Saturday sees the final round of Championship matches of 2011 and the sides jostling for position at the top of the table will all be desperate to end the year on a high. We’ll take a look at four key games and try to pick a winner or two (West Ham 6/4 – Championship Outright).

Derby County v West Ham United

The doom and gloom of last season’s relegation now looks to be a thing of the past as the Hammers are sitting pretty in second place in the Championship table with an excellent chance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.

A win at Pride Park will mean they will probably begin 2012 in the second automatic promotion spot behind Southampton and with it all to play for over the second half of the campaign.

But Sam Allardyce’s men have not been at their best over the past five games with two wins, one draw and two defeats and so Derby can use that as motivation.

They have been good on their travels, however, with seven wins away from Upton Park already and will look to turn over a Derby side who are stuck right in the middle of the chasing pack in 14th spot with 31 points.

The league is so congested that just six points separate sixth from 16th and so any of the sides, Derby included, could make a run for the play-offs next year.

Nigel Clough’s side have also taken seven points from a possible 15 but have won their last two at home and the hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leeds last time out proves that they can mix it with the top teams on their day.

Allardyce is a canny manager and will probably see this as tough encounter and it would be no surprise to see the sides share the points on Saturday.

Odds: Derby 11/4, West Ham Evens, draw 12/5

Middlesbrough v Peterborough

Whatever happens against Posh, Boro will be in the top three at the turn of the year and that is an amazing feat considering how many points they have thrown away at home, with late goals haunting them all season.

Tony Mowbray’s charges have won only five games at the Riverside, with six draws, and it is their away form that has kept them flying high with seven wins on the road this term.

But they face Darren Ferguson’s charges on Teesside in this one and will want to make it three straight victories on their own patch after beating both Brighton and Hull 1-0.

The Boro have won their last four and the confidence and crowds appear to be returning to the former top-flight side and they should be able to take care of a Peterborough side who have already lost six times away from home this term.

The sides drew 1-1 at London Road back in November and, after losing a couple of close ones, last season’s League One play-off winners have taken seven out of nine points and will be looking to make it three successive wins on Saturday.

Fergie’s men do score goals away from home but Boro have conceded just nine at home in the first half of the campaign and so it looks set to be a tight encounter, with a narrow home victory the verdict.

Odds: Middlesbrough 4/6, Peterborough 4/1, draw 11/4

Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City

Cardiff have suffered more than their fair share of play-off heartache in recent seasons but continue to challenge at the right end of the table as they head into the weekend’s clash at the City Ground.

The Bluebirds’ long-suffering fans look set for another roller-coaster ride up to and into the play-offs and they will want to take something from their final encounter of the year to set them up for next year’s promotion push.

Recent form has been mixed and they have failed to win any of the past three matches, but 1-0 victories over Birmingham and Forest just a few weeks ago have kept them in the top four.

Malky Mackay’s men are the draw specialists away from home with seven already but they will have three points on their mind when they face a Forest outfit devoid of confidence and staring up at the majority of the Championship sides.

The East Midlanders have not won in six attempts and have taken just one point from a possible 18 since beating Ipswich 3-2 on November 19 and are currently 22nd out of the 24 teams in the standings.

Steve Cotterill’s men have lost their last three home games and have never really recovered from the 4-0 thumping they received at the hands of Leeds United.

Cardiff may have only won three times away from home but they are tipped to add to that tally this weekend.

Odds: Forest 7/4, Cardiff 8/5, draw 11/5

Burnley v Hull

Hull are one of the form teams in the division with four successive wins before coming unstuck late on at Middlesbrough last time out.

They have garnered 39 points from their first 23 games and sit comfortably in the play-off zone as 2012 approaches.

It has been case of all or nothing for Nick Barmby’s side this season with 12 wins, eight defeats and only three draws to date – all away from home.

So the likelihood is that they will head over the Pennines in search of all three points to keep up their momentum and they will face a Burnley side who have not enjoyed the best of times at Turf Moor this season.

The home fans have witnessed just four wins, with five defeats, and it is the six wins on their travels that has kept Eddie Howe’s men in the top half of the table.

Scoring goals at home has not been a problem for the Clarets with 21 strikes already but they have let in 15 and that is something Barmby will have taken note of ahead of the match.

Hull do not score many away from their own patch and so this one has all the makings of a draw.

Odds: Burnley 11/8, Hull 9/4, draw 23/10

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