Football League: Sheffield United brush Hull aside, Derby climb into top six
Championship
Sheffield United made light work of a potentially tricky trip to Hull, going 3-0 up before half-time and holding on to go just three points behind Norwich. The leaders were held to a 2-2 draw at Stoke but Leeds’ defeat at Brentford means the Canaries are all but up. Chris Wilder’s side will virtually secure their place in the Premier League with a home win over Ipswich this weekend.
In the race for the play-offs, Derby edged past QPR in late, controversial fashion – Harry Wilson scoring from the spot after Luke Freeman was harshly adjudged to have brought down Jayden Bogle in the area. Wilson added a second stoppage-time goal on the break as Frank Lampard’s team climbed into the top six.
Middlesbrough and Bristol City were both well beaten on the road, with Boro losing 3-0 at Nottingham Forest. Joe Lolley scored with a penalty and a finish into the bottom corner, either side of Alexander Milosevic’s first goal for the club. Sheffield Wednesday kept their own faint play-off hopes alive as a long-range effort from Barry Bannan set up a 2-0 win over the Robins at Hillsborough.
Aston Villa sealed their 10th victory in a row with a 1-0 win over Millwall. Jonathan Kodjia got the only goal as Villa secured a play-off place alongside West Brom. The Baggies drew 0-0 at Reading, who are now all but safe after Rotherham were beaten 3-1 at home by Birmingham despite taking a first-half lead.
Swansea still have an outside chance of sneaking into the top six after Wayne Routledge got the only goal at relegated Ipswich. Elsewhere, Blackburn and Wigan won Lancashire derbies, against Bolton and Preston respectively.
League One
There was late drama in the promotion race as Brett Pitman scored a late winner for Portsmouth against Coventry, while Sunderland were frustrated by a 1-1 draw at Peterborough. Max Power’s fine finish put the visitors ahead in the 87th minute at London Road, only for Matt Godden to equalise in stoppage time.
Barnsley had no such trouble at Home Park, scoring three goals in the first half-hour to stay second and deepen Plymouth’s relegation worries. Southend’s lunchtime win over Burton leaves Scunthorpe in the bottom four after they were hammered 4-0 at Charlton.
Wycombe and Rochdale earned vital one-goal victories to boost their own survival hopes. Jason McCarthy returned to haunt former club Walsall at Adams Park, while Ethan Hamilton, on loan from Manchester United, grabbed the winner for Dale against Bristol Rovers.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland winger Gavin Whyte scored a hat-trick as Oxford won a see-saw battle at Shrewsbury, while Blackpool won their derby with Fleetwood thanks to Nathan Delfouneso’s stoppage-time strike.
League Two
Lincoln City could not find a winner against Tranmere, but a goalless draw was enough to secure the title. Mansfield, who began the day in second, lost 3-2 at Oldham. Gevaro Nepomuceno scored twice for the Latics, who have won four and drawn two since Paul Scholes’ departure.
Bury climbed into second place after coming from behind to beat Northampton with goals from Chris Stokes, Danny Mayor and Nicky Maynard. MK Dons were held at home by Port Vale, while Christian Doidge’s winner against Cambridge left Forest Green with an outside chance of automatic promotion.
At the bottom, Yeovil and Notts County both surrendered leads and had to settle for a point against Colchester and Crawley respectively. That was good news for Sol Campbell’s Macclesfield, who drew 0-0 at home to Newport to stay outside the bottom three.
Play-off chasing Stevenage and Exeter drew 1-1 at the Lamex Stadium, while Carlisle’s promotion hopes were hit by Joe Grayson’s late winner for Grimsby, to end a ten-game winless run. Second-half performance of the day goes to Morecambe, who scored four goals after the break to thrash Cheltenham.
Finally, Leyton Orient look set to return to the Football League after all but wrapping up the National League title with a nervy 0-0 draw at Solihull Moors. Victory would have seen the hosts go top, but Salford’s loss to Fylde means a point at home to relegated Braintree will be enough for Orient.