Ipswich swept back into second place in the Championship with an emphatic 6-0 win over relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday. Doubles from Omari Hutchinson and Ali Al-Hamadi helped Ipswich leapfrog Leeds, who host Millwall on Sunday.
Three first-half goals put Ipswich in complete control at Portman Road, with Cameron Burgess and Nathan Broadhead adding to Hutchinson’s 15th-minute opener. Hutchinson added a sublime fourth goal soon after half-time before substitute Al-Hamadi struck twice late on as his side recorded their biggest win of the season. The Owls, meanwhile, remain in 23rd, one point adrift of a safe position.
West Brom extended their unbeaten league run to six matches as they signed off before the final international break of the season with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Bristol City. Tom Fellows struck his fifth goal of the year to fire Albion in front in the final minute of the first half, before Jed Wallace doubled the lead in the 50th minute when he routinely tapped in Conor Townsend’s cross.
Norwich continued their play-off push with a comfortable 3-0 victory away at relegation-threatened Stoke. Josh Sargent, Gabriel Sara and Ashley Barnes all found the net as David Wagner’s side made it six wins from their last nine matches. The defeat left Stoke just two points clear of the drop zone.
Ryan Lowe’s Preston reignited their play-off hopes with a 1-0 win at his former club Plymouth. Substitute Liam Millar scored the decisive goal in the 43rd minute after a sweeping move down the left. The victory lifted North End up to ninth, five points off sixth-placed Norwich with a game in hand, and condemned Ian Foster’s struggling Argyle to a fourth successive home defeat.
Quick GuideLeague One: Portsmouth and Derby stay on course with wins
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Late goals earned leaders Portsmouth and Derby precious victories in the two big games at the top of League One. The top four were all playing each other and Derby and Portsmouth scored within moments of each other, Kusini Yengi's 77th-minute effort giving Portsmouth a 1-0 victory over Peterborough.
Pompey remain five points ahead of Derby, who are now four clear of Bolton thanks to Kane Wilson's 78th-minute goal in a 1-0 victory against Wanderers.
Fifth-placed Barnsley were unable to force their way into the top four as they were held to a goalless draw by lowly Cheltenham. Sixth-placed Oxford did take the three points, Ciaron Brown and Josh Murphy scoring in a 2-0 win over struggling Port Vale, while seventh-placed Lincoln thumped Bristol Rovers 5-0, with Joe Taylor scoring a hat-trick.
None of the bottom three won, with Vale and Carlisle losing, but Ryan Graydon earned Fleetwood a point in a 1-1 draw with Charlton, who had led through Alfie May's 25th goal of the season.
Daniel Udoh scored the only goal in Shrewsbury's 1-0 win over Carlisle. Troubled Reading had a very good day on the pitch, with Sam Smith, Femi Azeez, Lewis Wing and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan netting in a 4-0 victory over fellow strugglers Cambridge.
Exeter held on for a 1-0 victory over Burton despite having Zak Jules sent off in first-half stoppage time, while Stevenage's play-off hopes were hit by a 1-0 loss to Leyton Orient, Max Sanders scoring the only goal.
Scott Smith's goal gave Wigan victory by the same scoreline against Blackpool, and Matt Butcher's double ensured Wycombe continued their good form with a 2-0 win over Northampton.
John Eustace’s long wait for a first win as Blackburn manager continues after his side ground out a goalless draw at Middlesbrough. It was a sixth draw in eight games for Rovers since Eustace replaced Jon Dahl Tomasson and their third in a row – with Blackburn still three points above the relegation zone. Middlesbrough are now unbeaten in four league games and have kept three straight clean sheets, but their hopes of a top-six finish are hanging by a thread.
Swansea claimed the spoils in the south Wales derby with a 2-0 win over Cardiff. Liam Cullen volleyed beyond Ethan Horvath – his sixth goal of the season – after 34 minutes in a dominant first-half showing from Swansea. Cullen then missed a penalty in the 51st minute as Cardiff improved in the second half, but Jamal Lowe struck in injury-time to earn Luke Williams’s men all three points. It ensured the Swans earned back-to-back home wins for the first time under Williams, while defeat ended Cardiff’s four-game winning run.
Sunderland ended a run of six straight league defeats after being held to a goalless draw by QPR at the Stadium of Light. Neither goalkeeper was troubled much throughout the game, but in the first half Ilias Chair and Lucas Andersen had the better of the chances for the visitors. Substitute Sinclair Armstrong threatened three times after the break, but the best opportunity fell to Chris Willock, who had his effort saved by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
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Quick GuideLeague Two: Five-star Mansfield extend lead at the top
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Mansfield extended their lead over Stockport to five points at the top of League Two thanks to a comprehensive 5-1 win away at Bradford.
They were three up inside 20 minutes through Baily Cargill, Lucas Akins and Davis Keillor-Dunn, while Will Swan added a fourth just before half-time and Aaron Lewis scored late on after Andy Cook had pulled one back.
Stockport played on Thursday, and Wrexham could not take advantage to move into second as Luke Norris' early goal gave Tranmere a 1-0 victory in Wales.
MK Dons moved level on points with Stockport and Wrexham after beating fifth-placed Crewe 3-1. Matthew Dennis scored twice, with all four goals coming in the first 25 minutes.
Sutton gave themselves a lifeline at the bottom by beating relegation rivals Forest Green 1-0, Josh Coley scoring, while Colchester drew 1-1 with Walsall to climb out of the bottom two on goal difference.
Jack Nolan's 79th-minute penalty earned Accrington a 2-2 draw with Notts County, and Newport boosted their play-off hopes with a 2-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon.
Doncaster claimed a 2-1 away win at Swindon while Gillingham and Grimsby drew 1-1 and there was a goalless stalemate between Barrow and Harrogate.
Tom Cleverley celebrated his first match in interim charge of Watford with three points thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win against strugglers Birmingham. Emmanuel Dennis’s 44th-minute strike, following an error from the home side, proved enough for Watford to leave St Andrew’s with maximum points.
Rotherham ended their grim losing streak by holding 10-man Huddersfield to a 0-0 draw. The Millers avoided a 10th straight loss with the stalemate but they remain rooted to the bottom of the table and are 19 points adrift of safety – with their last win back on Boxing Day. The result did little to ease Huddersfield’s own relegation fears, and they will now lose Sorba Thomas to suspension after he picked up two yellow cards.
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