Middlesbrough, QPR and Hull all returned to winning ways in emphatic style with all three sides hitting four goals. Blackburn hit four too as they made it seven goals in the space of a few days.
The Championship just keeps on giving, doesn’t it? 41 goals in this round of games just prove what an incredible league the second tier is.
Sheffield Wednesday battled to what could prove to be a crucial and deserved point against league leaders Leicester City, with an injury-time equaliser cancelled out the Foxes opener as the visitors dropped points for the third time in four games.
Let’s take a look at all the action from a phenomenal round of midweek fixtures.
Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston North End
Middlesbrough took themselves to within a point of sorry Preston, who have now lost two in a row. This result also takes the Teesider’s to within three points of the play-offs.
Isiah Jones scored twice at the Riverside Stadium with Rav van den Berg and Alex Bangura completing the win in a great evening for Michael Carrick’s side. Boro visit third-placed Leeds United at the weekend whilst Preston will hope to get back to winning ways on Friday as they host QPR at Deepdale.
Hull City 4-1 Rotherham United
In this Yorkshire derby, the Tigers terrorised their local rivals. Jaden Philogene-Bidace scored twice for the home side with further goals from Tyler Morton and Scott Twine. Grant Hall did net a consolation, but the visitors remain second bottom and seven points from safety.
Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Birmingham City
All six goals were scored in a scintillating second half in this one. League top scorer Sammie Szmodics took his tally for the season to 13 goals. He scored Rovers first two goals before James Hill hit the third.
The Blues did launch a mini revival through a Siriki Dembele double but Harry Leonard scored in injury time to put the icing on the cake for the Lancashire side.
Queens Park Rangers 4-2 Stoke City
Scotland international Lyndon Dykes opened the scoring from the penalty spot for the London side before Ryan Mmaee equalised for the Potters. However, the turning point in this one came as Enda Stevens saw red for the visitors for a second yellow card.
Despite this, Stoke took the lead through Wouter Burger with a lovely curling effort from the edge of the box. That’s as good as it got for the Staffordshire club however as Dykes got his second followed by a Ben Pearson own goal and Chris Willock rounding off the victory to secure the Hoops a valuable three points.
Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Leicester City
Bottom played top in this David vs Goliath battle. Wednesday hadn’t read the script however and came away with their share of the spoils in this clash.
Abdul Fatawu opened the scoring for the visitors and the Foxes did their best to put the tie to bed but were unable to break down the Owls’ resilient back line. They were made to pay for it as Jeff Hendrick hit an injury-time equaliser to take the roof off Hillsborough.
Watford 3-2 Norwich City
Watford came from behind to take the three points and jump above Norwich in the table. Danny Batth and Hwang Ui-Jo put the Canaries two goals to the good before Ismael Kone, Mileta Rajovic and Yaser Asprilla all scored to give the home side maximum points, showing real character in coming back from 2-0 down.
Leeds United 3-1 Swansea City
Georginio Rutter was in exceptional form to take Player of the Match in this one, adding a goal and an assist to his tally for the season.
Jamie Patterson opened the scoring for the Swans within a minute but Joel Piroe equalised moments later before Rutter put Daniel Farke’s team in control. The Frenchman then turned provider for Dan James to make it three as Leeds continue to put pressure on the top two.
Ipswich Town 3-1 Millwall
Ipswich took themselves to within a point of the top of the table with another emphatic victory. Millwall could barely see through the mist and found themselves 3-0 down in Suffolk, with goals coming from Conor Chaplin, Massimo Luongo and Nathan Broadhead for the home side. Kevin Nisbet did hit a consolation for the South London side in the 78th minute, but it proved to be in vain.
Sunderland 1-2 Huddersfield Town
Sloppy Sunderland slipped to their second successive defeat against struggling Huddersfield at the Stadium of Light. Michal Helik opened the scoring for the West Yorkshire side before Luke O’Nien equalised for the Black Cats. This was his first goal since April, but it wasn’t to be enough to stop the Wearsider’s from losing this one. Delano Burgzorg scored the winner to send the visitors home delighted.
Wins for Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.
Haji Wright scored the winner for Coventry as they beat Plymouth, despite the ball appearing to run out of play in the build-up.
Kyle Walker-Peters scored the only goal of the game for Southampton as they defeated Bristol City and an absolute screamer for Jeremy Sarmiento gave West Brom maximum points in Wales as they defeated Cardiff City.
