Brighton off floor to land Knockaert
BRIGHTON, beaten in their previous two games as their season threatened to come off the rails, were back on track last night.
They took a while to get going Rotherham, who are rock bottom, but cemented their place in the second promotion spot with a 2-0 away win.
Winger Anthony Knockaert struck for the decisive goal just after half-time after Beram Kayal had burst clear and Sam Baldock’s effort was blocked on the line.
Brighton dominated after the break with substitute Solly March adding a second with ten minutes remaining.
QPR took the lead against Barnsley after only seven minutes but scorer Idris Sylla knew little about it as Luke Freeman’s flick went in off his heel.
Barnsley defender Angus MacDonald slid Pawel Wszolek’s cross into his own net after 66 minutes to make it 2-0 to the home side. Sub Tom Bradshaw halved the deficit 10 minutes from time but it remained 2-1.
Leeds’ automatic promotion push was held up when Tom Cairney equalised for Fulham in the 95th minute in a 1-1 draw.
Tim Ream had sliced into his own net to give Leeds the lead.
Dan Burn left his mark on old club Birmingham to give Wigan hope of beating the drop with a 1-0 win.
The centre-back bundled home in the 19th minute lead after Jamie Hanson’s corner was flicked on.
Kenneth Zohore’s fifth goal in four matches seemed set to clinch Neil Warnock’s Cardiff an uninspiring win against Blackburn.
Zohore struck shortly before half-time with a well-worked volleyed finish – the Bluebirds’ first effort – but Blackburn pushed hard for an equaliser and Derek Williams bundled in to make it 1-1 in the last minute.
Jackson Irvine’s magnificent first-time volley thwarted Sheffield Wednesday’s bid to build a cushion in the chase for play-off places as Burton drew 1-1 at Hillsborough.
The midfielder scored from a corner with an 18-yard strike after 24 minutes, matching a similarly impressive opener from Wednesday’s Ross Wallace, whose shot flew in off the post.
Bristol City’s Bailey Wright came to manager Lee Johnson’s rescue in a 1-1 draw with promotion hopefuls Norwich.
The Australian stabbed in his first goal for the Robins in the 78th minute following a goalmouth scramble to boost the club’s hopes of avoiding relegation. Yanic Wildschut had put the Canaries ahead with a low 20-yarder in the 39th minute
Brentford held on for a 3-2 win with Danish striker Lasses Vibe’s fine form continuing.
The Danish striker scored twice to make it five goals in his last six outings for the Bees.
And midfielder Jota scored a third goal in the 68th minute which held off a gallant Forest comeback.
Derby’s record signing Matej Vydra broke his five-month goal drought to put Derby ahead against Preston.
The £8million Czech striker netted for the first time in 23 appearances just after half-time.
He bundled home a rebound from a David Nugent shot in the 50th minute while Paul Huntington had a late header cleared off the line for Preston.
But Preston had the last laugh when Tom Barkhuizen struck in injury-time.