Leeds are on the verge of promotion after Manor Solomon’s goal secured a 1-0 victory at Oxford. The win keeps Leeds top of the Championship and five points clear of third-placed Sheffield United with three games remaining.
Daniel Farke’s side scored the decisive goal in the first half with Jayden Bogle’s cross finished at the far post by the Tottenham loanee Solomon.
Defenders Rob Dickie and Ross McCrorie were Bristol City’s heroes as their bid for a Championship playoff place received a massive boost with a 2-1 win over 10-man Sunderland at Ashton Gate.
The visitors had to play all but the first seven minutes with 10 men after defender Trai Hume was shown a straight red card for clipping Nahki Wells from behind as the striker burst clear onto a long ball.
But they still broke the deadlock on 31 minutes with a breathtaking solo goal. Picking up the ball deep in his own half, Eliezer Mayenda squeezed between two City players and set off on a lung-bursting run down the right, which ended with cutting inside Zak Vyner and shooting left-footed past Max O’Leary from inside the box.
City equalised on 55 minutes with another spectacular strike, this time from centre-back Dickie, who blasted a sweet right-footed shot into the top corner from 30 yards after a period of constant pressure.
Wing-back McCrorie hammered a left-footed drive past Anthony Patterson from a narrow angle when the ball broke to him inside the box on 76 minutes to seal three deserved points and keep his side fifth in the table.
Coventry took a huge step in the race for the playoff places after beating 10-man West Brom 2-0 in front of a record breaking crowd at the CBS Arena.
Jack Rudoni and Matt Grimes scored either side of half-time to put Frank Lampard’s men three points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough. West Brom, who saw Callum Styles sent off moments after Grimes had netted the second, dropped to eighth in the table and sit six points behind the sixth-placed Sky Blues with three games to play.
Middlesbrough kept their own playoff hopes alive in dramatic fashion as Tommy Conway’s stoppage-time penalty secured a 2-1 win over a Plymouth side that remain rooted to the foot of the table. Conway was pushed over by Joe Edwards, who was subsequently sent off, and dusted himself down to successfully beat Conor Hazard from the spot.
Finn Azaz’s opener had earlier been cancelled out by Mustapha Bundu, but Conway’s winner means Middlesbrough remain just three points adrift of the top six with three games remaining. At the other end of the table, Plymouth are three points adrift of safety.
Colby Bishop led the way with a hat-trick as Portsmouth took a giant stride towards safety with a spectacular 5-3 win at Norwich. Matt Ritchie and Regan Poole were also on target in a victory that took Pompey six points clear of the relegation zone with just three games left to play.
The visitors took control by scoring three times either side of the interval to move 4-1 ahead after Josh Sargent had quickly cancelled out Bishop’s early opener. Jack Stacey pulled one back for the mid-table Canaries but defender Poole made the game safe before Emi Marcondes headed home a late consolation.
Blackburn kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a resounding 4-1 win over fellow top-six contenders Millwall. Dom Hyam’s bullet header put Rovers ahead and although Mihailo Ivanovic quickly put the scores level, Blackburn regained the lead with a spectacular Sondre Tronstad strike.
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Blackburn quickly extinguished any Millwall hopes of recovery through Callum Brittain’s emphatic near-post strike in the second half before Tronstad topped his earlier effort with another sensational long-range finish. Valérien Ismaël’s side realistically need to win their three remaining games to make the top six but go into those with confidence after securing a second straight win.
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League Two roundup: Carlisle stun leaders Port Vale
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Carlisle continued their late escape bid with a dramatic 3-2 win over leaders Port Vale at Brunton Park. Mark Hughes’ side were seeking a third straight league victory and led 2-0 at the break, with Aaron Hayden making it three soon after the restart. Vale hit back through Jayden Stockley and Sam Hart, and had the chance to level late on from the spot – but Gabriel Breeze saved Lorent Tolaj’s penalty to secure all three points for the hosts.
