Hull City 0–2 Ipswich Town

After a stumbling start to the campaign, Ipswich are now hitting their stride. A fourth win in six undefeated games sees them enter the playoff picture, within three points of the automatic places. Despite this now being a third loss in four games, Hull remain on the periphery of the playoff places, but Bosnian boss Sergej Jakirovic is going to need to find a way to rectify his side’s recent loss of form before they begin to slide down the table.

The game was goalless until the 69th minute, when a cross from Town winger Jaden Philogene was met by the head of Chilean midfielder Marcelino Nunez to put the away side in front - a third goal of the campaign for the former Norwich man. Victory was wrapped up four minutes later as the Tractor Boys struck again. Ajax loanee Chuba Akpom put the ball in from close range to score his first league goal for Ipswich and ensure they would take all three points back to East Anglia.

Hull drop to 11th place, whilst Ipswich enter the playoff race and sit in 5th.

Middlesbrough 2–4 Coventry

A clash of the division’s top two teams saw Coventry continue their seemingly relentless surge towards automatic promotion, with yet another victory putting them ten points clear at the top of the table. Middlesbrough were in danger of losing their second place spot at the weekend, but were fortunate that no teams below them were able to capitalise. This time around, they were not so lucky. A third defeat of the season means they have now only won one of their last six games, and new manager Kim Hellberg – appointed on Monday – will know that an immediate impact will be required if Boro are to sustain a push for promotion. Hellberg was in the stands for this one.

Coventry raced into a two goal lead within fourteen minutes of the first half. Ellis Simms curled in the opener after ten minutes, and Liam Kitching then doubled the Sky Blues’ lead four minutes later as he headed in a Matt Grimes cross. Middlesbrough would get one back before half-time, as forward Morgan Whittaker halved the deficit with a volley into the bottom corner for his fourth of the campaign. Boro were back on level terms four minutes after the break, thanks to a corner which led to an own goal from defender Bobby Thomas. It looked like two of the division’s top clubs would end up sharing the points, but Coventry refused to quit and Kitching would score his second of the match, and indeed his first two goals of the season, in the 85th minute to put Coventry back in front. Frank Lampard’s men would then put the result beyond doubt just a minute later, as an Ellis Simms’ header doubled his tally for the match and put his team out of sight. Simms now has five for the season.

Middlesbrough drop out of the automatics, into 3rd position. Coventry remain at the top of the pile, with plenty of breathing room.

Norwich 1–1 Oxford

Norwich looked sure to finally break their home hoodoo, having lost every game at Carrow Road this season. Gary Rowett’s Oxford side, however, were able to rescue a draw in the final stages of the match. It is the first point Norwich have collected at home, which is an improvement of sorts, but this will in many ways feel like another defeat. It ruined what was looking like a solid home debut for new Canaries’ boss Philippe Clement, leaving him without a win in his first two games in charge. Although the late goal will have been a positive moment for Oxford and their travelling fans, the fact remains that they are without a win in five games now and find themselves in an increasingly worrying league position.

A powerful shot from Jovon Makama, the forward’s fourth of the season, put Norwich ahead in the 29th minute. The Canaries held onto their lead until late in the game, but as is so often the case, they were punished for not adding to it. Bulgarian attacking midfielder Filip Krastev brought the visitors level in the 95th minute with his first of the campaign, driving home a finish which would have been a devastating blow to the Norwich faithful and their team.

Norwich remain in 23rd, now six points from safety. Oxford also now find themselves the relegation zone in 22nd position.

Stoke City 3–0 Charlton Athletic

Charlton’s downward spiral continued as they were taken apart by a Stoke City side looking to get back into the division’s top two places. The Addicks have seen their form tank in recent weeks, and this defeat now means that in the last two matches they’ve shipped eight goals, only scoring one in response, severely denting their goal difference. Stoke had lost their last two games coming into this one, so it was a welcome return to winning ways for Mark Robins’ men.  

