Ipswich 1-0 Watford
Tommy Smith’s 83rd-minute goal put Ipswich, who have now lost just once in their last 14 games, fourth after an entertaining tussle with fellow promotion chasers Watford. Mick McCarthy’s side leapfrogged the Hornets after centre-back Smith, reacting when Kevin Bru’s shot was blocked, shot home to settle what had been an end-to-end affair. Fernando Forestieri should have put Watford ahead in the second half when he shot over from close range, while home goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski twice denied Gianni Munari, once in injury time. But Ipswich were always dangerous, Heurelho Gomes saving from top scorer Daryl Murphy and Stephen Hunt and Jonny Williams both coming close. Next up for the Tractor Boys is a visit to second-place Bournemouth.
Millwall 2-3 Brentford
Brentford moved into the play-off places after winning a ding-dong affair at the New Den despite being pegged back from two goals down. Andre Gray finished well twice to put Mark Warburton’s Bees two up by the 56th minutes, but just three minutes later the score was 2-2 – Lee Gregory and Alan Dunne quickly scoring for the home team. Gregory then hit the bar, but the west London side are upwardly mobile having beaten both Derby and Nottingham Forest in the last week and came up with a winner 10 minutes later when Gray’s cross was turned into his own net by Danny Shittu.
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Norwich
The pressure on Stuart Pearce eased and piled straight on to opposite number Neil Adams as Forest put a run of nine games without a win behind them. Norwich made the early running and Jonny Howson gave them a deserved first-half lead after beating two opponents. But Forest came into the game after the break and, although Lewis Grabban came close to putting the Canaries two up, their persistence was rewarded when Britt Assombalonga tapped in five minutes from time. Then, three minutes into stoppage time, a Norwich attack broke down and Michail Antonio powered through to seal an unlikely victory. Norwich have won just one in their last eight.
Leeds 3-1 Blackpool
Blackpool remain well adrift at the bottom after Neil Redfearn picked up his first win as the hosts’ permanent manager. Liam Cooper volleyed in early on before Souleymane Doukara scored after good work from the Brazilian Adryan. Mirco Antenucci saw a shot deflected in just before the break, and a Nile Ranger header was little consolation for a Tangerines side that now sits 10 points from safety under new manager Lee Clark.
And the rest
Blackburn remain on the fringes of the play-offs after Rudy Gestede’s 10th goal of the season equalised a Gary Gardner opener at struggling Brighton ... Igor Vetokele scored his eighth goal of the season as Charlton kept themselves in the mix with a 1-0 win at Reading ... Fulham are now unbeaten in six after a 3-1 win over previously in-form Huddersfield at Craven Cottage ... Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham fought out a goalless draw, and the same went for Birmingham and Cardiff.
