MIDDLESBROUGH STEPPED UP their impressive bid to win promotion to the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Bolton on Wednesday.

Tony Pulis’s side produced a confident display at the Riverside Stadium to move within one point of Championship leaders Leeds, who had beaten Preston on Tuesday.

Middlesbrough took the lead through George Saville’s 34th minute goal and Britt Assombalonga netted in the closing moments to seal the points.

At the other end of the table, two goals in three minutes gave QPR a third win in their last four league matches as they defeated struggling Millwall 2-0 at Loftus Road.

After losing their first four Championship games, Steve McClaren’s QPR have steadied the ship.

They had a helping hand from Millwall goalkeeper Ben Amos, who was culpable when Massimo Luongo headed in a 30th minute opener.

Ebere Eze bundled a close-range shot beyond Amos for the second goal after more poor Millwall defending.

Reading suffered a fourth home defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to Norwich.

Teemu Pukki’s fifth goal of the campaign in the 14th minute put the Canaries ahead.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson levelled things in the 72nd minute but Norwich went straight down the other end where Mario Vrancic produced a neat finish.

Nottingham Forest moved above Sheffield Wednesday after a 2-1 victory over the Owls at the City Ground.

Lewis Grabban touched in a 41st-minute free-kick before Joao Carvalho curled in a second for Forest with 63 minutes gone.

Steven Fletcher’s deflected 88th-minute goal was too late to spark a Wednesday fightback.

Birmingham remain winless after a goalless draw against Sheffield United.

Results
Middlesbrough 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Millwall
Sheffield United 0-0 Birmingham City
Reading 1-2 Norwich City

© AFP 2018

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