Monday’s Championship reports – BBC Sport

Huddersfield Town 2-2 Blackburn Rovers

Substitute Ryan Hedges rescued a point for play-off hopefuls Blackburn Rovers with a dramatic injury-time equaliser against relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.

A point at the John Smith’s Stadium gives Rovers a two-point cushion to seventh spot, but means they could still drop out of the top six if results elsewhere go against them later on Monday.

Jack Rudoni was instrumental as the lowly Terriers stunned the visitors with two goals in six first-half minutes, whipping in the corner that led to Matty Pearson’s goal before adding a well-taken second himself.

A superb chipped finish from Joe Rankin-Costello immediately after the half-time break gave Blackburn hope – and time to rescue something from the game.

Rovers saw a tame effort come off the post late on, while keeper Tomas Vaclik made a series of crucial saves for the Terriers before Hedges pounced to level at the end of an absorbing clash.

Even then, the point was only rescued when Hedges latched onto the rebound from close range when Vaclik saved a header from Rankin-Costello.

Birmingham City 0-0 Stoke City

Birmingham extended their unbeaten run to four matches as they drew with Stoke in a low-key encounter at St Andrew’s.

In a game light on goalmouth action, Tyrese Campbell’s left-footed chip from the edge of the box drew the only save of the first half, forcing Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy into a flying stop.

The hosts struggled to carve out chances, but almost broke through when Krystian Bielik’s goalbound header, from Juninho Bacuna’s cross, was saved by Stoke keeper Jack Bonham.

Stoke had scored 13 goals in their four previous away trips, but failed to trouble Ruddy after the break and still await a first league victory at St Andrew’s since 1988.

The Potters enjoyed two-thirds of possession, but failed to test Ruddy after the break and would have come away pointless but for Nick Powell who blocked Bielik’s close-range shot on the line two minutes from time.

And then in stoppage time, Jobe Bellingham’s volley from Scott Hogan’s ball across the box was denied by a Morgan Fox block as Birmingham came on strong late on.

The meeting was one of the few Championship matches of the day with little riding on it, and the lack of goal action for much of the game perhaps reflected the lack of urgency.

The draw leaves Blues in 17th, nine points clear of the bottom three and almost certainly safe with five games left.

Stoke remain 14th and still in sight of a first top-half finish in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League five years ago.

Cardiff City 0-1 Sunderland

Sunderland maintained their faint hopes of a play-off berth with a deserved win that pushes Cardiff further into the Championship relegation fight.

Dennis Cirkin scored from a rebound on 61 minutes after Alex Pritchard’s sweet free-kick struck the post to deservedly put the Black Cats in front.

Sunderland dominated the first half, but could not find a breakthrough.

Defeat sees Cardiff sink to 21st in the Championship, just a point above Reading and the relegation zone.

Concerns will no doubt be rising in the Welsh capital as the goal-shy Bluebirds were beaten on Easter Monday for a third successive time to increase their anxieties about playing League One football next season.

This was a contest that on paper neither side could afford to lose, with Cardiff starting the day just a point outside the relegation zone despite their 3-1 win at Blackpool on Good Friday.

Sunderland kicked off in the Welsh capital seven points adrift of a play-off berth, following their topsy-turvy 4-4 draw with Hull City that saw them concede in the eighth minute of added time.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray made four changes to the XI who started against Hull for the Black Cats’ first league visit to Cardiff in five years and it was his side who started on the front foot with Pierre Ekwah and Daniel Neil both firing off target.

In a contest lacking in quality the Black Cats continued to probe with Abdoullah Ba forcing Ryan Allsop to save, while only poor control denied Amad Diallo a clear sight of goal and Danny Batth headed over from a corner.

Sunderland were on top to such a degree that Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi made a surprising double change on 36 minutes as Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo were replaced by the more defensively minded Andy Rinomhota and Jack Simpson, moments before the visitors saw a Jack Clarke header ruled out for offside.

