Championship Round-Up: Promotion race intensifies as the top four all win

Hull City remain top of the Championship after a 1-0 win away at Ipswich, but the race for promotion is heating up as the top four all recorded victories last night.

Mohamed Diame was the Tigers’ hero. His goal early in the second-half was enough for all three points and kept Steve Bruce’s boys a point clear at the summit. The Tractor Boys drop to 10th and are now six points outside the play-offs.

Mohamed Diame scored his third league goal in his last six outings to keep Hull City top of the Championship.

Burnley stay second with a 1-0 home win over Nottingham Forest. Sam Vokes’ second goal in two games, his ninth league goal of the season, was enough to pick up all three points for the Clarets. Forest drop a place to 12th.

After five games without a win, Middlesbrough finally picked up three points with a 3-1 win at home to Cardiff. It was the visitors who opened the scoring with a stunning strike from former Manchester United defender Fabio, but Boro were level just five minutes later when Matthew Connolly put through his own net. Second-half goals from David Nugent and Gaston Ramirez earned Aitor Karanka’s side the victory that keep them third, just one point outside the automatic promotion places. The Bluebirds drop to eighth.

Brighton stay in fourth after a convincing 4-0 win away at struggling Bristol City. After a heavy defeat at the weekend, Albion took their frustration out on the the lowly Robins. Strikes from Jamie Murphy, Tomer Hemed and Sam Baldock put the Seagulls in command, before a Mark Little own goal condemned Lee Johnson to a first defeat in charge of the West Country side. City stay in 20th.

Sheffield Wednesday move up to fifth, but lost ground on the top four, after they were held to a 1-1 draw by QPR. Daniel Tozser gave the Hoops the lead, but Atdhe Nuhiu levelled for the Owls who remain unbeaten at Hillsborough since August. Rangers slip a place to 13th.

Birmingham moved to within three points of the top six with a 1-0 win at home to relegation threatened Bolton. Clayton Donaldson scored the game’s only goal to sink the Trotters, who remain in the bottom three, seven points from safety.

Charlton stay firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after a 2-1 loss away at Preston. Joe Garner put North End in front, only for Johann Berg Gudmundsson to equalise almost instantly. Callum Robinson scored the winner to lift Simon Grayson’s side up to ninth. The Addicks, who had Harry Lennon sent off in the second-half, are also seven points from survival.

Rotherham are still in the bottom three after losing 1-0 away at Reading. The Royals, last weekend’s FA Cup giant killers, picked up three points courtesy of a Hal Robson-Kanu strike and jump up to 14th. The Millers are stuck in 22nd.

MK Dons moved a point closer towards safety with a 1-1 draw, but let the chance of victory slip away against ten-man Huddersfield on Tuesday night. Alex Revell put the Dons ahead in the first-half; and after Philip Billing’s dismissal early in the second, Karl Robinson’s side seemed in control. But Nakhi Wells proved to be the Terriers’ saviour with his equalising goal coming less than five minutes from full-time to earn David Wagner’s side a point. However Huddersfield still drop a place to 16th.

Leeds and Fulham remain in 17th and 18th respectively after they drew 1-1 at Elland Road. Tom Cairney’s third goal in two games put the Cottagers ahead but Lewis Cook’s stunning long-range effort pulled Steve Evans’ boys level. Defender Fernando Amorebieta saw red for the visitors late on in added time.

The evening’s other game saw Brentford jump up to 11th with a 3-0 home win over Wolves. Two goals from Chelsea loanee John Swift and one from Sergi Canos gave the Bees a convincing victory. Wanderers drop to 15th.

Player of Midweek: John Swift (Brentford)
Team of Midweek: Brighton
Goal of Midweek: Lewis Cook (LEEDS vs Fulham)