It’s been a very productive season so far for Stoke’s 26-year-old winger Sorba Thomas, once on loan at Rovers, and he continued his good form in this encounter. Thomas’ first goal after three minutes was undoubtedly intended to be a cross from out wide, but it ended up sailing over Charlton’s Thomas Kaminski and into the back of the net. Just two minutes later Thomas turned provider as he passed to forward Million Manhoef, who drove into the Addicks’ penalty area and put the ball into the bottom corner to give Charlton a very big hill to climb extremely early on. Things got worse before the break, as Thomas once again netted with yet another cross from out wide – essentially from the same position as the first – and this time the ball slipped through the gloves of Kaminski into the net. 3-0 down after just thirty-four minutes, Charlton were already beaten. Thomas now has six goals and six assists for the season, with the scorer of the second goal, Manhoef, having five goals to his name. A game to forget for former Rover Kaminski, arguably at fault for both of Thomas’ goals through positioning and then weak hands.

Stoke leapfrog Boro into 2nd spot. Charlton fall to 16th place.

Swansea City 1–2 Derby County

Vitor Manos had a debut to forget in the dugout, as his Swansea side went down at home to Derby. In the stands at the weekend, Manos would have surely been concerned upon seeing the team he was due to take over being so easily swept aside by Bristol City. That trend continued here as Derby, who had seen their five game winning streak broken at the weekend, bounced back with a convincing victory at the Swansea.com stadium. This loss makes it four defeats in a row for the Swans, who are increasingly looking like they are going to be battling at the wrong end of the table this season.

Rams’ midfielder Joe Ward opened the scoring after thirty-four minutes, opening his scoring account with a header at the back post from a Callum Elder. Norweigen centre-forward Lars-Jorgen Salvesen scored his second of the campaign seven minutes after the break, with an accurate finish from fifteen yards. Swansea got a late consolation in the 90th minute from an Ethan Galbraith strike, but a comeback was not on the cards and the Swans trudged off to the sound of boos – a lot of work for their new manager to do.

Swansea are 19th, whilst Derby hover on the edge of the playoff places in 8th.

Watford 1-1 Preston

Having had an unexpectedly solid start to the season, Preston have found themselves consistently in and around the playoff places for the majority of the season. This result, however, means they have only picked up two points from the last nine available, giving the teams below them an opportunity to overtake. Watford’s form has slightly improved under Javi Gracia since his return to the club, and a draw here means they are now unbeaten in five. They have shared the points in three of those contests, though, meaning their ascent up the table has been steady rather than rapid.

North End went ahead in this one after 22 minutes as Daniel Jebbison finished after being put through by Lewis Dobbin. A third goal of the season for Jebbison, whilst left-winger Dobbin has two direct assists in his last two matches, making it four in total for the season in addition to three league goals. Watford would equalise on the stroke of half time, with Mali international Mamadou Doumbia scoring his first goal of the season with a deflected strike. There was to be no winning goal in the second half, with the points ultimately shared.

Watford sit in 14th. Preston just about hang on to their place in the playoff positions in 6th.

Southampton 3–0 Leicester City

You know, I often take it with a pinch of salt when people say that players are not playing for a manager... but I’m starting to think that might have been the case when it comes to Southampton and Will Still. They’ve won every game since he left, and once again they were triumphant as they hammered Leicester at St. Mary’s. It makes it twelve points from twelve for the Saints under German caretaker Tonda Eckert. It’s a step back for Leicester after two wins in a row had begun to lift some of the pressure building on Marti Cifuentes. This chastening defeat brings some difficult questions back to the fore.

Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a former on-loan Rover, headed in a Ryan Manning free kick for his second goal of the season after 18 minutes. Finn Azaz would double the Saints’ lead five minutes later after being put through by Brazilian midfielder Leo Scienza for his fifth of the season, with four of those coming in the last three matches. A clumsy challenge from teenage Leicester right back Olabade Aluko gave him a second yellow card after just 33 minutes, making the Foxes’ already difficult task much harder. Harwood-Bellis would get his third league goal just before the break, once again benefitting from a Ryan Manning delivery – this time a corner – to head home and put the game to bed before the first forty-five had concluded.      

Southampton continue to rise up the table, now in 13th place. Leicester go the opposite way, now in 15th.

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 QPR

Rovers welcomed QPR to Ewood Park after an impressive away victory over Preston last Friday. They would have been hopeful of improving their poor home form here, with QPR’s upward trajectory having dropped off quite dramatically recently. QPR had a victory themselves at the weekend, though, and it would be the away side that took all three points away from this contest.

