Ex-Saints Fuller and Higginbotham star as play-off race hots up

West Brom, Wolves, Stoke and Preston can all still make the top six if results go their way on the last day of the regular league season next Sunday.

Here, the Daily Echo looks at how those four teams fared yesterday.

STOKE CITY 3 COLCHESTER 1.

Manager Tony Pulis described Stoke's second-half performance as "awesome" after three goals in nine minutes kept his team in strong contention for the play-offs with a 3-1 win over Colchester at the Britannia Stadium.

The permutations are still many but, realistically, Stoke have to win at QPR next week and hope at least one of West Brom, Wolves and Saints do not win.

Pulis said: "It's a fantastic situation to be in and it's going to be a very exciting finale to the season.

"All we can do is try our utmost to do our job and then see what happens.

"I'm just delighted the team is in form and has a chance. We did look nervous in the first half and Colchester played well but our second-half display was awesome.

"I told the players at half-time that if we could equalise we would win. I knew the supporters would get behind us if we scored and they certainly did that. They were magnificent".

Colchester boss Geraint Williams admitted his team's play-off ambitions were as good as sunk but he said: "They have been a credit all season and I've got nothing but praise for them.

"They are very down at the moment because they thought they should have had more out of the game. We dominated early on and created four good chances but unfortunately we didn't take any of them.

"We eventually got our noses in front but Stoke came at us in the second half. They took their chances and good luck to them."

Colchester were excellent in the early stages and could have been two goals up inside the opening 12 minutes.

Hogan Ephraim was inspired on the left flank and Jamie Cureton and ex-Stoke striker Chris Iwelumo were both denied by the acrobatics of Steve Simonsen.

Stoke finally showed signs of cranking through the gears as Lee Hendrie and the marauding ex-Saints striker Ricardo Fuller both squandered gilt-edged chances.

But it was Colchester who drew first blood through a controversial penalty seven minutes before the interval.

Salif Diao appeared to play the ball in a challenge on Iwelumo, but referee Graham Salisbury ruled otherwise and Iwelumo made no mistake from the spot.

For all Stoke's grievances, Colchester had deserved their lead, but it was a totally different game after the break.

Darel Russell levelled with a close-range header after Mamady Sidibe had nodded Liam Lawrence's cross into his path in the 53rd minute.

And Lawrence was again the instigator four minutes later, sliding a pass to Sidibe who drilled an 18-yard shot low past Dean Gerken.

Stoke's captain Danny Higginbotham, who was presented with all SEVEN of Stoke's player of the season awards before kick-off, then sealed the win.

The former Saint headed in from point-blank range after the outstanding Fuller had flicked on a Hendrie corner.

Colchester's bad day was complete when defender Chris Barker was shown a straight red card for an alleged elbow on Hendrie 12 minutes from time.

COVENTRY 0 WEST BROM 1.

West Brom will be without top scorer Diomansy Kamara for their make-or-break Coca-Cola Championship play-off clash with Barnsley at The Hawthorns.

Kamara was sent off in the closing stages of yesterday's 1-0 victory over Coventry at the Ricoh Arena, meaning the former Pompey star will miss the Tykes clash on the final weekend of the regular season while serving a one-game suspension.

Victory over their Midlands neighbours propelled Albion from fifth to fourth in the Championship table though Baggies boss Tony Mowbray knows his side must beat Barnsley if their hopes of reaching the play-offs are not to depend on final-day results elsewhere.

And Mowbray, whose side ended a two-game losing run with victory over the Sky Blues, said: "Diomansy is very disappointed in himself and we are very disappointed in him too, that has been made clear to him.

"I think 'disappointed' is probably the most diplomatic word to use when we are, after all, trying to reach the Premier League.

"It was all about beating Coventry and we have got the three points we wanted but I was very disappointed in our performance, especially in the second half.

"Now we can look forward to a big game against Barnsley and after that, hopefully, two huge play-off semi-final games before a monster game, the biggest money game in world football, if we make the play-off final.

"But we will not get three if we do not start playing a heck of a lot better than we did against Coventry.

"We certainly have no divine right to beat Barnsley".

Baggies captain Paul Robinson netted the only goal of the midlands derby in the first half, which saw Coventry defender Ben Turner sent off shortly before the interval by referee Chris Foy.

The Merseyside official also ordered City boss Iain Dowie from the touchline ahead of Kamara's trip on David McNamee being adjudged worthy of a second yellow card during second-half injury-time.

And Dowie, whose side now lie 18th in the table, said: "I thought both the players' red cards were soft.

"Turner has gone in on Kevin Phillips and it is a booking. But a red card?

"And why does he have to send Kamara off? It was a nothing trip late in the game.

"But there was a blatant kick on Micky Doyle off the ball which the referee missed so I called out to the ref 'talk to me'.

"But he just turned his back and so I told him 'you cannot show that arrogance'.