It took Cardiff 40 minutes to find an effort on target and they should have scored when Sory Kaba was given space for a free header, but his effort was straight at Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

Another Bluebirds substitute, Kion Etete, forced Patterson to save on 50 minutes as the hosts finally stirred, but Sunderland deservedly took the lead when Cirkin smashed home after Pritchard’s free-kick had struck the post and deflected off Allsop’s back.

The visitors should have stretched their lead when Neil fired over from Diallo’s cross and Cardiff almost levelled through Mark McGuinness’ header, but Patterson saved as Sunderland’s large travelling contingent of fans enjoyed themselves.

A Cardiff comeback never looked likely as the lowest scorers in the Championship slipped to a 20th defeat of the campaign, with only Reading’s points deduction keeping them out of the bottom three.

Easter Monday wins have been scarce for Sunderland who had won just two of their last 17 league games, but boss Mowbray has now won five of his last seven away games in the Welsh capital and sees his side rise to 10th.

Coventry City 2-2 Watford

Ben Sheaf moved Coventry City to within three points of the play-off places by scoring a second-half equaliser against fellow promotion hopefuls Watford.

The Sky Blues also appeared to be controversially denied the chance to complete their fightback from 2-0 down with a late penalty, as shouts for a foul by Hassane Kamara on Brooke Norton-Cuffy were ignored.

An excellent run and finish from Joao Pedro for his 10th goal of the season gave Watford the perfect start, and Imran Louza doubled the advantage before the break with a cool finish after his initial attempt was blocked.

Matty Godden pulled a goal with with a sublimely curled shot that snuck inside the far post, before Sheaf turned home an effort from close range to set up a tense finish that was to be defined by the penalty decision.

Watford’s failure to leave Coventry with maximum points after looking comfortable at 2-0 up will hurt their chances of reaching the play-offs, as a run of just two wins from 14 games now leaves them six points adrift of the top six with five games to play.

A point for Coventry keeps them in touch of the play-offs, having now lost just once in 12 games.

Watford boss Chris Wilder made six changes following Friday’s defeat by relegation-threatened Huddersfield, with Britt Assombalonga among those to come in as he made his first start since returning to the club after almost a decade in January.

An expertly-delivered long diagonal ball from Ryan Porteous, which Assombalonga cleverly let run into the path of Pedro, set the Brazilian up for a brilliant opening goal.

He raced into space and then cut back inside Kyle McFadzean at the top of the box before finding the bottom corner with a well-placed finish.

But Assombalonga’s influence lasted only a few minutes more as he was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury.

It took a crucial save from Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer to deny Gustavo Hamer, who carved out Coventry’s best chance of the first half soon after.

Good work from Ismaila Sarr on the right teed Louza up for Watford’s second in injury time at the end of the first half, although the Moroccan needed two attempts before finding the back of the net.

Louza tested Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson with a dipping shot early in the second half and, after Sheaf dragged an attempt across the face of goal for the hosts, Godden curled home brilliantly to reduce the deficit just before the hour mark.

Coventry had a penalty appeal ignored as they searched for an equaliser, with Viktor Gyokeres going down in the area and drawing an angry reaction from his marker Leandro Bacuna.

While Sheaf wasted a free header to level in the 67th minute, he made no mistake five minutes later when he turned home a low cross – which was helped on by Gyokeres – from point-blank range.

Watford’s Pedro sent a header over the bar and Coventry also threated to find a winner as late chances piled up, but attention will undoubtedly be on referee Keith Stroud’s decision not to award the hosts a penalty when Norton-Cuffy was clumsily brought down in the box.

Hull City 1-1 Millwall

Hull City virtually assured their place in the Championship for next season with a home victory over faltering play-off contenders Millwall.

The Lions had the better of the first-half chances, with winger Oliver Burke hitting the underside of the crossbar from Zian Flemming’s cut-back.

Half-time substitute Adama Traore broke the deadlock to put the Tigers ahead with 20 minutes left when his long-range strike bounced into the bottom left-hand corner.

