Roundup of two massive matchweeks as the promotion race in the 2024-25 Sky Bet Championship continued to twist and turn.
Leeds set the pace with two clinical displays across both matchweeks but their promotion rivals remained in hot pursuit, amidst FA Cup action having reduced the matchweek 31 fixture list.
Week 30
Joel Piroe’s brace plus goals from Brendan Aaronson, Manor Solomon, Dan James, Wilfried Gnonto and Mateo Joseph saw league leaders, Leeds thrash Cardiff 7-0 at Elland Road.
Sheffield United stayed two points behind in second after Ben Brereton Diaz netted an early second-half winner at third-bottom Derby.
Third-placed Burnley battled to a goalless draw at relegation battling Portsmouth.
Sunderland remained fourth but closed in on their promotion rivals with a dramatic 3-2 Tees-Wear derby victory at Middlesbrough, as Ryan Giles’ own-goal proved the difference after Dan Neil and Wilson Isidor had put the Black Cats ahead in-between goals from Boro’s Delano Burgzorg and Hayden Hackney.
Makhtar Gueye’s header plus Todd Cantwell’s penalty saw Blackburn climb to fifth with a 2-1 win at home to Lancashire rivals, Preston, after Brad Potts netted a consolatory injury-time goal for the visitors.
West Brom rounded out the top six on goal difference despite a surprise 2-1 loss at rock-bottom Plymouth, after Jayson Molumby put them ahead only for Ryan Hardie’s brace to hand victory to Argyle.
Down in the relegation zone, Luton remain second bottom after Alfie Doughty’s opener was cancelled out by Michael Smith’s penalty in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.
Hull sit two points above the drop after they fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Stoke, having initially led through Eliot Matazo before Ali Al Hamadi and Andrew Moran completed the Potters’ comeback.
Elsewhere, Millwall recorded their third consecutive win under Alex Neil with a 2-1 home victory over London rivals, QPR, in which Aaron Connolly and Luke Cundle netted either side of Alfie Lloyd’s equaliser in a lively opening 25 minutes at The Den.
First-half goals from Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante fired Coventry to a fourth straight win with a 2-0 away victory at Swansea.
Josh Sargent netted a 41st minute winner as Norwich won 1-0 at ten-men Watford after Vakoun Bayo’s red card for a shove on Emiliano Marcondes.
Mark Sykes rescued Bristol City a 1-1 draw away to Oxford United after he cancelled out Greg Leigh’s opening goal, amidst red cards for the Robins’ Joe Williams and Ross McCrorie.
Week 31
Piroe and Jayden Bogle found the net as Leeds stay two points clear of Sheffield Utd at the summit with a 2-0 away win at Coventry.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s first goal since late November 2024 saw Sheffield Utd stay second with a 2-1 home win over Portsmouth, after Gustavo Hamer’s opening goal was cancelled out by Connor Ogilvie.
Burnley managed to remain in third with a narrow 1-0 home win over Oxford United thanks to Michail Helik’s own-goal.
Sunderland slipped five points off the second automatic promotion spot after Dennis Cirkin rescued them a 2-2 draw at home to Watford, after Luke O’Nien had put them ahead before Tom Dele-Bashiru’s penalty and Imran Louza’s effort turned the game around for Tom Cleverley’s Hornets.
Jayson Molumby netted a 96th minute winner for fifth-placed West Brom in a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, having seen Adam Armstrong’s goal on his club debut cancelled out by Callum Patterson before Kyle Bartley was red carded in a full-time melee.
Blackburn remained in the last play-off spot in sixth despite suffering a 2-1 loss at QPR, after Tyrhys Dolan netted a penalty either side of goals from the Hoops’ Michael Frey and Jack Colback.
Bristol City’s four-game winning run at home was ended by a 1-0 defeat to Swansea after Josh Tymon netted a 55th minute rebound winner for the Swans.
Norwich missed a chance to move into the play-offs spots after Josh Sargent’s strike was cancelled out by Jerry Yates’ injury-time penalty in a 1-1 draw against third-bottom Derby at Carrow Road.
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