Championship Match Report Roundup: Middlesborough draw against struggling Leicester City

A busy Tuesday in the Championship saw 16 of the division’s 24 teams in action. Here’s how it all played out on a night with implications at both ends of the table.

Middlesbrough 1-1 Leicester City

Middlesbrough’s automatic promotion push suffered a setback as they were held 1-1 at home by struggling Leicester – a result which doesn’t do a great deal of good for either side.

Caleb Okoli gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half, before Riley McGree equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Boro stay second but have played two games more than third-placed Ipswich; Leicester are still one point from safety in 22^nd.

Hull City 4-2 Derby County

Hull came out on top in a thriller against Derby to win for the first time in four Championship outings and reignite their automatic promotion hopes.

The visitors came from 1-0 and 2-1 down to equalise through Craig Forsyth then Sammie Szmodics, but they were ultimately downed by John Egan and Lewis Koumas’ second-half goals at the MKM Stadium.

The hosts – whose other goals came via a Callum Elder own goal and Oli McBurnie – climb one place to fourth in the table, six points behind second-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand; Derby drop to 11^th, six points off the play-offs.

Watford 0-2 Ipswich Town

Ipswich bounced back from successive defeats to Wrexham in the FA Cup and league to close the gap on the top two.

Goals from Sindre Walle Egeli and George Hirst got the job done for Kieran McKenna’s side at Vicarage Road, and they now sit third – six points off Middlesbrough in second with two games in hand and a superior goal difference.

Defeat for Watford means they drop to 12^th, leaving them six points off the play-offs.

Wrexham 2-1 Portsmouth

Wrexham edged past Portsmouth to keep their push for a Championship play-off finish on track.

Sam Smith and Max Cleworth’s first-half goals were enough for the Red Dragons, who stay sixth in the table as they chase an incredible fourth straight promotion.

Zak Swanson pulled one back for the hosts, but defeat leaves Pompey 19^th and five points above the relegation zone – though they have played a match more than the three teams immediately below them.

Swansea City 1-1 Preston North End

Liam Cullen’s 95^th-minute equaliser for Swansea dealt Preston a blow in their pursuit of a Championship play-off place.

The visitors had led since the 26^th minute thanks to Daniel Jebbison’s goal, but they have now won just one of their last eight league games.

Preston stay 10^th but are now five points adrift of the top six; Swansea move up a place to 14^th.

Southampton 5-0 Queens Park Rangers

Southampton thrashed QPR to make it four Championship wins from five games and move up to eighth, still four points off the play-offs.

Kuryu Matsuki bagged a brace, with Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza and James Bree also getting on the scoresheet as the Saints ran riot at St Mary’s.

The visitors remain 13^th but are now seven points off the top six, having suffered their heaviest loss since going down 7-1 at Coventry City in August.

Blackburn 1-2 Rovers Bristol City

Bristol City came from 1-0 down to beat Blackburn and keep themselves in the hunt for a play-off finish.

The hosts led early on at Ewood Park through Yuki Ohashi, but goals from Emil Riis Jakobsen and Scott Twine ensured the visitors turned it around before half-time.

It’s still a four-point gap to the top six for Bristol City, who climb from 12^th to eighth, while 20^th-placed Blackburn are now only four points clear of the bottom three.

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Charlton Athletic

West Brom remain in relegation trouble after being held at home by Charlton, leaving them still searching for their first victory in any competition this calendar year.

George Campbell put the hosts in front in first-half stoppage time, but Lyndon Dykes levelled things up 20 minutes from time to secure a point for the away side.

The result means West Brom are still just one point and one place above the drop zone in 21^st, while Charlton stay 17^th.

Week 34 of the Championship season concludes on Wednesday with the following fixtures:

Millwall vs Birmingham City (7.45pm)

Norwich City vs Sheffield Wednesday (7.45pm)

Sheffield United vs Coventry City (7.45pm)

Stoke City vs Oxford United (8pm)