HULL’S SKY BET Championship play-off hopes were dealt a major setback as Jayden Fevrier’s second-half goal earned Charlton a 2-1 victory at The Valley.
The Addicks, who led through Charlie Kelman’s seventh goal of the campaign, ended a seven-game winless run and mathematically secured their safety.
John Egan had headed the Tigers level at the end of the first half, but they have not picked up a victory in their last six matches, taking four points from a possible 18, as they failed to jump back above Wrexham and into the top six.
Hull were forced into an early change with Eliot Matazo, making his first appearance since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in February 2025, going off in the 11th minute.
Charlton opened the scoring in the 20th minute through a sublime strike by Kelman. He raced on to Conor Coady’s through ball, cut inside Semi Ajayi and found the top-right corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
The Addicks were good value for their lead after making a fast start.
Hull began to make some forward forays of their own in the closing stages of the first half but took until the fifth minute of seven additional minutes to really threaten Thomas Kaminski’s goal. Top scorer Joe Gelhardt put his shot narrowly past a post from Liam Millar’s cross.
It was a mistake by Harry Clarke which led to the Tigers equalising with seconds left of the first half.
The Ipswich loanee’s misdirected header went out for a corner when the wing-back was under next to no pressure. Substitute Paddy McNair’s deep delivery was nodded home from a tight angle by Egan – with goal-line technology notifying referee Tom Nield that the ball had gone over before it was hacked clear.
Fevrier produced an excellent cross which just evaded Harvey Knibbs, while Gelhardt could only fire wide at the other end after Millar’s shot was blocked.
Fevrier restored Charlton’s lead in the 68th minute — the first time they have scored twice in a Championship match since 31 January.
The on-loan Stockport forward produced a mazy dribble before sending a low left-footed finish past Ivor Pandur from 20 yards.
Kaminski held Mohamed Belloumi’s shot as Hull, who have not won their final away league game for 19 successive seasons, tried to mount a response.
The Charlton keeper had a let-off after his poor punch dropped for McNair, but the Northern Irishman failed to get a proper connection on his volley.
Lyndon Dykes forced Pandur into a fingertip save as Hull started to leave gaps at the back.
Fevrier had a chance to add a third, but the ball was cleared off the line in stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough’s hopes of winning automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship remain alive after they thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Riverside.
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With second-placed Ipswich drawing at West Brom, Kim Hellberg’s side have moved to within a point of the top-two positions with one game to play, although Ipswich still have a game in hand as the promotion battle heads towards its climax.
Boro’s 5-1 victory was their joint-biggest win of the season and came courtesy of doubles from Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway, plus a goal from David Strelec.
Watford’s goal came at the start of the second half from James Abankwah, but while the visitors were a match for their opponents for most of the first period, they were comprehensively outplayed after the break.
Boro’s sixth-minute opener was a spectacular effort, with Whittaker firing a 30-yard free-kick over the Watford wall and into the top left-hand corner.
Watford came close to claiming an equaliser when Luca Kjerrumgaard fired just wide after Edo Kayembe crossed from the left, and struck the woodwork towards the end of the first half when Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn touched Kjerrumgaard’s low strike on to the post.
Boro’s attacking lacked much of its usual cohesion, but just as Watford looked to be getting on top, the home side doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.
Alex Gilbert’s pass released Whittaker into the right of the box, and when the winger slid over a low cross from the right, Strelec bundled home from close range.
Watford did not really deserve to be two goals behind at the break, and the visitors halved their deficit within three minutes of the restart.
Middlesbrough’s defence failed to adequately deal with a corner, and when the ball was returned to the 18-yard box, Abankwah lifted a shot beyond Brynn.
However, 10 minutes later, Boro restored their two-goal lead as Whittaker claimed his second goal of the game. Matt Targett’s low cross was deflected into his path and, from an acute angle, Whittaker swept home a fine finish.
Boro missed their leading scorer badly when he was sidelined for five matches recently, and Whittaker, who also smacked a long-range strike against the crossbar moments before he was substituted in the second half, now has 14 goals this season, cementing his place at the top of the Teessiders’ scoring charts.
Boro added a fourth goal from the spot with 15 minutes left, with Tommy Conway converting after Abankwah handled from Targett’s corner.
And Conway completed the scoring with his second goal in stoppage time, turning neatly in the box before firing home a low finish.
Meanwhile, Jaydon Banel scored a late winner for Derby as they twice came from behind to beat QPR 3-2 and stay in the race for a Sky Bet Championship play-off place.
Harvey Vale put Rangers ahead and Oscar Fraulo levelled with his first Derby goal, before Richard Kone put the west London side back in front with his 10th league goal of the season.
Sondre Langas hauled the Rams level again, and Banel’s 88th-minute strike — the youngster’s third goal in five matches — secured the points for John Eustace’s men.
The winner was scored with QPR down to 10 men after forward Rumarn Burrell, recently back after a three-month absence, went off injured with Rangers having made all their permitted substitutions.
Derby’s vital — and rare — away triumph means they will go into the final weekend of the season eighth in the table and with a chance of making the play-offs unless sixth-placed Wrexham beat champions Coventry on Sunday.
