LAST UPDATE | 17 Feb
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 international Finn Azaz was on target as Middlesbrough shocked leaders Leicester 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.
After the Foxes missed two big chances to take the lead, Azaz opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a clever finish from Lewis O’Brien’s square pass before Samuel Silvera’s emphatic strike after 37 minutes extended Boro’s advantage.
Substitute Jamie Vardy halved the deficit in the 85th minute, producing an excellent finish into the bottom left corner, but Boro held on to end a four-game winless run and complete the double over Leicester.
The Foxes, who lost at home for the first time since November, are now nine points in front of second-placed Leeds – their next opponents on Friday.
Leeds moved into second spot with a comfortable 2-0 win at Plymouth thanks to goals from forwards Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter.
Daniel Farke’s side made a flying start and their early pressure was rewarded with a 10th minute goal for in-form Gnonto, taking his goal tally to five in as many games.
Rutter’s audacious high ball into the area split the home defence and Gnonto brilliantly brought the ball down and stroked it home past goalkeeper Conor Hazard.
Leeds doubled their lead into the second half, when striker Rutter ran on to Joel Piroe’s defence-splitting through ball and beat Hazard with a thumping shot on the run into the box, which gave the home keeper little chance on 72 minutes.
Leeds are two-points clear of third-placed Southampton, though the Saints have a game in hand.
Ipswich are fourth, and kept up their push for an automatic promotion place in the Championship as Conor Chaplin claimed a landmark winner in a 2-1 victory at Swansea.
Chaplin scored his 50th Ipswich goal to restore a first-half Ipswich lead that had been wiped out by Jerry Yates four minutes earlier.
Nathan Broadhead had earlier put the Tractor Boys ahead as Ipswich maintained their pursuit of the top three. Ipswich remain a point behind Southampton and three shy of Leeds with a game in hand.
Coventry kept themselves in the play-off places after a hard-fought 1-0 derby win away at fellow Midlands side Stoke. Ellis Simms’ third goal in five league games secured all three points for Mark Robins’ team at the Bet365 Stadium, consolidating their sixth-place standing on goal difference on 51 points.
Defeat for Stoke means they have now lost five of their last six games, leaving them just three points clear of the relegation zone.
Norwich reeled off their fourth straight home win as they cruised past Cardiff 4-1 to maintain their play-off push.
The Canaries recovered from the shock of going behind completely against the run of play to record a dominant victory which followed hard on the heels of a 4-2 triumph over Watford in midweek.
Jamilu Collins fired Cardiff ahead after 19 minutes but the hosts were in front by half-time thanks to two goals in five minutes from Josh Sargent and Gabriel Sara.
Sargent went on to add his 10th of the season after the break, with a fourth from substitute Christian Fassnacht completing a comfortable win against a Cardiff side who have now lost three on the trot to drop away from the play-off battle.
Hull are level on points with Norwich, thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win away to Huddersfield, Jacob Greaves netting a 94th-minute winner.
Preston are two points further back, recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Blackburn. Irish-eligible Sam Szmodics put Blackburn ahead, with Sam Gallagher doubling the lead midway through the first half. Irish veteran Robbie Brady struck back before half time, however, and Preston were level by the break thanks to Emil Rils.
Tony Mowbray celebrated back-to-back home wins against his most recent former clubs after Birmingham came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1.
Koji Miyoshi capped a magnificent comeback by City after Jordan James equalised on the hour to make it two home victories in five days after they beat Blackburn 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Jack Clarke gave Sunderland the lead in the 22nd minute with his 15th goal of the season.
Ilias Chair’s first-half goal boosted QPR’s survival chances in the Championship with a 1-0 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The key moment came three minutes before half-time when Lucas Andersen’s low cross from the right was stroked home right-footed by the unmarked Chair, who coolly passed the ball into the net from 12 yards.
Championship results
- Birmingham 2 Sunderland 1
- Bristol City 0 Queens Park Rangers 1
- Huddersfield 1 Hull 2
- Leicester 1 Middlesbrough 2
- Millwall 0 Sheffield Wednesday 2
- Norwich 4 Cardiff 1
- Plymouth 0 Leeds 2
- Preston 2 Blackburn 2
- Rotherham 0 Watford 1
- Stoke 0 Coventry 1
- Swansea 1 Ipswich 2
Updated at 17.30 with details of 15.00 kick offs