Doncaster are a point behind Darren Moore’s side in second after easing to a 3-0 win at Tranmere, Luke Molyneux hitting a hat-trick to deepen the hosts’ relegation fears. Tranmere are four points above Carlisle with three games to go; Accrington, who host the Cumbrians on Monday, earned a vital 2-1 away win at Salford City. Morecambe are eight points adrift after a 1-0 defeat at Bromley.
There was little movement in the playoff places with Walsall drawing 2-2 at home to Harrogate, Wimbledon and Chesterfield playing out a goalless draw, and Colchester also settling for a point at home to 10-man Crewe. Swindon are up to 12th – and six points off the playoffs – after thrashing hosts Grimsby 4-0. Third-placed Bradford drew 1-1 with Notts County on Thursday night.
Paul Warne’s tenure at MK Dons began with a goalless draw at home to Newport, while Fleetwood and Barrow also drew 0-0 in a mid-table meeting. Jimmy-Jay Morgan got Friday’s earliest goal for Gillingham at Cheltenham, but Sam Stubbs levelled for the hosts in a 1-1 draw. Guardian sport
In the early kick-off Millenic Alli’s early strike handed Luton a lifeline in their battle for survival as they beat fellow strugglers Derby 1-0 at Pride Park. Matt Bloomfield’s men remain in the relegation zone, but the away win means they are now behind their 21st-placed opponents on goal difference alone with three games remaining. John Eustace’s side recovered from a difficult start to eventually seize control of the contest. But they were unable to fashion the equaliser they probably deserved with Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski making several important saves.
Swansea made it four wins in a row under their interim manager, Alan Sheehan, as they ensured Hull remain in the relegation battle with a 1-0 home win.
It took a controversial second-half penalty from the Slovenia striker Zan Vipotnik to secure the three points, which pushed Swansea up to 11th and left Hull – who had Matt Crooks sent off in stoppage time – two points above the drop zone.
Stoke took a significant step towards retaining their Championship status with a 2-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday. Dutch winger Million Manhoef opened the scoring in the first half before defender Ben Wilmot added a second after the break following a terrible error from Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
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League One: Shrewsbury down, Wycombe go second
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Shrewsbury Town have been relegated to League Two, ending a run of 10 seasons in the third tier. Burton‘s goalless draw at Exeter in the early kick-off condemned Michael Atherton’s side to the drop before they kicked off in their 1-0 home defeat by Wigan. Crawley picked up a point with a goalless draw at champions Birmingham, while Cambridge boosted their faint survival hopes as Sullay Kaikai earned a late 2-1 win at Huddersfield.
Wycombe edged in front of Wrexham in the race for second place in League One, winning 2-0 at Bolton to dent the hosts’ own playoff ambitions. Caleb Taylor put the visitors in front, before Luke Leahy struck in stoppage time to secure the three points. Wrexham stumbled to a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Bristol Rovers, with Matt James levelling for the hosts in the 76th minute; they slip a point behind the Chairboys with three games to play.
Nathan Jones’ Charlton are up to fourth after Matt Godden earned a 2-1 home win over Northampton. The Addicks overtake Stockport – who were held to a 1-1 draw at Peterborough – but have to visit Wycombe and Wrexham in their next two matches. Leyton Orient rallied from 2-0 and 3-1 down at home to Barnsley to win 4-3, scoring three goals in six second-half minutes with Omar Beckles netting the winner.
Reading dropped out of the top six after a 1-0 home defeat by Lincoln, James Collins scoring the winner. Blackpool kept up their late playoff push with a 3-1 win at Stevenage; Robert Apter scored all three of the visitors’ goals in a 12-minute hat-trick. Mansfield edged closer to safety by battling back to earn a 3-3 draw at mid-table Rotherham, with Jordan Bowery levelling three minutes from time.
Victory extends the Potters’ unbeaten run to five matches and moves them seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Wednesday have now gone six games without a win.Lucas Andersen’s sensational strike saw QPR snatch a late 2-1 victory at Preston.
Meanwhile in League One, Shrewsbury’s relegation was confirmed with a 1-0 home defeat by Wigan.