The Championship season continued with the latest round of games played over the weekend.
Newcastle moved a point clear of Brighton at the top with Sheffield Wednesday clinging onto the final play-off spot. Rotherham were effectively relegated with Wigan set to join them.
Here’s a round up of the Championship action from the other games.
Results
Friday 17th March 2017 – CHAMPIONSHIP
Bristol City 4-0 Huddersfield Town 19:45
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Reading 19:45
Saturday 18th March 2017 – CHAMPIONSHIP
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Preston North End 13:00
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Derby County 13:00
Birmingham City 0-0 Newcastle United 15:00
Burton Albion 3-5 Brentford 15:00
Cardiff City 3-1 Ipswich Town 15:00
Fulham 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00
Norwich City 2-0 Barnsley 15:00
Queens Park Rangers 5-1 Rotherham United 15:00
Wigan Athletic 0-2 Aston Villa 15:00
Leeds United 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion 17:30
Bristol City recorded back-to-back wins after a stunning 4-0 victory over promotion chasing Huddersfield. The Robins moved out of the relegation zone with the unbeaten run extended to four. With Town’s winning run ended by the strugglers the automatic promotion hopes suffered a huge blow.
The other game on Friday saw Sheffield Wednesday’s winless run was extended to three – with it now four defeats in six – when promotion rivals Reading won 2-0 at Hillsborough as the Royals won for the first time in three.
Blackburn and Preston shared the spoils in a 2-2 Lancashire derby draw. Rovers came from behind to lead at Ewood Park but were denied a crucial win by North End at the death so remain in the bottom three, a point from safety.
Mark Warburton’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest ended in a 2-2 with rivals Derby at the City Ground. Forest had lost the lead with the Rams’ own new boss Gary Rowett set for a winning start until an added time equaliser kept Forest out of the relegation zone.
Newcastle were frustrated by Birmingham at St Andrew’s as the leaders had to settle for a 0-0 draw with that opening the door to Brighton, who failed to take up the opportunity at Leeds. Despite dominating the game the Magpies couldn’t make the breakthrough but moved a point clear.
Burton’s first defeat in eight – as the Brewers dropped a point and a place above the bottom three – was suffered when Brentford came from three one down to run out 5-3 winners at the Pirelli Stadium. The Bees were out of the game at the break. However, they completed a second half comeback for a first win in three.
A first win in five – three had been drawn – was secured by Cardiff against Ipswich. The Bluebirds came from a goal down to claim a 3-1 victory as the Tractor Boys’ six game drawing run came to an end with them just five points clear of trouble.
Fulham’s first defeat in nine saw the chance to move into the top six missed. Wolves 3-1 win made it three in a row and took them up to 16th and five point above the bottom three.
Caretaker boss Alan Irvine saw Norwich to a 2-0 win over Barnsley – who have now lost four of the last six – that keeps hopes of finishing on the play-offs alive. The Canaries are five points behind Sheffield Wednesday who hold the final spot.
QPR – having earlier been pegged back – thrashed Rotherham 5-1 to make it three wins in four for the R’s. The Millers’ woeful goal difference means they were effectively relegated at Loftus Road.
Managerless Wigan suffered a third defeat in three with the second bottom Latics now seven points from safety. Aston Villa’s late goals sealed a 2-0 win – a fifth in the last six – at the DW Stadium.
Leeds’ unbeaten run – and consolidation of a play-off spot – was extended to seven with a 2-0 win over Brighton in Saturday’s late kick off. Newcastle’s draw at Birmingham had given Albion the chance to go top but this third defeat in five means the Magpies hold a point advantage.
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