Joe Gelhardt scored two second-half penalties as Hull boosted their Championship survival hopes by coming from behind to beat their fellow strugglers Preston 2-1. Lewis Gibson put the visitors ahead to give them hope of ending a five-match winless run that has dragged them into trouble, but Gelhardt twice struck from the spot at a rainy MKM Stadium.
Defeat for Hull would have put them in the bottom three after Derby and Luton also won, but Rubén Sellés’ side remain two points above the drop zone in 20th. They can guarantee their Championship status by beating Derby at the weekend, while a third successive loss leaves Preston three points above 22nd-placed Luton and desperately low on confidence.
Derby kept their heads above water with a much-needed 3-1 victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns. A third away victory all season secured John Eustace’s side a precious three points. Results elsewhere meant they stayed out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Luton, meanwhile, beat playoff chasing Bristol City 3-1 at Kenilworth Road. Thelo Aasgaard’s opener was cancelled out by George Tanner but Carlton Morris and Izzy Jones secured a vital victory.
Elsewhere in the relegation battle, Plymouth stunned playoff-chasing Coventry to claim their third home win in a row, but remained rooted to the foot of the table. Goals from Mustapha Bundu and Ryan Hardie shortly before half-time put the hosts in the driving seat, but there was still time for Haji Wright to make it 2-1 just before the interval. Bundu added his second of the afternoon 20 minutes into the second half to make sure of the points.
Cardiff suffered a huge blow to their survival hopes as a screaming free-kick from Cameron Brannagan salvaged a 1-1 draw for Oxford and soured Aaron Ramsey’s first game as caretaker manager. Yousef Salech’s header early in the second half rewarded a far more proactive performance than in recent months from Cardiff, little more than 48 hours after Omer Riza’s sacking. But, with their relegation rivals profiting elsewhere, Brannagan stepped up 11 minutes from time to score from 25 yards out. It was a hammer blow for Cardiff, who remain 23rd and are now three points from safety.
Anthony Musaba scrambled home an 89th-minute winner for Sheffield Wednesday as Middlesbrough’s playoff hopes were dented by a damaging 2-1 loss at Hillsborough.
Michael Carrick’s side were on course to climb into the top six following Finn Azaz’s 11th-minute opener in rain-soaked South Yorkshire. But Josh Windass equalised early in the second half before Musaba, on as a substitute, earned Wednesday a first home success since New Year’s Day at the death.
The defeats for Coventry and Boro allowed Millwall to roar back into the playoff race after Mihailo Ivanovic scored twice to sink Norwich 3-1 at the Den. Millwall’s top-six hopes looked to have been dealt a fatal blow when they were thumped 4-1 at Blackburn on Friday. But Ivanovic’s double and Femi Azeez’s goal leave Millwall three points off sixth place.
Tyrhys Dolan kept alive Blackburn’s chances of making the playoffs after a hard-earned win at Sunderland. On an afternoon when results elsewhere meant the hosts secured fourth place, Dolan’s 33rd-minute strike was enough to clinch a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light and a third on the trot for Valérien Ismaël’s side. By contrast, Régis Le Bris’ team have lost their last three games, hardly the kind of form they would want to take into the playoffs.
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Resurgent Swansea made it five consecutive wins by beating QPR 2-1, further boosting Alan Sheehan’s chances of taking charge permanently. Sheehan has now presided over seven wins, two draws and two defeats from his 11 matches since taking over as caretaker boss, following the sacking of Luke Williams in February.
It would have been five clean sheets in a row had Karamoko Dembele not pulled a goal back for QPR with their first effort on target. Morgan Fox’s 29th-minute own goal put Swansea in front and Harry Darling scored early in the second half for the Welsh side, who were six points clear of the drop zone a little over a month ago. They are now 11th and pushing for a top-half finish.
Colby Bishop’s goal earned Portsmouth a 1-0 win over 10-man Watford which ensured their safety. Portsmouth are six points clear of the relegation zone but, with Hull and Derby still to play each other, their Championship status is guaranteed. Watford were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Kévin Keben was sent off for bringing down Josh Murphy just outside the area.
At the summit, Leeds took one step closer to promotion with a 6-0 thrashing of Stoke. Joël Piroe scored four first-half goals to blow away the visitors at Elland Road, with Junior Firpo and Wilfried Gnonto adding gloss to the scoreline.