The visitors almost grabbed an equaliser when Tom Bradshaw had a close-range effort blocked and Billy Mitchell fired narrowly wide on the rebound, while Hull goalkeeper Karl Darlow palmed away a curling Flemming shot in the closing stages.

A first win in six outings puts Liam Rosenior’s men 16th and 11 points clear of the relegation zone with five games of the campaign remaining, while fifth-placed Millwall failed to score for the fourth straight game.

That four-match winless run is the south-east Londoners’ worst run of form since August and has seen them reeled in by the pack chasing a place in the top six.

Seventh-placed Preston are now level on points with Millwall and only outside of the play-off places on goal difference, but the Lilywhites must travel to The Den on Saturday.

Ozan Tufan had scored twice as Hull drew 4-4 at Sunderland on Friday and the Turkey international headed over at the back post in the opening stages.

The visitors then began to carve out openings, with Darlow denying Burke before the winger clattered the woodwork on the half-hour mark.

Bradshaw, Shaun Hutchinson and Jake Cooper also went close for the Lions, prompting Rosenior to made a triple change at the break when he introduced Callum Elder, Ryan Longman and Traore.

Longman sent a left-footed effort narrowly wide 10 minutes into the second half but the game was drifting when Mali international Traore opened the scoring with his low left-footed effort from about 25 yards out.

The Lions were unable to find a way past Darlow but, with games against Preston and Birmingham before facing relegation-threatened pair Blackpool and Wigan, they still have their destiny in their own hands.

Luton Town 3-1 Blackpool

Luton Town came from behind to beat Championship strugglers Blackpool in the Seasiders’ first game since former boss Mick McCarthy left the club.

McCarthy departed after less than three months in charge following their miserable 3-1 defeat by fellow strugglers Cardiff on Good Friday.

The visitors led through Andy Lyons’ header from a Lewis Fiorini free-kick but Luton responded via Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu just before the break.

Carlton Morris fired home from close range to send Luton ahead and Mpanzu’s second shored up the Hatters’ position in third place in the table.

Relegation-threatened Blackpool remain seven points from safety with five matches still to play, and 21st-placed Cardiff have a game in hand.

Luton, meanwhile, took their unbeaten run to nine games and moved four points clear of fourth-placed Middlesbrough and five off second-placed Sheffield United.

Development coach Stephen Dobbie took charge for the trip to Kenilworth Road and the visitors had the perfect start against the in-form Hatters.

They went ahead after half an hour when Fiorini floated a free-kick into the box, with Lyons swiftly heading past goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.

Allan Campbell almost gave Luton an immediate response before Curtis Nelson denied him with a last-ditch tackle, but Mpanzu worked onto Morris’ headed delivery to fire home inside the Seasiders’ box.

The hosts controlled the second half, with Morris edging them ahead and Mpanzu’s late drive capping off the comeback.

Norwich City 0-0 Rotherham United

Norwich missed the chance to move into the Championship play-off spots as they were held to a draw by relegation-threatened Rotherham.

The Canaries knew a win would move them above Blackburn into the top six, but they drop below Preston into eighth and remain a point outside the play-offs.

Rotherham goalkeeper Joshua Vickers was at full-stretch to stop Sam McCallum’s early long-range effort and moments later produced an even better save to keep out Josh Sargent’s half-volley.

Tyler Blackett cleared an Onel Hernandez effort off the line and Wes Harding denied Christos Tzolis on the line as the Millers held out for a draw which puts them four points above the bottom three.

Tzolis spurned a second good chance to win it in six manic minutes of stoppage time, firing wide from a Sargent header.

Yet the Millers almost snatched it with the last touch of the game when Jamie Lindsay headed Domingos Quina’s cross straight at home keeper Angus Gunn.

Home form will be a major factor if Norwich do not extend their season into the play-offs – they have now won just four of their last 16 matches at Carrow Road.

The Canaries probed throughout, but lacked a finishing touch, typified by Teemu Pukki who put two efforts over the bar, while his hesitancy when clean through allowed Cohen Bramall to race back and make a last-ditch tackle as his goal drought extended to 11 matches.

