Roundup of a massive matchweek in the Sky Bet Championship as the promotion race took a twist.
Coventry began the matchweek looking to return immediately to winning ways but instead another stumble allowed their promotion rivals to close in, whilst the relegation battle continued to rage on with four rearranged midweek fixtures on top of a weekend of drama.
Weekend
Coventry stumbled to successive 2-1 away defeats after they lost at QPR through comeback goals from Richard Kone and Nicolas Madsen, after Josh Eccles had put the league leaders initially ahead.
Middlesbrough consequently moved level on 58 points but stayed second on goal difference after Hayden Hackney’s 17th-minute strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Norwich at the Riverside Stadium.
Hull climbed to third and five points off the summit after Lewis Koumas on his debut netted a 81st-minute winner away at third-bottom Blackburn Rovers.
Ipswich consequently slipped to fourth after Jack Clarke’s 92nd-minute penalty rescued them a 1-1 draw at home to Preston who led through Lewis Gibson’s tap-in finish.
Millwall remained fifth after Mihailo Ivanovic cancelled out Andre Brook’s 17th-minute opener just two minutes later in a comeback 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United.
Wrexham rounded out the top six with a 1-0 victory at rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday, in which Sam Smith poked in the winning goal from Issa Kabore’s 58th-minute cross.
Elsewhere, Javi Garcia resigned as Watford manager less than 48 hours after the Hornets lost 2-0 at home to Swansea as Marko Stamenic and Josh Key, whilst they also finished a man down after Nestory Irankunda was sent off in the 92nd minute for clashing with Liam Cullen.
West Brom sat three points above the relegation zone after they suffered a 3-0 loss at Portsmouth as Conor Chaplin opened the scoring, before Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams sealed the result.
Rhian Brewster, Ben Brereton Diaz, Bobby Clark, Patrick Agyemang and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen all found the net as Derby romped to a 5-0 victory at Bristol City.
Myles Peart-Harris’ own-goal and Marvin Ducksch’s strike saw Birmingham City clinch a 2-0 victory at second-bottom Oxford United to dent the Us’ survival ambitions.
Finn Azaz and Flynn Downes both found the net as Southampton clinically won 2-0 away at Stoke.
Sonny Carey and Lyndon Dykes fired Charlton to a 2-0 away win at Leicester after the hosts were reduced to ten men following Caleb Okoli’s red card for a 15th-minute tug on Miles Leaburn.
Midweek
Hull missed a chance to cut their gap to the top two down to two points after they stuttered to a goalless draw at home to Watford.
Fourth-placed Ipswich’s trip to Portsmouth was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Fratton Park.
Blackburn climbed out of the relegation zone through Eiran Cashin’s 12th-minute winner against rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday, which dropped West Brom into the bottom three.
Second-bottom Oxford United suffered a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United after Peart-Harris fired in their opener, before Sydie Peck, Brooks and Chiedozie Ogbene sealed the Blades’ comeback win.
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