Power Rankings: Who are the top team in Yorkshire?

In all of those games, our county’s representatives were underdogs, and league form is more important to this week’s Yorkshire Post Power Rankings.

How did Middlesbrough’s victory in a derby against Huddersfield alter their position? How have upturns in form for our non-league sides impacted on their places?

Find out where your side has ranked below:

1) Middlesbrough (up one)

WWLWWL

Before we explain why Middlesbrough are back to top spot, it is worth mentioning that they lost 2-0 on Tuesday night against a very good Everton side.

In fact, it was an incredibly one-sided tie, one in which the two scored by the Toffees was probably not an accurate reflection of their domination.

However, Boro did manage a win at the weekend in a tie that is more important to their season, against Huddersfield Town.

That 2-0 win puts them into second, and given automatic promotion is surely the aim they should be duly rewarded for finally cracking the top two.

Middlesbrough 0 Everton 2: Boro come unstuck at home against Toffees

2) Rotherham United (up four)

LLLLWW

How do you follow up a win against a local rival?

There’s not many better ways than an even bigger win at home. That’s what Rotherham managed this weekend, beating Bristol City 3-0 at home.

It’s a huge turnaround for Neil Redfearn, who failed to win in any of his first six games in charge.

While the Millers are still 23rd, they now have reason to believe they could get out of this mess and stay in the Championship for another season. They are only a point behind MK Dons in the relative safety of 19th.

3) FC Halifax Town (up four)

WLLLWW

Since Darren Kelly departed The Shay, Halifax Town have turned their form around.

Understandably, they’ve been rewarded for that with a climb up the Yorkshire Post Power Rankings.

The problem is, their form was so poor under the former Oldham manager that they still have a task on their hands to edge out of the relegation zone.

Victories like Saturday’s 4-2 defeat of Dover Athletic will only help. After two wins in a row, they are now six points away from 20th and safety.

4) Bradford City (down three)

WDWWDL

Bradford may have topped the rankings last week, but a setback in the form of their away loss against Walsall has sent them tumbling down.

The 2-1 defeat has also knocked them down to ninth in League One.

Admittedly, City are still on a good run and Walsall is likely to be nothing more than a blip, which is why they stay high up in the rankings.

However, given their good defensive record and the fact they had been on a long run without a loss, there is no way Phil Parkinson will have been happy to suffer a defeat this weekend.

5) Guiseley (up seven)

WWLLLW

Guiseley were unlucky to drop as low as they did in the Power Rankings last week, and they have rightfully shot back up them.

Their 2-0 win against Bromley at home put an end to a run of three straight losses, although those defeats came against some of the better sides in the National League.

As an added bonus, the long-range strike by Oliver Norburn has become a viral sensation, featured across social media.

They now face the resurgent FC Halifax Town on Saturday, with a win for either side key to their season.

6) Doncaster Rovers (down two)

WWWLWD

After a good run under relatively new manager Darren Ferguson, Rovers are unfortunate to drop to sixth in the Power Rankings.

This is especially the case given they managed a 2-2 draw away from home against Coventry, second in League One.

That result means Rovers are now in 15th, slowly climbing up the third tier.

Given their position prior to Ferguson’s arrival, that’s an achievement in itself.

7) Sheffield Wednesday (down four)

WDLWDL

Saturday’s draw against Blackburn is considerably more important to Wednesday’s position in the Power Rankings than the loss against Stoke City on Tuesday night.

Facing Premier League opposition is never anything more than a hopeful affair for most Championship sides, and it is no huge issue that they lost 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium.

The 2-2 draw against Blackburn could also be seen as an opportunity missed, but Wednesday are now 8th in the division.

Considering some tipsters had them pegged as potential strugglers, that is no mean feat. Staying in the top 10 pack prior to Christmas gives a team as good a chance as anyone to snatch promotion.

Stoke City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Owls fight hard but come up short against Potters

8) Hull City (down three)

WWWDLL

It seems harsh to rank the team fourth in the Championship so low in the Power Rankings.

However, Hull City’s game against Derby County on Friday was a huge one. It was an opportunity for the home side to confirm their promotion credentials and cut down a challenger.

That was not what occurred, as the Tigers lost 2-0 against Derby.

They were also defeated by Manchester City on Tuesday, but that is almost by the by. More importantly, they travel to Leeds on Saturday with a chance to show their power in the second tier once more.

Manchester City 4 Hull City 1: Late salvo puts unfair slant on Hull’s display

9) Barnsley (down one)

LWLWLD

Barnsley only really drop down a place because they have failed to follow up their win against Oldham with another, but there’ll be few at Oakwell who mind too much.

Given their terrible form as of only a couple of weeks ago, a draw against Sheffield United will not have been taken as a negative.

In fact, given the manner of the equaliser, a great striker in injury time, there will have been few sweeter feelings for fans of the Tykes than walking away from the stadium on Saturday.

Barnsley are, however, back to the bottom of the league, which explains their slight fall.

10) Huddersfield Town (down one)

LLDLLL

Huddersfield Town’s displays since the appointment of David Wagner have been met with considerable approval.

However, the former Borussia Dortmund II coach will need to start turning performances into results soon enough.

Admittedly, Sheffield Wednesday two Saturdays ago and Middlesbrough this weekend were not easy opposition.

But Town do find themselves in a relegation battle, 22nd in the league, and Dean Hoyle will be hoping to see justification for the sacking of Chris Powell soon enough, starting with the trip to Birmingham City on Saturday.

11) Sheffield United (-)

WLDDLD

It’s becoming almost difficult to write about Sheffield United’s constant battle for wins.

Five games since they last won, the last minute draw against Barnsley almost summed up the Blades’ current ability to snatch a point from the jaws of victory.

They remain 12th, which is not too bad, but are now six points behind Peterborough in sixth place in League One.

Even worse, they are 12 points off second spot, which is the minimum expected of them this campaign. The time for inconsistency is well and truly over.

12) Leeds United (down two)

DLWWLL

Even with all of the issues that have befallen Leeds United over the last decade, it is hard to picture a lower point than their current one.

The loss against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday brought with it a staggering level of vitriol from the fans, who told the team: “we’re f***ing s**t”.

Steve Evans also faced abuse for not introducing Sam Byram from the bench. There has been more embarrassment for the club this week in the form of the ‘pie-tax’.

A win against Hull City would be a real tonic for the Whites. Sadly, they have the worst home form in the division while City have the third best away record, so all bets are off when the Tigers come to town.

13) York City (-)

LLLLLL

It’s fair to say Jackie McNamara has not had the most comfortable of introductions to life in League Two.

His side remain in 23rd in the fourth tier, and were battered at home by a surging Accrington Stanley side on Saturday.

That 5-1 defeat is the club’s eighth defeat on the bounce.

If they want to stay in the Football League, they will need to start picking up wins soon.