EFL goals and round-up: Middlesbrough close gap on Sheffield United; Burnley win
Middlesbrough ramped up the pressure on second-placed Sheffield United as the Championship automatic promotion race heated up.
Watch Championship highlights
Tap here to see highlights from all of the Sky Bet Championship matches…
The Blades seemed to be cruising into the Premier League along with Burnley a few weeks ago, but a 1-0 home defeat to Luton and Boro’s 3-1 win at Swansea closed the gap to four points.
Carlton Morris’ 15th goal of the season gave fourth-placed Luton victory at Bramall Lane.
And after Joel Piroe gave the Swans a half-time lead, Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer struck in the space of four minutes early in the second half before Chuba Akpom netted his 23rd strike of the campaign from the penalty spot to give Michael Carrick’s side hope of a top-two finish.
- Championship reports and results
- Championship table
- Championship highlights
Nathan Tella took his goal tally for the campaign to 16 as leaders Burnley’s charge for the Premier League continued with a 3-0 victory over Lancashire rivals Wigan at Turf Moor.
Trending
- BBC ‘sorry’ as sports shows pulled – Lineker row grows
- Six Nations: England humbled in 53-10 loss to France LIVE!
- Usyk, Fury reach ‘agreement’ over undisputed clash
- Klopp: Loss a massive knock | ‘We’ll see how big the scars are’
- Transfer Centre LIVE! Lille striker David on his future: PL? Why not…
- Scheffler leads Svensson at The Players, McIlroy misses cut LIVE!
- Barcelona charged with corruption over payments to ex-referees’ chief
- Hits and misses: Liverpool leave Klopp baffled
- Free-to-watch Premier League highlights
- EFL goals, round-up: Boro close gap on Sheff Utd; Burnley win
- Video
- Latest News
The on-loan Southampton forward headed in the opener after 14 minutes and struck again two minutes after half-time, with Lyle Foster adding a third late on.
Bottom-placed Latics, now six points from safety, had to play with 10 men for 62 minutes after Omar Rekik’s sending off for two yellow cards.
Also See:
Millwall moved into the play-off positions after Andreas Voglsammer’s 11th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 triumph at Reading.
Matty Godden cancelled out Oscar Estupinan’s 13th goal of the campaign to secure play-off chasing Coventry a 1-1 draw against Hull.
Like Wigan, Huddersfield and Blackpool remain six points from safety after defeats.
John Swift converted from the penalty spot after Conor Townsend was fouled in the box to give top-six hopefuls West Brom a 1-0 win over Huddersfield.
Second-half goals from Andreas Weimann and Alex Scott condemned Blackpool to a 2-0 defeat at Bristol City.
QPR ended a 13-match winless run to spoil Chris Wilder’s first game in charge of Watford, with Tim Iroegbunam striking in the 15th minute to secure a 1-0 victory.
Reda Khadra and Kevin Long found the net as Birmingham moved further away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Rotherham.
Tom Cannon and Ched Evans struck in the last 22 minutes to extend Preston’s unbeaten run to six matches following a 2-0 success over Cardiff, who had goalkeeper Jak Alnwick sent off at the death.
Sky Bet League One
Sheffield Wednesday edged out Portsmouth 1-0 to move three points clear at the top of League One after Plymouth slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Barnsley.
Josh Windass scored his 15th goal of the season in the 11th minute as Wednesday made a club record 22 league games without defeat.
And they now sit clear of Argyle having played two games less as three second-half goals gave Barnsley victory at Oakwell.
Adam Phillips volleyed Barnsley in front on the hour before Mads Andersen and Nicky Cadden added late goals to give the scoreline an extra flourish.
- League One reports and results
- League One table
- League One highlights
Ipswich are now only two points behind second-placed Plymouth after goals in either half from George Hirst and Cameron Burgess gave them a 2-0 win away to play-off rivals Bolton.
Derby took advantage of Bolton’s loss to move up to fifth with a 3-2 win over relegation-battling Oxford, who could not get a boost from the appointment of Liam Manning as manager earlier in the day.
Manning, watching from the stands before starting work on Monday, saw his side go ahead through Sam Long early on, but Louie Sibley soon levelled and then put Derby ahead five minutes before the break.
James Collins got Derby’s third just after the hour, with Kyle Joseph’s strike consolation for Oxford.
Wycombe are now six points from the play-off places after losing 2-1 away to Burton, who got goals from Dale Taylor and Joe Powell, but played the second half with 10 men after Deji Oshilaja saw red just before the break.
Shrewsbury are up to eighth after a 3-1 win over Morecambe, with Peterborough beaten 3-0 at home by Cheltenham, who were inspired by a brace from Alfie May.
Accrington are now two points from the drop zone with a 1-1 draw at Charlton, but MK Dons boosted their own survival push with a 1-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Cambridge that moves them level with 21st placed Morecambe, who were beaten 3-1 at Shrewsbury.
Exeter came from behind to beat Lincoln 2-1 at home with a Sam Nombe brace, but finished with 10 men as Alex Hartridge collected a second yellow card five minutes from time.
Jack Marriott’s late equaliser earned Fleetwood a 1-1 draw with Port Vale, while John Marquis got a brace as Bristol Rovers won 3-1 at rock bottom Forest Green.
Sky Bet League Two
Watch League Two highlights
Head right here to look at all the League Two highlights…
Ryan Edmondson’s goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time kept Carlisle in second place in League Two as they beat Swindon 2-1.
With runaway leaders Leyton Orient not in action after their fixture at Mansfield fell victim to the weather, the focus was on the battle for automatic promotion places behind them.
- League Two reports and results
- League Two table
- League Two highlights
Edmondson’s strike was needed to keep Carlisle one point clear of Stevenage, who did their bit with a 3-1 home win over Walsall.
Boro, in the last of the automatic promotion spots, are now three points clear of Northampton who were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-battling Hartlepool, needing Sam Hoskins’ 18th goal of the season in the 81st minute to salvage a point.
With Bradford held to a 1-1 draw at Newport thanks to a second-half own goal from Liam Ridehalgh, Stockport moved up to fifth with a 1-0 win away to Colchester.
Sutton could not take advantage of Mansfield’s enforced day off to break into the play-off places as they were held to a goalless draw at Barrow.
Crawley breathed life into their relegation fight as they ended a run of six successive defeats with a 3-1 win over Harrogate, moving them to within a point of Hartlepool and safety.
Aramide Oteh’s first-half brace and another from Jordon Mutch put Crawley in control before Anthony O’Connor pulled one back moments after the visitors had mlost Toby Sims to a red card.
Crawley’s win leaves Rochdale four points adrift at the foot of the table after a 1-0 loss at Grimsby.
Doncaster came from behind to beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 with all three goals in the first half, while Gillingham beat Tranmere 2-0.
New Year, same Super 6!
FREE TO PLAY: Do not miss your chance to land the £250,000 jackpot for the sixth time this season.
Sourse: skysports.com
The post EFL goals and round-up: Middlesbrough close gap on Sheffield United; Burnley win first appeared on 1 News Day, breaking news, sport, business, politics, Science & Health.