Newcastle swat Hornets to keep EPL hopes buzzing

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LONDON, Feb 27, 2010 (AFP) - Newcastle United kept up their charge towards recovering their English Premier League place as West Bromwich Albion maintained the pressure in the Championship title race Saturday.

Meanwhile Nottingham Forest lost the East Midlands derby in a 3-0 reverse at Leicester City and dropped down to third in the table, while Sheffield Wednesday tumbled into the relegation zone after a 5-0 thrashing at Reading.

Newcastle won 2-1 at Watford thanks to goals from Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini in the fourth minute and local striker Andy Carroll in the 50th.

Substitute Will Hoskins' 90th-minute consolation goal for the Hornets could not prevent the Magpies from extending their lead at the top of the second-tier Championship to six points.

West Bromwich overtook Forest to reclaim the second automatic promotion spot, going two points above the former European champions.

Despite going a goal down at Derby County, Albion rallied thanks to two goals from Northern Ireland midfielder Chris Brunt and a third from substitute Simon Cox.

Forest are now eight points behind Newcastle with a game less to play than both the Magpies and WBA.

Three goals in the last 25 minutes finished them off before 31,759 fans at the Walkers Stadium -- the Championship's biggest attendance of the day.

Switzerland defender Bruno Berner, striker Paul Gallagher, and Wales midfielder Andy King did the damage.

The Foxes' victory leaves them in fifth place, nine points behind West Brom and the second automatic promotion spot.

Swansea, in fourth position, beat struggling visitors Peterborough 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium thanks to a 19th-minute David Cotterill penalty.

Their south Wales rivals Cardiff are in sixth place, the last play-off position, having lost 3-0 at mid-table Preston.

In the battle to avoid relegation to the third-tier League One, rock-bottom Peterborough's defeat left them 10 points from safety.

Sheffield Wednesday were hammered 5-0 at the Madejski Stadium, which left the hosts four points above the drop zone, with Wednesday dipping into the bottom three on goal difference.

Cross-city rivals Sheffield United inadvertently did them a favour by clinging on for a 4-3 win over Plymouth Argyle, who are second-bottom and five points behind Wednesday.

Crystal Palace, now in the thick of the relegation battle after having 10 points deducted for entering administration, earned a 1-1 draw at Doncaster in what could be manager Neil Warnock's last game if he accepts an offer from Queens Park Rangers.

QPR are three points above Palace in the table, having lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough thanks to two penalties from Scotland midfielder Barry Robson.

Elsewhere in a full fixture list, Barnsley beat Blackpool 1-0; Coventry beat Scunthorpe 2-1, while Norwich and Bristol City fought out a goalless draw.