Wycombe, Coventry and Sheffield Wednesday earned big wins on Easter Monday to boost their respective hopes of safety; Bournemouth, Barnsley and Reading all win in play-off chase; Swansea lose at home to Preston; Watford held by Middlesbrough
Monday 5 April 2021 19:37, UK
Relegation-threatened Wycombe boosted their slender Sky Bet Championship survival hopes by inflicting a damaging 3-0 defeat on fellow strugglers Rotherham.
Goals from Admiral Muskwe, Jason McCarthy and David Wheeler earned the lowly Chairboys a second successive win to move them eight points from safety.
The 22nd-placed Millers, who have games in hand on the teams around them, remain two points above Gareth Ainsworth's visitors following an eighth loss from 10 games.
Sheffield Wednesday also boosted their hopes of survival with a massive 5-0 win over Cardiff in the evening kick-off, moving them to within six points of safety.
Julian Borner, Callum Paterson and Adam Reach got them off to a flying start, while Jordan Rhodes and Reach's second sealed an emphatic win.
Coventry took a big step towards survival by beating Bristol City 3-1 to end their three-game winless run.
Leo Ostigard's early strike and a second-half penalty from Matt Godden put the Sky Blues in control before Viktor Gyokeres ensured they would move seven points above the drop zone after Robins forward Nahki Wells pulled one back.
At the other end of the table, second-placed Watford missed the chance to significantly cut the gap to leaders Norwich after surrendering a lead to draw 1-1 at Middlesbrough.
Ismaila Sarr's 10th goal of the season opened the scoring at the Riverside Stadium but Yannick Bolasie's first Boro goal denied the promotion-chasing Hornets a seventh successive win.
Xisco Munoz's men sit five points adrift of the table-topping Canaries, who host Huddersfield on Tuesday, but more importantly moved 10 points clear of the chasing pack after goal-shy Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Preston.
Steve Cooper's side have suffered four successive defeats without scoring after a late Matt Grimes own goal gifted North End victory.
Daryl Dike's brace boosted fifth-placed Barnsley's surprise play-off push as they won 2-1 against Luton at Kenilworth Road to move within a point of the Swans.
United States forward Dike squandered the chance to claim a hat-trick after seeing a penalty saved by Hatters goalkeeper Simon Sluga before James Collins' consolation set up a nervy finish.
Reading remain sixth after beating Derby 3-1.
Royals top scorer Lucas Joao came off the bench to secure victory with his 22nd goal of the season after Tom Lawrence's stunning long-range finish reduced the Rams' deficit following strikes from Michael Olise and George Puscas.
Bournemouth kept up the pressure on the Tykes and Royals with a 2-0 success against Blackburn.
In-form duo Philip Billing and Arnaut Danjuma were on target either side of half-time at Ewood Park to keep Jonathan Woodgate's men a point outside the top six, while Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic saved a late spot-kick from Adam Armstrong.
Millwall enhanced their slim play-off hopes as goals from Murray Wallace and Mason Bennett, either side of Jacob Brown's equaliser, secured a 2-1 victory at Stoke.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest beat QPR 3-1 at the City Ground.
Alex Mighten, Lewis Grabban and James Garner wrapped up the points for Chris Hughton's hosts, prior to Lyndon Dykes' stoppage-time consolation.