They had lost their previous three away matches and six of their past seven on the road.
Rangers, who have now suffered three consecutive defeats and are without a win in five games, went in front after 13 minutes.
Daniel Bennie did well on the right-hand edge of the penalty area, pulling the ball back towards Vale, who created space for a shot with a nice touch and then slotted past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
A Rangers goal had been coming. They were on top from the start and had gone close to going ahead when Vale fired the loose ball against the outside of a post after Kone had been denied at point-blank range by Zetterstrom.
Derby equalised out of nothing in the 25th minute after Rangers could only half clear a corner.
Max Johnston’s miscued volley fell to Fraulo, who cleverly met a bouncing ball with a side-foot which would probably have been saved by keeper Paul Nardi had it not deflected off Jonathan Varane.
Rangers responded, with Zetterstrom keeping out attempts from Varane and the lively Paul Smyth as Derby came under more pressure.
QPR thought they had regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Vale’s corner sailed into the net, but the goal was disallowed, seemingly for a push by Kieran Morgan on Zetterstrom.
The lead was restored 10 minutes after the interval. Kone, with his back to goal and under pressure from Matt Clarke, showed great persistence to hold off the defender and shoot into the bottom corner.
But Derby hit back with Langas’ 76th-minute header from Joe Ward’s right-wing free-kick.
And Banel, on as a substitute, won it with a superb goal, cutting in from the left past full-back Kealey Adamson and firing into the far corner of the net.
Johnny Kenny #9 of Bolton Wanderers F.C celebrates (file pic). Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
In League One, Johnny Kenny’s goal helped Bolton draw 1-1 at Bradford.
The point was enough to seal the visitors’ place in the playoffs.
With Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson watching on, Dubliner Jack Moylan scored his 12th goal from 33 appearances in all competitions, as already-promoted Lincoln City beat Wycombe 4-3.
Fellow promoted side Cardiff City overcame Northampton 5-1, with Ireland international Callum Robinson among the scorers.
Former Irish underage international Louie Barry hit a hat-trick as Stockport came from behind to defeat Peterborough 3-1.
It was just the Aston Villa loanee’s fifth appearance for the club, having missed a significant portion of the season through injury.
Marcus Harness scored what proved to be a consolation, as Huddersfield Town were well beaten 4-1 by Mansfield.
In League Two, Jaze Kabia scored a hat-trick as Grimsby beat Swindon Town 4-0 to secure their spot in the playoffs.
The 25-year-old attacker from Cork has 23 goals from 54 appearances in all competitions this season.
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Irish trio on target in Championship, Kenny helps Bolton secure playoffs
Updated at 18.32
Championship results:
HULL’S SKY BET Championship play-off hopes were dealt a major setback as Jayden Fevrier’s second-half goal earned Charlton a 2-1 victory at The Valley.
The Addicks, who led through Charlie Kelman’s seventh goal of the campaign, ended a seven-game winless run and mathematically secured their safety.
John Egan had headed the Tigers level at the end of the first half, but they have not picked up a victory in their last six matches, taking four points from a possible 18, as they failed to jump back above Wrexham and into the top six.
Hull were forced into an early change with Eliot Matazo, making his first appearance since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in February 2025, going off in the 11th minute.
Charlton opened the scoring in the 20th minute through a sublime strike by Kelman. He raced on to Conor Coady’s through ball, cut inside Semi Ajayi and found the top-right corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
The Addicks were good value for their lead after making a fast start.
Hull began to make some forward forays of their own in the closing stages of the first half but took until the fifth minute of seven additional minutes to really threaten Thomas Kaminski’s goal. Top scorer Joe Gelhardt put his shot narrowly past a post from Liam Millar’s cross.
It was a mistake by Harry Clarke which led to the Tigers equalising with seconds left of the first half.
The Ipswich loanee’s misdirected header went out for a corner when the wing-back was under next to no pressure. Substitute Paddy McNair’s deep delivery was nodded home from a tight angle by Egan – with goal-line technology notifying referee Tom Nield that the ball had gone over before it was hacked clear.
Fevrier produced an excellent cross which just evaded Harvey Knibbs, while Gelhardt could only fire wide at the other end after Millar’s shot was blocked.
Fevrier restored Charlton’s lead in the 68th minute — the first time they have scored twice in a Championship match since 31 January.
The on-loan Stockport forward produced a mazy dribble before sending a low left-footed finish past Ivor Pandur from 20 yards.
Kaminski held Mohamed Belloumi’s shot as Hull, who have not won their final away league game for 19 successive seasons, tried to mount a response.
The Charlton keeper had a let-off after his poor punch dropped for McNair, but the Northern Irishman failed to get a proper connection on his volley.
Lyndon Dykes forced Pandur into a fingertip save as Hull started to leave gaps at the back.
Fevrier had a chance to add a third, but the ball was cleared off the line in stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough’s hopes of winning automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship remain alive after they thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Riverside.
With second-placed Ipswich drawing at West Brom, Kim Hellberg’s side have moved to within a point of the top-two positions with one game to play, although Ipswich still have a game in hand as the promotion battle heads towards its climax.
