Southampton slipped up at Blackpool, Reading got the better of West Ham in their top-of-the-table clash, while Coventry climbed out of the drop zone.
Royals on the march, Saints stunned, Sky Blues boost hopes
Southampton slipped up at Blackpool, Reading got the better of West Ham in their top-of-the-table clash, while Coventry climbed out of the drop zone.
Blackpool moved into the play-off positions with a 3-0 win over leaders
Southampton at Bloomfield Road.
Southampton wasted a great chance to break the deadlock on 17 minutes when Billy Sharp saw his penalty saved by Matt Gilks.
Blackpool made Southampton pay for the miss five minutes later when loan star Stephen Dobbie scored from the penalty spot after Morgan Schneiderlin was adjudged to have fouled Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
Dobbie doubled the home side's lead on the half hour mark with a clinical finish.
Blackpool put the game beyond Southampton with a third goal on 52 minutes when Ian Evatt powered home a close-range header.
In-form
Reading took a step closer to promotion with a 4-2 win over third-placed
West Ham at Upton Park.
Carlton Cole gave West Ham the perfect start with the opener after just eight minutes, but two quick-fire goals from Kaspars Gorkss (44) and Noel Hunt (45) turned the game in Reading's favour.
Ian Harte added a third for Reading from the penalty spot on 66 minutes, but Ricardo Vaz Te pulled a goal back 13 minutes from time to set up a tense finale.
However, Mikele Leigertwood made the game safe for Reading with a fourth goal on 84 minutes to move them four points clear of the Hammers.
Coventry moved out of the bottom three with a 2-0 win at
Hull City as they secured their first victory away from home this season.
Liam Cooper's unfortunate own goal on 13 minutes gifted Coventry the lead and Cody McDonald put the game beyond Hull with a second four minutes from time.
Bristol City slipped into the drop zone after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to
Derby.
Brett Pitman's late goal cancelled out Craig Bryson's opener to secure a point for Bristol City.
Play-hopefuls
Brighton and
Middlesbrough shared the spoils after a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium.
Marvin Emnes gave Middlesbrough the lead on 61 minutes, but Inigo Caldero earned Brighton a point with a 73rd minute equaliser.
Cardiff's play-off challenge suffered another blow as they recorded their fourth successive draw after being held to a goalless stalemate at home to
Millwall.
Millwall goalkeeper Maik Taylor denied Stephen McPhail, Kenny Miller and Joe Mason as the Lions battled to a hard-fought point.
Watford put another dent in
Leeds' slim play-off hopes with an impressive 2-0 win at Elland Road to move into the top half of the table.
Chris Iwelumo scored a goal in each half for the visitors to give Watford all three points with Paul Connolly seeing red for Leeds late on.
Paul Taylor's goal on the hour earned
Peterborough a 1-0 win over Leicester City at London Road to leave the Foxes playing catch-up in the race to get in the play-offs
Nottingham Forest moved further clear of trouble with an impressive 3-0 win over
Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Radoslaw Majewski was the hero for Forest with a superb hat-trick in the second half to boost their survival hopes.
Burnley put a huge dent in
Portsmouth's survival hopes with a 5-1 victory at Fratton Park.
Kieran Trippier broke the deadlock for Burnley on 16 minutes, but David Norris levelled matters for Portsmouth just three minutes later.
Danny Ings restored Burnley's lead two minutes after the break with his first goal for the club before Charlie Austin took centre stage with a quick-fire hat-trick.
Daryl Murphy's early goal in the second half secured
Ipswich a 1-0 win over
Barnsley at Portman Road.
