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Leeds missed the chance to return to the top of the Championship as they conceded in the sixth minute of added time to draw 2-2 at home to Swansea.
The hosts made the ideal start as they looked to respond to Sheffield United’s Friday night win over Coventry, with Brenden Aaronson bundling the ball home inside a minute. Swansea were handed a chance to level from the spot in the 14th minute, only for Illan Meslier to turn Josh Tymon’s penalty behind.
But the goalkeeper went from hero to villain in the 64th minute as he dropped a corner, allowing Harry Darling to level. Substitute Willy Gnonto looked to have won it for Leeds with a close-range effort in the 86th minute, moments after coming on, but Zan Vipotnik smashed home a last-gasp leveller.
The draw left Leeds two points behind the Blades and level on points with third-placed Burnley, who claimed a 1-0 win at home to playoff chasing Bristol City thanks to Zian Flemming’s fine free-kick. Victory stretched Burnley’s unbeaten run to 26 Championship games, dating back to a loss at Millwall at the start of November. It took the Clarets level on points with second-placed Leeds, with Sheffield United two points ahead.
Trai Hume scored the only goal of the game as promotion-chasing Sunderland claimed a 1-0 win over Millwall. Following a positive start from the hosts at the Stadium of Light, the full-back fired the Black Cats ahead in the 20th minute with a fantastic volley stemming from a well-worked corner routine. They had chances to extend their lead through Wilson Isidor and Jobe Bellingham, and Luke O’Nien had a penalty saved late in the game, but Hume’s goal proved to be enough as Sunderland strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Championship.
Josh Sargent’s stoppage-time goal earned Norwich a 1-0 win at Carrow Road which kept alive their outside hopes of reaching the playoffs – and put a big dent in West Brom’s promotion ambitions. Sargent produced a composed finish for his 13th goal of the season to settle a tight game of few clear-cut chances. There was still time for Angus Gunn to make a great close-range save to keep out Kyle Bartley’s header, with substitute Ruairi McConville clearing the second effort off the line.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s first league goal in nearly 18 months helped spark a Middlesbrough revival and earn a 2-1 win over Oxford that has strengthened Teesside hopes of a playoff place. The 28-year-old former Leicester striker finished confidently inside three minutes of the second half to cancel out Michal Helik’s opener seven minutes before half-time.
To cap Iheanacho’s first goal for Middlesbrough since arriving on loan from Sevilla in January, Brazilian defender Neto Borges also flicked in his first for the club and that turned out to be Boro’s winner with 10 minutes left. Middlesbrough, who have won three home league games in a row for the first time since October 2023, are now level on points with sixth-placed West Brom with seven matches remaining. Coventry are two points further ahead.
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Birmingham remain nine points clear in League One after easing to a 4-1 victory over bottom side Shrewsbury. Ben Davies set Blues on their way in the 27th minute, while Ethan Laird doubled the advantage before Alfie May scored twice late on.
A good day for the leading sides saw the rest of the top five all claim victories. Wrexham stay in second thanks to a 2-0 victory at Exeter, with Ollie Rathbone scoring in the 23rd minute and Jay Rodriguez giving them breathing space by converting a penalty on the hour mark.
Wycombe are three points behind with a game in hand after beating Lincoln 1-0, with Cameron Humphreys netting the only goal in the 66th minute. The Imps had Paudie O’Connor sent off in added time.
One of the performances of the day came from fourth-placed Charlton, who extended their winning run at the Valley with a 4-0 thumping of Huddersfield, who began the day in the playoff places. Tyreece Campbell scored twice and Matty Godden once, while unfortunate Terriers keeper Lee Nicholls also netted an own goal.
Stockport also won and stay a point behind Charlton but they were less comfortable in a 2-1 victory over Burton. County looked in control after Isaac Olaofe added to Kyle Wootton’s early strike but Julian Larsson’s 89th-minute goal for Burton made it a frantic finish and Stockport had Ethan Pye sent off.
