Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway bemoans Championship fixture 'madness'

Palace held to draw in midweek

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway (GETTY IMAGES)

Ian Holloway is hoping Crystal Palace overcome their scheduling nightmare and resume their assault on the npower Championship title.

Wasteful Palace were held to a goalless draw at Hull on Tuesday night and Holloway was left to stew on the fixture list throughout the long journey home.

Victory would have seen them overtake Cardiff at the summit of the table and they must beat Brighton tomorrow to maintain the pressure on the Welsh club.

"It's a madness of a trip that we got back at 3am after going up to Leeds (on Saturday)," Holloway said.

"That computer that does these games needs a right good volley! How can Hull have been a midweek fixture? How can that be?"

Brighton are one point outside the play-offs in seventh following their 2-0 victory over Bristol City and boss Gus Poyet wants the clash with Palace to be remembered for the right reasons.

"I hope it will be a proper game with no problems. Fans do enjoy those kinds of games," he said.

Hull are eager to continue their push for automatic promotion when they travel to Nottingham Forest.

Manager Steve Bruce is concerned by the lack of goals from his side but believes they are the equal of any team in the Championship.

"If I had to be critical over the last five or six months, we are creating some really good chances but we don't take them," Bruce said.

"Your team is only as good as its strikers and this concerns me, but we have nothing to fear in the league."

Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll has demanded an improvement in attitude following the 3-1 defeat by Ipswich that saw his team slip away from the play-off places.

"In this league if you get one win everyone thinks they're superstars," he said.

"If you don't put the hard work in, that's the kind of performance you get and get well and truly beaten."

Leicester host mid-table Derby while Charlton travel to Millwall in two derbies that could affect the make-up of the play-offs.

Bristol City will be hoping to climb out of the relegation zone when they entertain Wolves and bottom side Peterborough face a challenging afternoon against Blackpool.

PA