the ball away and Bluebirds boss Dave Jones blasted McPhail for costing his side victory, with Cardiff leading 2-1 at that stage.
McPhail has held his hands up for his mistake and he has issued an apology to his team-mates, club and fans.
"I want to apologise to my team-mates, the club and, most importantly, the fans for getting sent off against Swansea," McPhail told the club's official website.
"I fully appreciate just how much I've let myself, the club and the fans down. I reacted in the heat of the moment without really thinking.
"I know that going down to 10 men at that point in such a big local derby probably cost us all three points. Anyone that knows me will know it's totally out of character for me to do something like that and, as captain, I should know better.
"I apologised to the lads and the staff after the match but I felt I owed to the fans to front up to them as well. Once the ban is over, I'll come back and let my performances pay everyone back and help the club pick up some more wins."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Monday 9th November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| 19:45 | Barnsley vs Sheff Utd |
| Friday 20th November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| 19:45 | Swansea vs Derby |
| Saturday 21st November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| 15:00 | Barnsley vs Cardiff |
| 15:00 | Coventry vs Crystal Palace |
| 15:00 | Doncaster vs QPR |
| 15:00 | Leicester vs Plymouth |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Nottm Forest |
| 15:00 | Reading vs Blackpool |
| 15:00 | Sheff Utd vs Peterborough |
| 15:00 | Watford vs Scunthorpe |
| 15:00 | West Brom vs Bristol City |
| 17:20 | Ipswich vs Sheff Wed |
| Monday 23rd November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| 19:45 | Preston vs Newcastle |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| 15:00 | Bristol City vs Sheff Utd |
| 15:00 | Crystal Palace vs Watford |
| 15:00 | Derby vs Reading |
| 15:00 | Newcastle vs Swansea |
| 15:00 | Nottm Forest vs Doncaster |
| 15:00 | Peterborough vs Middlesbrough |
| 15:00 | Plymouth vs Barnsley |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Saturday 7th November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| Reading 1 - 1 Ipswich | |
| Plymouth 2 - 1 Doncaster | |
| Watford 2 - 0 Preston | |
| Newcastle 3 - 1 Peterborough | |
| Blackpool 4 - 1 Scunthorpe | |
| Sheff Wed 1 - 2 QPR | |
| Nottm Forest 1 - 1 Bristol City | |
| Leicester 1 - 2 West Brom | |
| Crystal Palace 1 - 0 Middlesbrough | |
| Swansea 3 - 2 Cardiff | |
| Friday 6th November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| Derby 2 - 1 Coventry | |
| Tuesday 3rd November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| QPR 1 - 1 Crystal Palace | |
| Monday 2nd November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| Sheff Utd 0 - 1 Newcastle | |
| Sunday 1st November | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| Cardiff 1 - 1 Nottm Forest | |
| Saturday 31st October | |
| The Coca-Cola Football League Championship | |
| West Brom 5 - 0 Watford | |
| Ipswich 1 - 0 Derby | |
| Scunthorpe 0 - 2 Swansea | |
| Peterborough 1 - 2 Barnsley | |
| Preston 1 - 1 Crystal Palace | |
| Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Plymouth | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle United | 16 | 33 |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion | 16 | 31 |
| 3 | Cardiff City | 16 | 27 |
| 4 | Queens Park Rangers | 16 | 27 |
| 5 | Blackpool | 16 | 27 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 16 | 27 |
| 7 | Bristol City | 16 | 26 |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 16 | 25 |
| 9 | Swansea City | 16 | 25 |
| 10 | Middlesbrough | 16 | 24 |
| 11 | Preston North End | 16 | 24 |
| 12 | Watford | 16 | 24 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 16 | 22 |
| 14 | Sheffield Wednesday | 16 | 17 |
| 15 | Sheffield United | 15 | 17 |
| 16 | Coventry City | 16 | 17 |
| 17 | Derby County | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | Barnsley | 15 | 17 |
| 19 | Scunthorpe United | 16 | 17 |
| 20 | Doncaster Rovers | 16 | 15 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 16 | 15 |
| 22 | Reading | 16 | 14 |
| 23 | Ipswich Town | 16 | 12 |
| 24 | Peterborough United | 16 | 11 |
Sunderland fan Lucinda Gittins was strutting her stuff in the Soccer AM studios this week.
Catch every game, every goal from the Championship this season... right here on skysports.com!
Peter Beagrie expects a contrast of styles when Cardiff and Swansea clash at the Liberty Stadium.
Sheff Utd make the short trip to Oakwell on Monday when they face Barnsley in a Yorkshire derby.
Jon Stead believes moving off the foot of the Championship at the weekend has given Ipswich a "little boost".
Darren Pratley has set his sights on winning a new deal at Swansea after inspiring them to victory over Cardiff.
Marcus Bent is adamant that Gordon Strachan is the right man to lead Middlesbrough to promotion.
Sheff Utd have yet to decide if Chris Morgan will be allowed to attend Monday's trip to Barnsley.