Championship
With the leaders, Wolves, not playing until Tuesday, second-placed Derby had a chance to narrow the gap at the top. But though Matej Vydra gave them the lead with a penalty, Leon Clarke earned sixth-placed Sheffield United a draw at Pride Park.
At Elland Road, Leeds and Nottingham Forest played out a goalless draw, while at Deepdale, Middlesbrough got their first win under Tony Pulis, coming from 2-1 down to beat Preston 3-2. The goals came from Daniel Ayala (2) and Jonny Howson, moving Boro up to seventh.
Pre-match, the headlines were made by Sheffield Wednesday, who appointed Katrien Meire as their new chief executive days after she left at Charlton. The club’s players then celebrated in suitable style, losing 3-0 at home to Burton Albion to stay 16th in the table.
This lifted Burton above Sunderland to the lofty heights of third-bottom – the Black Cats lost 1-0 at home to Barnsley, who are now 19th. Meanwhile, in between them, Bolton’s Gary Madine scored for the second time in three days to take his team above Hull, whom they beat 1-0.
Aston Villa 5-0 Bristol City, Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Hull City, Derby County 1-1 Sheffield United, Leeds United 0-0 Nottingham Forest, Norwich City 2-1 Millwall, Preston North End 2-3 Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Burton Albion, Sunderland 0-1 Barnsley
League One
Wigan retained their two-point advantage at the top, Nick Powell’s fifth-minute goal enough for a win at Northampton Town, who stay second bottom. Tucked in behind them are Shrewsbury Town for whom an early strike was also enough, Shaun Whalley’s effort despatching fourth-bottom Oldham Athletic.
Of the teams in the play-off places, Blackburn Rovers drew 1-1 at Rotherham so stay third only on goal difference, after Charlie Goode’s late winner gave Scunthorpe United the points against bottom-placed Bury. Below them, Bradford City beat Fleetwood Town, thereby extending their lead over Portsmouth – who lost 2-1 to two late goals at Bristol Rovers – to seven points.
At the other end of the table, third-bottom AFC Wimbledon recorded a much-needed victory against Southend United and now sit just a point away from safety. Around them, other club in the bottom nine lost – apart from Plymouth Argyle, whose 1-0 win over their fellow strugglers Walsall takes them up five places to 16th.
AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Southend United, Bristol Rovers 2-1 Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic 1-2 Gillingham, Fleetwood Town 1-2 Bradford City, Northampton Town 0-1 Wigan Athletic, Oxford United 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons, Peterborough United 1-1 Doncaster Rovers, Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Walsall, Rochdale 1-2 Blackpool, Rotherham United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers, Scunthorpe United 1-0 Bury, Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Oldham Athletic
League Two
It was all fun and games in the EFL’s bottom division. At the New Lawn, bottom-placed Forest Green Rovers were beaten 2-1 by Wycombe Wanderers, for whom Matt Bloomfield opened the scoring after 26 minutes; on 39 minutes, Charlie Cooper was sent off, quickly followed by his manager and dad, Mark, outraged at the decision of the referee. Antony Coggins.
Meanwhile, at Huish Park, Yeovil took an early lead, but then had Connor Smith dismissed, saw Crawley Town equalise, and then had Omar Sowunmi sent off – all in the last nine minutes of the first half. The second period was less eventful until, with 10 minutes remaining the players were taken off the pitch when a drone appeared; when they returned, Thomas Verheydt scored a winner for the away side … in the eighth minute of injury-time.
In more prosaic news, the leaders, Luton, had Alan Sheehan sent off in the fourth minute and went behind to Lincoln in the sixth. They then fought back to equalise just after the half-hour but fell behind just two minutes after that, only for the visitors to have Harry Anderson sent off a further two minutes after that, allowing the Hatters to ease to a 4-2 win.
Behind them, Notts County and Coventry City both won 1-0, while at the other end of the table, Barnet lost at home to Swindon so stay in the relegation zone with Forest Green – above them on goal difference and a point behind Chesterfield, who lost to the Sky Blues.
Accrington Stanley A-A Morecambe, Barnet 1-2 Swindon Town, Colchester United 0-0 Cambridge United, Coventry City 1-0 Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Grimsby Town, Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers, Luton Town 4-2 Lincoln City, Mansfield Town 3-1 Carlisle United, Newport County 2-1 Exeter City, Notts County 1-0 Port Vale, Stevenage 4-1 Cheltenham Town, Yeovil Town 1-2 Crawley Town,
