Wales On Sunday

Derby pegged back by late Grabban goal – Boro win

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DERBY missed the opportunit­y to secure their play-off place as Aston Villa hit back to claim a 1-1 draw.

Cameron Jerome put the Rams in front early on, but Lewis Grabban equalised six minutes from time.

The result ended Villa’s slim automatic promotion hopes, while Derby will have a keen eye on the evening game between fifth-placed Middlesbro­ugh and Millwall, who are three points adrift of both teams.

Preston are two points off the top six after Alan Browne’s second-half goal gave Alex Neil’s side a 1-0 win at Sheffield United, whose own play-off hopes are over.

Burton made it three straight wins against relegation rivals Bolton, but Nigel Clough’s side must get a result at Preston on the final day after Barnsley beat Brentford 2-0 to move out of the drop zone by virtue of their vastly superior goal difference.

Goals in either half from Kieffer Moore and Oliver McBurnie gave the Reds a crucial victory that left their fate in their own hands and ended Brentford’s play-off bid.

Burton did their bit with a 2-0 triumph courtesy of first-half strikes from Hope Akpan and Lucas Akins, a result that left Bolton - who began the day outside the bottom three - a point from safety.

Birmingham and Reading face an anxious week after both sides suffered defeats that left them two points above the drop zone.

Che Adams put Birmingham ahead at QPR , but the hosts hit back to claim a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ilias Chair and Matt Smith.

Martyn Waghorn, Jordan Spence, Freddie Sears and Callum Connolly all netted in the final 20 minutes as Ipswich hammered Reading 4-0.

Champions Wolves were held to a goalless draw by Sheffield Wednesday, while a 0-0 stalemate at Nottingham Forest ended Bristol City’s remote topsix chances.

Wes Hoolahan enjoyed a dream send-off as he engineered a 2-1 comeback win over Leeds on his final appearance for Norwich.

The 35-year-old midfielder brought the curtain down on a 10-year spell at Carrow Road by cancelling out Kalvin Phillips’ opener before Josh Murphy completed the turnaround.

Middlesbro­ugh are guaranteed a place in the Sky Bet Championsh­ip play-offs after goals from Britt Assombalon­ga and Jonny Howson secured a 2-0 win over Millwall.

Boro have booked their play-off place with a game to spare.

Millwall still have a statistica­l chance of claiming a play-off place, although in reality their hopes are gone as they would need a nine-goal swing to overhaul Derby on goal difference even if they were to win their final game against Aston Villa and both the Rams and Preston were to lose.

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