Roundup of a massive Easter Monday matchday in the Championship as the automatic promotion race reached its peak, whilst there were twists in the race for play-off and survival spots.
Joel Piroe’s four goals plus strikes from Junior Firpo and Wilfried Gnonto saw Leeds thrash Stoke City 6-0 at Elland Road.
Josh Brownhill’s first-half brace saw Burnley beat third-placed Sheffield United 2-1 to confirm their and Leeds’ promotions to the top-flight, despite Tom Cannon briefly cancelling out the opening goal.
Fourth-placed Sunderland continued their miserable Easter with a 1-0 home defeat against Blackburn as Tyrhys Dolan netted a 33rd-minute winner for the visitors.
Bristol City remained fifth after losing 3-1 at third-bottom Luton who remain in the relegation zone on goal difference, after Carlton Morris and Isiah Jones sealed victory for the Hatters’ following George Tanner’s equaliser for the Robins to cancel out Thelo Aasgaard’s opener.
Coventry round out the top six after Haji Wright’s equaliser couldn’t prevent a 3-1 loss at rock-bottom Plymouth as Mustapha Bundu’s brace and Ryan Hardie’s effort kept Argyle’s survival dreams alive.
Middlesbrough missed out on a chance to move above Coventry into sixth on goal difference after they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, having led through Finn Azaz before second-half goals from Josh Windass and Anthony Musaba gave the Owls victory.
Down in the relegation zone, second-bottom Cardiff saw their survival hopes dented in a 1-1 draw at home to Oxford United after Yousef Salech’s header for the Bluebirds was cancelled out by Cameron Brannagan’s 35-yard equalising strike.
Ebou Adams, Jerry Yates and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s goals kept Derby above the drop on goal difference with a 3-1 win at West Brom, as Adam Armstrong struck a consolatory strike for the Baggies in what was Tony Mowbray’s final match in charge as he was sacked less than two hours after the full-time whistle.
Hull avoided slipping into the bottom three after Joe Gelhardt’s penalty brace secured a 2-1 comeback win at home to Preston, after Lewis Gibson netted his first goal for the Lilywhites in the 34th minute.
Elsewhere, Mihailo Ivanovic’s brace and Femi Azeez’s goal kept Millwall’s play-off ambitions alive in a 3-1 home victory over Norwich at The Den.
Morgan Fox’s own-goal and Harry Darling’s close-range strike handed Swansea a 2-1 win at QPR despite Karamoko Dembele’s consolatory effort for the Hoops.
Finally, Colby Bishop’s 25th-minute header secured Portsmouth’s survival with a 1-0 win over Watford at Fratton Park, although the visiting Hornets finished with ten men after Kevin Keben was sent off for a foul on Josh Murphy.