Reading continued to defy their off-the-pitch troubles, and a 3-1 victory over Peterborough moved them into the top six. A seventh-minute own goal from Sam Hughes put the Royals ahead, and two goals in five minutes from Harvey Knibbs and Charlie Savage in the second half proved more than enough despite Kwame Poku pulling one back.
Bolton‘s hopes of making the playoffs were dealt a blow with a 2-1 defeat at Blackpool. Aaron Collins cancelled out Ashley Fletcher’s opener in the first half but Niall Ennis netted a 59th-minute winner.
At the bottom of the table there was a huge win for 22nd-place Crawley, who ran out 4-0 winners away at Rotherham. Kamari Doyle scored a double while Gavan Holohan and Panutche Camara netted late on.
Maleace Asamoah’s first goal for Wigan gave Ryan Lowe a point in his first home game as manager, securing a 1-1 draw with Barnsley.
Strugglers Cambridge and Northampton drew 1-1, while Bristol Rovers remain in trouble after losing 2-1 at home to Mansfield. PA Media
While Watford and Plymouth fought out a goalless draw in the Vicarage Road sunshine that did nothing to help the ambitions of either club, Josh Murphy’s cool first-half strike gave Portsmouth a 1-0 victory over Blackburn to add weight to their survival chances and put a dent in Rovers’ playoff hopes.
Murphy’s superb one-two and finish lit up a low-quality affair which condemned Valérien Ismaël’s Blackburn to a fourth straight defeat and extended his winless start as Rovers manager. Blackburn are now five points adrift of the top six after dropping to 11th, while Portsmouth ended a two-match losing run to create a seven-point buffer from the relegation zone. Pompey have scored 19 points at home since the turn of the year, more than anyone else in the Championship.
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Walsall remain top of League Two but a 1-1 draw with fellow promotion chasers AFC Wimbledon made it six games without a win. The Saddlers needed an 87th-minute equaliser from Taylor Allen after Omar Bugiel had given the Dons the lead with 20 minutes left.
Bradford failed to capitalise, drawing 0-0 at Accrington, while Port Vale closed to within three points of second place thanks to Jayden Stockley’s 86th-minute header in a 1-0 win over Crewe.
Doncaster are a point further back after beating Carlisle 3-0, with Owen Bailey, Jordan Gibson and Harry Clifton scoring the goals.
Charlie Whitaker’s double gave sixth-placed Notts County a 2-0 victory at Newport, while at the bottom Morecambe gave themselves hope of avoiding the drop with a 1-0 win over Swindon, Lee Angol netting in the first half.
Cole Stockton scored twice as Salford defeated Bromley 3-2 away, while another high-scoring encounter saw Fleetwood win 4-2 at MK Dons.
Elsewhere, Harrogate and Gillingham drew 1-1 in Gareth Ainsworth’s first match in charge of the Gills, while Barrow lost 1-0 at home to Chesterfield.
Junior Tchamadeu scored his first goal for Stoke as they eased their relegation fears with a 3-1 victory over QPR. The Potters managed to put more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone, with four points now separating them from the bottom three thanks to their second straight home win. Bae Jun-ho and the excellent Million Manhoef were on target either side of Tchamadeu’s strike to inflict a fifth defeat in six games on an injury-hit QPR side.
Matt Bloomfield said he felt encouraged that an identity is forming in his relegation-threatened Luton team after they secured back-to-back away victories. After winning 2-1 at Cardiff, Luton sealed a 1-0 victory at Hull following Alfie Jones’ freak own goal – meaning they have 10 points from their previous five games.
“Away from home, our supporters haven’t had a huge amount to cheer about this season – so for them to follow us up here, for a lunchtime kick-off at the other end of the country, needs to be really commended and thanked,” said Bloomfield. “I believe they are starting to see the players play with an identity consistently. I’m delighted with the result and many aspects of the performance.”
Isaak Davies scored his first home goal since January 2022 to earn relegation-threatened Cardiff a precious point from a 1-1 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday. After spending last season on loan at Belgian side Kortrijk he has returned after a lengthy injury break to make an impact and his first-half strike gave his side the lead as they moved two points clear of the relegation zone.
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