After a dire first half, a worrying pattern for Rovers as of late, the home team came out in the second half with much more energy and missed some gilt-edged chances to take the lead. Valerien Ismael’s men would pay for their profligacy in the 78th minute when Rangers’ Ilias Chair set up winger Paul Smyth with an inswinging cross to score and settle the contest. A third goal of the season for Smyth.

Rovers, benefitting from the two teams directly below them also losing, remain in 18th. QPR move up to 12th.

Millwall 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Millwall would have been looking at this fixture as a must-win after a poor run of form that had seen them slip out of the playoffs, with the Lions having only managed to gain two points from the last twelve available. They ended up with a narrow victory over the division’s beleaguered bottom club, but a win is a win and Alex Neil will hope this acts as a catalyst for a return to form going forward.

The only goal in this one came in the 71st minute, with Femi Azeez finally breaking down the stubborn Sheffield Wednesday defence. He headed in from five yards out to score his fifth goal of the season and give the Lions all three points.

Millwall return to the playoff positions in 4th. Sheffield Wednesday continue to prop up the division.

Sheffield United 3-0 Portsmouth

The Blades made it two wins out of two as they comfortably brushed aside Pompey at Bramall Lane. It was a clash between two teams at the wrong end of the table – one who would have been expecting a relegation scrap, and another who certainly wouldn’t have been. Portsmouth had picked up a win at the weekend which broke a run of six games without a victory, but it appears to have been a case of one step forward and two steps back for John Mousinho’s men.

United would have gone ahead had it not been for Pompey defender Terry Devlin’s attempt to play goalkeeper as he saved a header on the line – albeit this was a very brief reprieve for Portsmouth. Unimpressed, the referee promptly sent Devlin off for this behaviour. The resulting penalty was converted by midfielder Sydie Peck, making it his first of the season. A phrase that is going to haunt my dreams. Another first of the season came for Patrick Bamford in his second appearance for the Blades as he bundled the ball over the line from close range. Not that he will care how it went in, seeing as it was his first goal for nineteen months. Victory was wrapped up when Dutch midfielder Gus Hamer scored a fantastic thirty-yard strike to emphatically end the contest in the 73rd minute. Returning after a six week layoff, it was also his first of the season. All three goals in this one. It’s like a glitch in the matrix at this point. Maybe it happens more often than I think.

Sheffield United claw themselves out of the relegation zone, now in 21st. Portsmouth are a point ahead of them in 20th.

Wrexham 2-0 Bristol City

An erratic run of recent form had seen Bristol City’s playoff push stumble. A win at the weekend had pushed them back into contention, but they ended up back at square one as they succumbed to defeat in Wales. Wrexham are on a decent run, with this win meaning they now haven’t lost in seven league matches and are within sight of the top six positions.

A goal in the 16th minute from £7.5m former Ipswich man Nathan Broadhead opened proceedings, with his fantastic curling effort from outside the area well worthy of his price tag. His fourth of the season was the only goal from a Wrexham player, as the second in the 74th minute was put down as an own goal after George Thomason’s effort went in off Bristol City goalkeeper Radek Vitak. It would have been Thamson’s first goal of the season, of course. Unlucky mate.

Wrexham move up to 10th place. Bristol City once again fall out of the playoff positions, now in 7th.

West Brom 1-1 Birmingham City

Ryan Mason has seen his West Brom side enter a dismal tailspin as of late, dropping them from playoff contention to the lower end of the league table. Having only picked up four points from the last fifteen available, they were unable to hold onto a lead here which would have seen them pick up three vital points. Birmingham’s form has picked up as of late, and this point means they now have ten points from their last fifteen and are within two points of getting into the playoff spots.

The Baggies started well with a goal after just twelve minutes. Experienced midfielder Alex Mowatt made sure that he’d keep the first goal of the season streak across the division going strong as his low shot beat Brum keeper James Beadle. Birmingham were able to draw things level in the 78th minute as German striker Marvin Ducksch added to his first two goals at the weekend by heading on a Tommy Doyle free-kick to bamboozle Albion keeper Josh Griffiths.

West Brom are in 17th position. Birmingham are 9th.