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Sports Mole's Championship Team of the Week

Sports Mole picks out its best XI from gameweek 44 in the Championship, as well as highlighting the biggest numpty and best goal.

All but four of the Championship's teams now have just two games of the season left after the games yesterday and on Easter Monday.

We now know exactly how the top two will finish as Leicester City wrapped up the title by defeating Bolton Wanderers last night after Burnley had clinched promotion to the Premier League with a win over Wigan Athletic.

Derby County and Queens Park Rangers are guaranteed to be in the playoffs but the other two spots are yet to be decided, with Wigan fairly safe in fifth and now Reading in the final spot after their victory over Middlesbrough yesterday.

At the bottom, Yeovil Town are virtually down after losing out in the dying seconds to Huddersfield Town to leave them six points shy of safety and needing a miracle to stay up.

The Glovers are joined in the bottom three by Barnsley and Blackpool, who will still have hopes of staying up with four teams only just above them in the table.

Below, Sports Mole selects its best XI from gameweek 44's action as well as highlighting the biggest numpty and best goal.

Sam Johnstone (Doncaster Rovers)
Donny ensured that they would remain just outside the bottom three by ending their four-game losing streak with a goalless draw at fellow strugglers Millwall. Rovers were reduced to 10 men in the first half and Johnstone kept them in the game with some key saves.

Frazer Richardson (Ipswich Town)
Filling in for the injured Christophe Berra, Richardson made his first start for the Blues since joining on loan from Middlesbrough in January and played with energy that his teammates lacked after their last game at Watford just two days ago. Ipswich came away with a point against Bournemouth and both still have a chance of squeezing into the playoffs.
Paul Quinn (Doncaster)
As well as Johnstone's performance between the sticks, Quinn was faultless in the centre of defence after having partner Abdoulaye Meite sent off.
Danny Collins (Nottingham Forest)
Two wins in a row after a 12-game winless streak means that Forest are still well in the hunt for a playoff place. On Monday evening they saw off Leeds United and Collins was the standout player at the back.
Jordan Obita (Reading)
The Royals are the ones leading the six-team battle for the final playoff spot. They retook sixth place with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough. Obita did really well to dig out a cross that led to the first before whipping over a dangerous free kick that Boro's George Friend headed into his own net.

Michael Kightly (Burnley)
It was a joyous day at Turf Moor on Monday as Burnley secured their return to the top flight after four years in the Championship. A regular starter all season, Kightly sealed the win with a vicious free kick from a tight angle that flew into the far corner.
Jeff Hendrick (Derby)
Hendrick has been unable to hold down a regular place under Steve McClaren for the Rams but showed what he can do in Derby's 2-1 win over Barnsley. He opened the scoring with a low drive that Tykes keeper Luke Steele thought was going wide before teeing up Johnny Russell for the second.
Stephen Dobbie (Blackpool)
Although still in the bottom three, goal difference is now the only thing keeping Blackpool in the drop zone after they earned a point at playoff-chasing Brighton & Hove Albion. Dobbie scored the equaliser with a lovely first-time swept finish from outside the area.
Lloyd Dyer (Leicester)
After starting almost every game in the first half of the season, Dyer has struggled to oust January signing Riyad Mahrez of late. He was given the nod at the Reebok last night and scored a rocket with his weaker right foot that confirmed Leicester as champions.

Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers)
Blackburn are still in the hunt for the playoffs and were rampant in the first half against Birmingham City yesterday. They scored four goals before half time and three of them came from Gestede. It eventually finished 4-2 and now Birmingham are dangerously close to the drop zone.
Marvin Sordell (Charlton Athletic)
The Addicks have now climbed up to 18th in the table thanks to their spectacular comeback against Sheffield Wednesday. After conceding twice in the first 10 minutes, Sordell's composed finishing on three occasions saw them turn it around and take the points at Hillsborough.

Numpty of the Week

Rudy Gestede: He may be in the best XI for his hat-trick, but before Gestede had netted any of his treble he missed an absolute sitter at St Andrew's from just a couple of yards.

Goal of the Week

Steve Cook (Bournemouth) vs. Ipswich Town: Plenty of good strikes over the Easter period, but Cherries centre-back Cook takes the honours for his outrageous overhead kick that levelled the score at Portman Road in the first half.

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Written by
Pascal Lemesre
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Derby's Craig Bryson celebrates after scoring his third goal against Nottingham Forest during the Championship match on March 22, 2014
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Championship Team of the Week
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Walsall28185554302459
2Doncaster RoversDoncaster29157742321052
3Notts County28148645281750
4AFC Wimbledon27146739201948
5Crewe AlexandraCrewe291212536251148
6Port Vale2813963529648
7Bradford CityBradford28138738281047
8Salford City2912983629745
9Grimsby Town29133134045-542
10Chesterfield28109943321139
11MK Dons28115124240238
12Cheltenham TownCheltenham28108103739-238
13Colchester UnitedColchester2881373329437
14Swindon TownSwindon30910114344-137
15Fleetwood TownFleetwood279993735236
16Bromley2981293940-136
17Newport CountyNewport2896133747-1033
18Gillingham2795132529-432
19BarrowBarrow2887132732-531
20Harrogate TownHarrogate3086162541-1630
21Accrington StanleyAccrington2778123445-1129
22Tranmere RoversTranmere2868142146-2526
23Morecambe2965182746-1923
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle2856172246-2421


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