McCallum’s goalbound volley was diverted behind by Harding, while after the break Marquinhos’ shot almost found the bottom corner only for Vickers to produce another good save.

Yet there was no way through for David Wagner’s side who have failed to score in four of their last six games as resilient Rotherham followed up an impressive Good Friday win over West Brom with a fifth draw in their last seven away trips.

Preston North End 2-1 Reading

Brad Potts’ last-gasp winner at Deepdale moved Preston North End up to seventh in the Championship and kept Reading in the relegation zone.

Potts guided in a header shortly after being denied by a brilliant save from Reading goalkeeper Joe Lumley to keep out his strike moments earlier.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan looked to have earned the Royals a potentially crucial point when the forward’s header looped into the far corner with seven minutes remaining.

On-loan Everton forward Tom Cannon, who scored both of Preston’s goals in their 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on Friday, had calmly made the second-half breakthrough for the hosts after an enterprising run and pass from Alvaro Fernandez.

The win moved Preston level on points with fifth-placed Millwall and Blackburn Rovers in sixth, who stay above them on goal difference.

In-form North End began their third successive victory by showing characteristic dominance in possession during a first half devoid of shots on target.

Potts sent a header into the side-netting from a perceptive Andrew Hughes cross early on as Reading struggled to keep Preston from creating chances.

Cannon could have scored sooner, sending a menacing strike marginally wide of a post at the end of a silky North End attacking move.

The Toffees youth product was thwarted by another alert Lumley save when he broke clear and saw his finish diverted behind.

Blackburn have a game in hand on Preston, who join Reading in having five remaining matches to play. Paul Ince’s side are a point behind fourth-bottom Cardiff City, who lost at home to Sunderland but have a game in hand.

West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Queens Park Rangers

Chris Martin’s second-half goal gave struggling Queens Park Rangers a vital point after they fought from two goals down at the Hawthorns to damage West Bromwich Albion’s play-off hopes.

Home goalkeeper Josh Griffiths’ attempted clearance ricocheted into the net off Martin to end QPR’s four-match losing run and moved them two points clear of the relegation zone.

Familiar defensive frailties initially cost the R’s when they allowed John Swift’s 10th-minute free-kick to curl into the path of Brandon Thomas-Asante at the far post and he nudged in his eighth goal of the season.

Seeking a first win in four matches, Albion swiftly capitalised on more unconvincing defending three minutes later as Semi Ajayi poked in from close range after QPR keeper Seny Dieng had parried Swift’s shot.

QPR looked short on confidence and conviction following a run of nine defeats in 10 matches.

But Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes changed the momentum of the game in the 22nd minute, expertly guiding a header into the far corner from Ilias Chair’s inviting right-wing cross.

His first away goal of the campaign seemed to unsettle West Brom, who were playing at home on Easter Monday for the first time since a goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers in 2006.

But Carlos Corberan’s side threatened when Conor Townsend skimmed an angled effort wide before Martin’s 49th-minute leveller.

The draw left West Brom 11th, five points behind sixth-placed Blackburn in the final play-off place.

Third-bottom Reading’s defeat at Preston, coupled with fourth-bottom Cardiff’s loss at Sunderland relieved some of the pressure on QPR with five games left.

Wigan Athletic 0-2 Swansea City

Joel Piroe scored both goals as Swansea City delivered a heavy blow to Wigan Athletic’s fading Championship survival hopes.

Piroe produced two clinical finishes before missing out on a first-half hat-trick when he struck a post.

The near-miss did not matter for Swansea as they dominated a Wigan side who lacked attacking inspiration.

The Latics stay bottom of the table, eight points adrift of safety with only five games left to play.

After just one win in their last 11 matches, Shaun Maloney’s team will need a spectacular upturn in fortunes to prevent an immediate return to League One.

Swansea are 13th having found some late-season form, with Russell Martin’s side claiming 10 points from their last four matches.

