Reading are back in the Premier League after defeating Nottingham Forest as West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City.
Royals promoted; Hammers held; Coventry and Pompey fight on
Reading are back in the Premier League after defeating Nottingham Forest as West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City.
Coventry and Portsmouth live to fight another day but both clubs are five points adrift of the Robins with only six left to play for with the Sky Blues beaten at home by Millwall and Pompey overcoming Crystal Palace.
Southampton are on the brink of elevation back to the top-flight after their success against Peterborough, with Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff looking set to join the Hammers in the play-off pack.
Mikele Leigertwood wrote his name into the
Reading history books as he struck nine minutes from time to secure a 1-0 success against
Nottingham Forest and send the Royals back into the Premier League, while Steve Cotterill's visitors are safe despite their defeat.
Southampton took a huge step towards clinching promotion as they brushed aside
Peterborough 3-1 at London Road with Jos Hooiveld and Billy Sharp finding the net in the first 10 minutes before the striker bagged his second after the interval.
Safety
Bristol City inched closer to safety and all-but ended
West Ham's hopes of securing a top-two finish in the Championship after a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate as Cole Skuse levelled swiftly after James Tomkins' 25th-minute opener.
Coventry are on the brink of relegation to League One after slipping to a 1-0 defeat at home to
Millwall as Gary McSheffrey saw his second-half penalty saved by Maik Taylor before Shane Lowry netted his first-ever senior goal for the Lions on 66 minutes.
Portsmouth defeated
Crystal Palace 2-1 at Fratton Park to give themselves a stay of execution, but Michael Appleton's men remain five points adrift with only two games remaining despite Scott Allan and Greg Halford finding the net against the Eagles.
Birmingham were held to a third successive draw at
Ipswich but look to have done enough to secure a play-off berth as Chris Burke's opener on the stroke of half-time was cancelled out by Jay Emmanuel-Thomas with 15 minutes remaining.
Blackpool consolidated their place in the top six courtesy of a 1-0 success against
Leeds United, with Spanish midfielder Angel on target 11 minutes from time before Darren O'Dea saw red for the visitors late on.
Fading fast
Cardiff are similarly well placed following their with a 2-0 home victory over
Derby with Joe Mason opening the scoring on 24 minutes and Mark Hudson adding a spectacular second shortly after the hour mark.
Middlesbrough's hopes of finishing the season in the top six are fading fast following their 0-0 home draw against relegated
Doncaster with Tony Mowbray's men four points away from forcing themselves back into the end-of-season picture.
Matt Fryatt grabbed a hat-trick but
Hull City's very slender hopes of forcing their way into the top six are only mathematically alive, with the Tigers striker proving too hot to handle for
Barnsley, who are now safe from relegation despite their 3-1 defeat at the KC Stadium.
Brighton hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to
Watford but their slim chances of making the play-offs are over, with Sean Murray and Troy Deeney's penalty cancelled out by replies from Inigo Calderon and Will Buckley.
Leicester's ambitions of playing at the highest level once again will have to wait for another season after a 0-0 draw at home to
Burnley left them eight points adrift of the top six and with just two games remaining.