"For that, I have been sent to the stand and there was not one swear-word used."

Meanwhile, Dowie billed the Baggies and Black Country neighbours Wolves as the leading contenders for promotion via the play-offs.

He said: "West Brom are certainly capable of going up but I have always had a sneaky feeling for Wolves because Mick McCarthy seems to have a good spirit going down there".

WOLVES 2 QPR 0.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy was delighted that his side managed to grind out a victory over QPR at Molineux that leaves them on course for a play-offs clash with arch rivals West Brom.

Andy Keogh and Michael Kightly grabbed the Wolves goals to leave McCarthy's men level on points with Albion, who are fourth to Wolves' fifth thanks to a superior goal difference.

If the play-off positions remain unchanged after next Sunday's final matches - Wolves travel to Leicester and Albion are at home to Barnsley - the pair will meet in the play-off semi-finals.

"We would take that now," said McCarthy. "I'm sure they would too. They think they can beat us.

Wolves were not at their best but McCarthy was not about to apologise for that.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy," said McCarthy. "IIt was a Championship game - a bit messy. If we have to grind out 1-0 victories we will do it.

The crowd chanted McCarthy's name with passion at the end and he said: "I feel quite humbled by the crowd's reaction to me - all I have done is spend someone else's money."

Rangers manager John Gregory believes Wanderers can step up a gear.

He said: ''We didn't see the best of Wolverhampton Wanderers today - they were outstanding last week.

"In Keogh they have one of the signings of the season. We looked at him but could not compete financially," he said.

The lacklustre first half was reminiscent of an end of season game with nothing to play for.

Young Irish forward Keogh was industrious throughout the game and his 20-yard shot from the left in the 13th minute that ended wide was impressive.

Keogh handed Michael McIndoe a goalscoring chance in the 34th minute. He should have done better with a shot that ended up two yards wide of the left upright.

Matt Murray had little to do in goal - he made one outstanding save in the 41st minute diving at the feet of Rangers midfielder Jimmy Smith four yards out pushing the ball out for a corner.

Both managers sent their teams out with different mindsets in the second half and within two minutes Marc Nygaard headed a Steve Lomas cross against the bar from five yards with Murray beaten.

Keogh's 10-yard shot in the 54th minute ended up a yard wide of the right upright signalled the start of Wolves all out attack on the QPR goal.

In the 57th minute McIndoe headed to Keogh on the left edge of the six yard box whose shot was superbly saved by Cole - the rebound returned to Keogh who blasted the ball home from five yards.

Wolves scored again in the 64th minute. Jay Bothroyd delivered an inch perfect ball for Kightly to tap home from six yards.

Yellow cards were handed out when Nygaard squared up to Wanderers defender Gary Breen in the 70th minute.

Wolves should have scored during the five minutes of injury time with substitute Stephen Ward missing an ideal opportunity from 10 yards on the left side of the box, missing the right upright by inches following a pinpoint cross by fellow substitute Stephen Gleeson.

Gregory is getting ready for a clearout at Loftus Road. He added: "The club has had a tired look about it. We need to change some faces. We will do that this week".

PLYMOUTH 2 PRESTON 0.

Preston boss Paul Simpson accepts his side are now up against it if they are to reach the Championship play-offs.

North End slumped to their sixth defeat in seven games today after a 2-0 loss at Plymouth.

Two late goals consigned the visitors to eighth spot with one massive match to play: at home to leaders Birmingham next Sunday.

It is the first time Preston have slipped out of the play-off frame since September and Simpson said: "I am not questioning the effort of my players but we are a better team than we have shown of late - you know the run of results we have had.

"Now we have to beat Birmingham and even that might not be enough. We have to rely on other results going our way as well".

Simpson, whose side have actually lost eight of their last 12 league games, was also left fuming by the two late goals, the first a penalty, which handed the Argyle their fourth win in a row.

He said: "I haven't seen either of the goals to be honest and I think it will sound pathetic if I complain but I thought it was an incredibly harsh penalty.

"The second goal, Liam Chilvers has jumped to go and head the ball, and had a little nudge in the back but maybe you have to say it was clever play. They have got away with it.

"The referee obviously thought it was a penalty and obviously did not see the push, so he didn't give it".

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake took his season's tally to nine with the successful 78th minute spot-kick that gave visiting keeper Wayne Henderson, North End's best player on the day, no chance as it was powered home.

The penalty was awarded by man on the spot Dermot Gallagher, for a handball by North End defender Sean St Ledger after Gary Sawyer's free kick hit him.

Sawyer's next free-kick, following a cynical foul by Preston skipper Graham Alexander on man of the match Peter Halmosi, enabled Argyle top scorer Barry Hayles to steal in for his 14th goal of the season.

The 34-year-old showed all the guile of a master craftsman to chest the ball down, beat a defender and outstretch keeper Henderson before rolling the ball in from the most acute of angles in the 85th minute.