Fulham continue to edge closer towards promotion as the Sky Bet Championship commenced the 2021-22 season run-in.
With the promotion, play-offs and survival pictures beginning to become clear, there continued to be plenty of twists and turn as teams looked to consolidate their bids to either fight for promotion or avoid the drop.
Matchweek 39
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace saw Championship leaders, Fulham thrash QPR to win 2-0 at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, in turn keeping their eight-point lead over second-placed Bournemouth.
Scott Parker’s Cherries recovered from a fourth-minute conceded goal to beat Bristol City 3-2 with Lewis Cook scoring their second goal, before turning provider as he teed up Siriki Dembele’s 81st minute winning goal.
Huddersfield remain third after Harry Toffolo struck a 79th minute winner to defeat 10-man Hull City 1-0 at the MKM Stadium, with the hosts finishing a player down after Tom Eaves was red carded shortly before half-time.
Jake Cooper’s own goal saw fourth-placed Luton complete a 2-2 draw against Millwall at Kenilworth Road, after twice having had to fight back with Elijah Adebayo netting their first goal.
Duncan Watmore produced a late assist and goal as Middlesbrough thrashed Peterborough to climb to fifth.
Blackburn Rovers rounded out the top six as goals from Bradley Dack and Scott Wharton saw them come from behind to lead, only for Viktor Gyokeres’ injury-time goal to rescue Coventry a 2-2 draw.
Down in the relegation zone, Barnsley’s survival hopes took a knock following a 1-1 draw at home to Reading who occupy the final safety position, as Josh Laurent cancelled out Carlton Morris’ opener to snatch a point for the Royals.
Ravel Morrison’s 80th minute winner saw Derby climb off the foot of the table at Peterborough’s expense with a 1-0 win over Preston, despite both teams finishing with 10 men after Max Bird and Liam Lindsay were both red carded either side of half-time.
Elsewhere, Brennan Johnson provided two goals and an assist as Nottingham Forest thrashed Blackpool at Bloomfield Road to climb to seventh.
Sheffield United slipped to eighth after John Egan deflected Josh Tymon’s 77th minute cross into his own net, which consequently handed Stoke a 1-0 victory at the BET365 Stadium.
Michael Obafemi struck twice as Swansea completed their first-ever league double over Cardiff in a 4-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium, with Ben Davies and Hannes Wolf also finding the net.
Finally, Lyle Taylor fired in a 67th minute penalty winner following Conor Townsend’s handball as Birmingham City scraped a 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion.
Matchweek 40
Mitrovic’s 74th minute header from Harry Wilson’s free-kick saw Fulham scrape a narrow 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough.
Bournemouth slipped 11 points behind in second after quick-fire early goals from Alex Mowatt and Andy Carrol secured West Brom a 2-0 victory at The Hawthorns.
Luton continue to sit fourth after Jonson Clarke-Harris rescued rock-bottom Peterborough a 1-1 draw against the Hatters, who had initially led through Danny Hylton’s effort.
Nottingham Forest climbed to fifth after goals from Brennan Johnson and James Garner proved enough to defeat Coventry 2-0 at the City Ground.
Ollie Norwood’s ninth minute strike proved enough for Sheffield Utd to scrape a 1-0 victory at home to QPR, which consequently lifted Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades to fifth and dropped Boro down to seventh and out of the play-off positions.
Elsewhere, Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ 63rd minute own goal saw Reading beat Stoke 2-1 to move eight points clear of the relegation zone, after Michael Morrison’s opening header was cancelled out by Romaine Sawyers before half-time.
Cameron Archer’s first-half injury-time strike saw Preston scrape a 1-0 victory over Blackpool at Deepdale in the West Lancashire derby.
Finally, Joel Piroe fired in from Murray Wallace’s blockage of Cyrus Christie’s cross to seal a 1-0 win for Swansea at Millwall.
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