Championship ROUND-UP

FULHAM took full advantage of Leeds’ slip and closed the gap to the automatic promotion places with a 1-0 win at

BLACKBURN. Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 20th league goal of the season fired them into third place in the division, only trailing second-placed Leeds on goal difference. Fulham manager Scott Parker called it ‘a perfect away performance’. ‘I thought we grew into the game, we had our moments in the first half without putting our mark or control on it,’ Parker said.

PRESTON climbed back into the top six with an impressive 2-1 win at WIGAN. It is the first time they have done a league double over the Latics since 1992-93. It was a big result for

HUDDERSFIELD in their battle to stay in the Championship, as they went six points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win against QPR. Rangers have now lost five consecutive away league games, similar to a miserable run of form in March last year. ‘We were just a little bit toothless,’ said QPR boss Mark Warburton. ‘Good teams score goals and ultimately we have to be clinical.’

STOKE gave their survival hopes a boost with a 3-1 win over CHARLTON, to leapfrog them into 20th place just above the drop zone. Tom Ince scored his first Championship goal for Stoke since August 2019, ending a run of 23 games, and earning praise from his manager, Michael O’Neill: ‘Today I felt he looked so assured when he was on the ball. He drifted inside, he linked the play well and scored a very good goal.’ CARDIFF climbed above SWANSEA with a 1-0 win

against LUTON as the Swans lost 3-2 to DERBY. Martyn Waghorn scored and provided an assist in a single match for the first time since May 2018 to help the Rams secure the win. BARNSLEY and SHEFFIELD

WEDNESDAY drew 1-1 at Oakwell, the fourth consecutive league meeting between the two sides at the Tykes’ home that has finished with that scoreline, despite both teams having different managers in each game.