Wigan’s afternoon began with promise, as they pressed Swansea early on and carved a chance for James McClean which left Nathan Wood scrambling to clear off the line.

But once they settled, Swansea seized the initiative.

There was an element of fortune about the opening goal, as Jamie Paterson’s pass was intended for Jay Fulton and ricocheted into Piroe’s path, but there was nothing lucky about the Dutchman’s crisp shot into the bottom corner.

A Max Power corner almost brought a Wigan response, with Joel Latibeaudiere making a key intervention to deny Tom Naylor, before Swansea doubled their lead in style.

Russell Martin’s team had been denied a penalty when Paterson tumbled under Charlie Hughes’ challenge.

They swiftly conjured one of their goals of the season, with a sweet passing move which began in the Swansea penalty area ending with Fulton picking out Piroe just inside the Wigan box.

Piroe’s precise strike was too good for Ben Amos, the ball arcing beyond the Wigan goalkeeper and inside the far post.

Swansea might have been out of sight by half-time, but Piroe missed out on what would have been a 29-minute treble when his half-volley thumped against the post.

The visitors’ threat faded after the break, but it was not until the closing stages that Wigan began to exert any pressure.

Leading scorer Will Keane had perhaps their best opportunity but lifted a half-volley over the bar, before fellow substitute Thelo Aasgaard’s curling 20-yard effort was well saved by Andy Fisher.

With that, Wigan’s fate was sealed.

Bristol City 2-2 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough fought back from 2-0 down to draw at mid-table Bristol City and keep alive their faint hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Sam Bell’s calm finish put the Robins ahead in first-half stoppage time and Harry Cornick tapped in to double the lead three minutes after the restart.

But Boro pulled one back in the 58th minute when Aaron Ramsey emphatically headed in Tommy Smith’s cross, and Ramsey then picked out Matt Crooks in the box to equalise six minutes later.

Both sides almost grabbed a late winner, but home defender Zak Vyner could only divert a free-kick onto the top of the crossbar from three yards out and Boro substitute Cameron Archer had a stoppage-time goal ruled out for offside.

The Teessiders remain fourth following a third match without a win and are eight points behind second-placed Sheffield United, having played two games more.

However, the Blades have the chance to extend the gap to the Championship play-off places when they face promoted Burnley in Monday’s late kick-off (20:00 BST).

The hosts had started brightly, with Cornick having two shots from inside the area blocked by Darragh Lenihan in the fourth minute.

That set the tempo for a frantic opening quarter as unmarked Boro striker Chuba Akpom headed Ryan Giles’ cross wide from six yards out, while visiting keeper Zack Steffen made a fine save to deny Andi Weimann.

The opener came when Cornick spotted Bell in space on the left-hand side of the box and the young forward opened up his body before stroking the ball past the onrushing Steffen.

Bell was involved in the move to make it 2-0 as his low shot across goal was tipped away by Steffen, but Nahki Wells was on hand to square the loose ball for Cornick to net his first goal since joining Bristol City in January.

Yet Boro showed a great response, underlining their spirit and upturn in form since Michael Carrick was appointed boss last October and inspired a swift rise up the table.

First Ramsey dived in to powerfully divert Smith’s cross inside the left-hand upright from eight yards out and Crooks then found space and beat the Robins offside trap to slot in the leveller.

The contest then became scrappy, although Vyner could have won it when he got on the end of an in-swinging Matty James delivery from the left flank.

However, the ball came off the top of the centre-back’s thigh and looped over, much to the relief of the visiting players and their supporters.

There was still time for Riley McGree to fire a low shot straight at Robins keeper Max O’Leary, and Archer was then correctly flagged offside in the process of rounding O’Leary and finishing smartly from a narrow angle.

With a top-two finish looking an increasingly distant prospect, Boro will now be aiming to clinch their play-off spot after ending the day six points clear of seventh place.

However, eighth-placed Norwich, themselves a point off the top six, are the visitors to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, so Carrick will need to quickly refocus his squad for the final five games.

Burnley v Sheffield United

Match report to follow.