Boro’s 5-1 victory was their joint-biggest win of the season and came courtesy of doubles from Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway, plus a goal from David Strelec.
Watford’s goal came at the start of the second half from James Abankwah, but while the visitors were a match for their opponents for most of the first period, they were comprehensively outplayed after the break.
Boro’s sixth-minute opener was a spectacular effort, with Whittaker firing a 30-yard free-kick over the Watford wall and into the top left-hand corner.
Watford came close to claiming an equaliser when Luca Kjerrumgaard fired just wide after Edo Kayembe crossed from the left, and struck the woodwork towards the end of the first half when Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn touched Kjerrumgaard’s low strike on to the post.
Boro’s attacking lacked much of its usual cohesion, but just as Watford looked to be getting on top, the home side doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.
Alex Gilbert’s pass released Whittaker into the right of the box, and when the winger slid over a low cross from the right, Strelec bundled home from close range.
Watford did not really deserve to be two goals behind at the break, and the visitors halved their deficit within three minutes of the restart.
Middlesbrough’s defence failed to adequately deal with a corner, and when the ball was returned to the 18-yard box, Abankwah lifted a shot beyond Brynn.
However, 10 minutes later, Boro restored their two-goal lead as Whittaker claimed his second goal of the game. Matt Targett’s low cross was deflected into his path and, from an acute angle, Whittaker swept home a fine finish.
Boro missed their leading scorer badly when he was sidelined for five matches recently, and Whittaker, who also smacked a long-range strike against the crossbar moments before he was substituted in the second half, now has 14 goals this season, cementing his place at the top of the Teessiders’ scoring charts.
Boro added a fourth goal from the spot with 15 minutes left, with Tommy Conway converting after Abankwah handled from Targett’s corner.
And Conway completed the scoring with his second goal in stoppage time, turning neatly in the box before firing home a low finish.
Meanwhile, Jaydon Banel scored a late winner for Derby as they twice came from behind to beat QPR 3-2 and stay in the race for a Sky Bet Championship play-off place.
Harvey Vale put Rangers ahead and Oscar Fraulo levelled with his first Derby goal, before Richard Kone put the west London side back in front with his 10th league goal of the season.
Sondre Langas hauled the Rams level again, and Banel’s 88th-minute strike — the youngster’s third goal in five matches — secured the points for John Eustace’s men.
The winner was scored with QPR down to 10 men after forward Rumarn Burrell, recently back after a three-month absence, went off injured with Rangers having made all their permitted substitutions.
Derby’s vital — and rare — away triumph means they will go into the final weekend of the season eighth in the table and with a chance of making the play-offs unless sixth-placed Wrexham beat champions Coventry on Sunday.
They had lost their previous three away matches and six of their past seven on the road.
Rangers, who have now suffered three consecutive defeats and are without a win in five games, went in front after 13 minutes.
Daniel Bennie did well on the right-hand edge of the penalty area, pulling the ball back towards Vale, who created space for a shot with a nice touch and then slotted past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
A Rangers goal had been coming. They were on top from the start and had gone close to going ahead when Vale fired the loose ball against the outside of a post after Kone had been denied at point-blank range by Zetterstrom.
Derby equalised out of nothing in the 25th minute after Rangers could only half clear a corner.
Max Johnston’s miscued volley fell to Fraulo, who cleverly met a bouncing ball with a side-foot which would probably have been saved by keeper Paul Nardi had it not deflected off Jonathan Varane.
Rangers responded, with Zetterstrom keeping out attempts from Varane and the lively Paul Smyth as Derby came under more pressure.
QPR thought they had regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Vale’s corner sailed into the net, but the goal was disallowed, seemingly for a push by Kieran Morgan on Zetterstrom.
The lead was restored 10 minutes after the interval. Kone, with his back to goal and under pressure from Matt Clarke, showed great persistence to hold off the defender and shoot into the bottom corner.
But Derby hit back with Langas’ 76th-minute header from Joe Ward’s right-wing free-kick.
And Banel, on as a substitute, won it with a superb goal, cutting in from the left past full-back Kealey Adamson and firing into the far corner of the net.
In League One, Johnny Kenny’s goal helped Bolton draw 1-1 at Bradford.
The point was enough to seal the visitors’ place in the playoffs.
With Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson watching on, Dubliner Jack Moylan scored his 12th goal from 33 appearances in all competitions, as already-promoted Lincoln City beat Wycombe 4-3.
Fellow promoted side Cardiff City overcame Northampton 5-1, with Ireland international Callum Robinson among the scorers.
Former Irish underage international Louie Barry hit a hat-trick as Stockport came from behind to defeat Peterborough 3-1.
It was just the Aston Villa loanee’s fifth appearance for the club, having missed a significant portion of the season through injury.
Marcus Harness scored what proved to be a consolation, as Huddersfield Town were well beaten 4-1 by Mansfield.
In League Two, Jaze Kabia scored a hat-trick as Grimsby beat Swindon Town 4-0 to secure their spot in the playoffs.
The 25-year-old attacker from Cork has 23 goals from 54 appearances in all competitions this season.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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