Championship Matchday 35 Review

Aleksandar Mitrovic was on target again as Fulham extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games with a 2-1 win at play-off rivals Derby.

With half of Saturday's scheduled games in the second tier falling foul of the weather, Fulham leapfrogged Derby to reach fourth place as Mitrovic struck his third goal in as many matches.

The Serbia international gave Fulham an early lead and Ryan Sessegnon doubled it with his 14th of the season before Tom Huddlestone pulled one back for Derby in the second half.

Bobby Reid fired a hat-trick as Bristol City climbed back into the Sky Bet Championship's play-off places with a 4-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

Midfielder Reid struck a first-half double and notched his third goal - and 19th of the season - early in the second half after Josh Brownhill had put City 3-0 up before the break.

Lee Johnson's side had won only one of their previous 10 league games, but their first win in six lifted them back up to sixth place, while Wednesday slipped to a fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

Sean Maguire stepped off the bench to score two late goals as Preston maintained their play-off challenge with a 3-1 win at Bolton.

Tom Barkhuizen cancelled out Mark Beevers' first-half opener for Bolton and second-half substitute Maguire struck twice in the final 13 minutes.

Millwall substitute Shaun Hutchinson rescued a point for his side in a 1-1 home draw with bottom club Sunderland.

Hutchinson equalised from close range in the second period after Bryan Oviedo had given Sunderland a half-time lead. Millwall extended their unbeaten league run to nine games.

Nottingham Forest secured rare back-to-back league wins with a 2-1 home victory against Birmingham, who have lost their last five league matches.

Joe Lolley and Matt Cash scored in either half to put Forest in control before Michael Morrison's late header for Birmingham ensured an anxious finish.

On friday evening Patrick Bamford scored his first career hat-trick as Middlesbrough kept themselves in the hunt for a Sky Bet Championship play-off place with a 3-0 win over Leeds on Friday evening. Leeds remain seven points adrift of the top six with just 11 games remaining.

Five Championship fixtures - Barnsley v Norwich , Brentford v Cardiff, Ipswich v Hull, Sheffield United v Burton and Aston Villa v QPR - were postponed due to the freezing conditions.



Patrick Bamford scored the first hat-trick of his career as Middlesbrough comfortably beat Leeds to climb to sixth in the Championship table.

The forward, 24, flicked home Stewart Downing's cross to put Boro in front.

He then ran onto Adama Traore's through ball to slot the second under visiting keeper Felix Wiedwald.

Leeds created little in attack and Bamford added his third from inside the penalty area after a shot from Traore was blocked into his path.

The victory lifted Tony Pulis' side into the play-off places, displacing Sheffield United by virtue of a superior goal difference, while Leeds remain 11th, six points outside the top six.



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Substitute Sean Maguire scored twice on his return as Preston North End came back to beat Bolton Wanderers and end a run of four games without a victory.

Bolton led when David Wheater's initial header was scrambled away but Mark Beevers buried the follow up.

Preston levelled just after the break when Tom Barkhuizen latched on to Callum Robinson's pass to slot home.

Maguire, making his first appearance since injuring his knee in November, won it with two late cool finishes.

Preston's victory means they are now three points off the Championship play-off places with 11 league games left to play, while Phil Parkinson's Wanderers remain in 19th place in the table.


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Bobby Reid scored the first hat-trick of his career as Bristol City swept aside Sheffield Wednesday to move back into the Championship play-off places.

City, with just one win in 10 league games, scored three superb team goals to take control before half-time.

Reid twice produced fine low finishes, the first after a one-two with Josh Brownhill, who made it 3-0 himself following Jamie Paterson's backheel.

Reid netted his 19th of the season from the spot after Marlon Pack was fouled.

The 25-year-old, converted from a midfielder into a striker by head coach Lee Johnson in the summer, has scored more goals in 2017-18 than the rest of his professional career combined.


Aleksandar Mitrovic scored his third goal in as many games as Fulham beat Derby County to secure a 10th win in 13 matches and move above their promotion rivals into fourth.

Mitrovic's deflected shot after a slick short corner and an angled Ryan Sessegnon strike put Fulham in control.

Derby, who have collected just 12 points from 30, rallied and Tom Huddlestone's 18-yard shot made it 2-1.

But the Londoners held on despite some strong late home pressure.

Cameron Jerome and Richard Keogh both went close in stoppage-time but Fulham were good value for a win which takes them to within five points of second-placed Cardiff City.


Millwall came from behind to earn a point against Championship strugglers Sunderland at The Den.

Sunderland led when Bryan Oviedo played a neat one-two with Aiden McGeady before firing home past Millwall keeper Jordan Archer from outside the box.

The hosts were level after the Black Cats failed to clear a goalmouth scramble and Shaun Hutchinson poked in.

Chris Coleman's side, who had a chance to win it through Joel Asoro, remain bottom, four points off safety.

The result ended a run of three consecutive victories for Millwall, who could not find a winner against a Sunderland outfit who would have leapfrogged both Burton and Birmingham with three points.

Chris Coleman's side are now on a seven-game run without a win, with their last victory coming against Hull City on 20 January.

As well as their winless run, Sunderland have picked up just six points since the start of 2018, fewer than anyone else in the Championship.


Joe Lolley and Matty Cash scored for the second game in a row as Nottingham Forest earned back-to-back league wins and consigned Birmingham City to a fifth consecutive Championship defeat.

Lolley put Forest ahead on five minutes with a low strike after a slick move.

Blues had chances to level, notably through Maikel Kieftenbeld, who blazed an effort over from 15 yards.

Cash's low second-half strike ensured a victory which was in question after Michael Morrison's late header.

Morrison's effort from a Craig Gardner corner at least saw Blues find the net after four games without a goal.

But it did little to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Steve Cotterill, who this week met with Hong Kong-based chairman Zhao Wenqing.


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