MARK TRAVERS KEPT another clean sheet on Saturday as Bournemouth took a huge step towards a Premier League return with a 3-0 win over Championship rivals Huddersfield.
Scott Parker’s side completely dominated their fellow promotion hopefuls to open a healthy six-point gap to the automatic promotion spots with 10 games to play.
John Egan helped Sheffield United move up to fifth place with a clean sheet and a 2-0 win at home to Barnsley, with Conor Hourihane also playing 90 minutes in midfield for the Blades.
Dara O’Shea and Jayson Molumby were unused subs in West Brom’s 2-2 draw away to Bristol City, while Callum Robinson — who ended his two-month goal drought against Fulham in midweek — was held scoreless for the Baggies.
Scott Hogan couldn’t add to his 10 league goals this season as Birmingham were held to a 0-0 draw at Swansea, with Cyrus Christie and Michael Obafemi both playing 90 minutes for the hosts.
In League One, Will Keane scored his 20th goal of the season as Wigan beat Morecambe 4-1 to move to within one point of league leaders Rotherham, who suffered a shock 3-0 defeat at home to Shrewsbury.
Keane, who has now scored four in his last five games, will be hoping that his recent form is enough to earn him his second Ireland cap in the upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Lithuania.
James McClean played all 90 minutes in Wigan’s victory; however, once again there was no place in the matchday squad for Jamie McGrath, who was left out of Stephen Kenny’s Ireland plans due to his lack of gametime at club level.
Gavin Bazunu helped Portsmouth to a point at home to Wycombe Wanderers with a man-of-the-match performance in a 0-0 draw at Fratton Park.
Saturday’s clean sheet was a third in the last five matches for Ireland’s incumbent number one.
Warren O’Hora scored the only goal of the game as MK Dons beat Cambridge United 1-0 to remain in third place and keep their promotion bid on track, while Troy Parrott played 73 minutes.
Luke McNally was Oxford United’s hero with a 95th-minute equaliser to earn the Us a dramatic 1-1 draw and a point at home to Ipswich Town.
And in Scotland, Connor Ronan — who will join the Ireland senior set-up for the first time next week — set up the opening goal for Jay Henderson but was on the wrong side of the result as St Mirren lost 2-1 at home to Dundee United.
– Additional reporting by PA
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