West Ham kept up the pressure on Championship leaders Southampton while Middlesbrough and Hull City also won.
Happy Hammers keep up the heat on leaders Saints
A 1-0 win for West Ham saw them keep up the pressure on Championship leaders Southampton while Middlesbrough and Hull City strengthened their respective grips on play-off positions.
Papa Bouba Diop netted
West Ham's winner against
Barnsley as early as the sixth minute on a straightforward afternoon for the Irons but there was drama aplenty at
Cardiff where
Middlesbrough came away with all three points.
Bart Ogbeche gave
Middlesbrough the lead on 15 minutes but the hosts were soon level when Ben Turner headed in Peter Whitingham's corner. City then went ahead just before half-time when Aron Gunnarrson struck before Scott McDonald levelled for the visitors on the hour mark. Faris Haroun then made sure Boro took an early Christmas present back to Teesside.
Hull City gave caretaker manager Nick Barmby another afternoon to remember as they saw off
Millwall. A dreadful mistake in the visitors' defence allowed Robert Koren to pull the ball back into the danger area before going in off the unfortunate Jack Smith. Koren then made the points safe ten minutes from time.
Leeds' play-off hopes took a nosedive following a poor display against
Reading who ran out 1-0 winners. United got off to a shocking start when Simon Church lobbed the visitors in front after just two minutes and it got little better for the hosts as they struggled against their resurgent opponents.
Stalled
Leicester's play-off challenge stalled after two Billy Sharp goals in as many minutes saw
Doncaster come from a goal down to beat the big-spending Foxes 2-1. David Nugent gave the Foxes the lead on 38 minutes before Sharp struck his brace in the second half.
Brighton had two players sent off in the first 12 minutes - so it was no surprise to see them go down to
Burnley although the visitors only managed a solitary goal.
Romain Vincelot saw red after just six minutes after a foul-mouthed tirade at the referee then Ashley Barnes joined him for an early bath a few moments later. The Clarets had to wait until 32 minutes before they put one past the nine men, Kieran Trippier scoring.
Ipswich scored a controversial winner in their clash with
Derby, Keith Andrews' goal early in the second half being hotly disputed by the Rams.
Emile Sinclair's 66th-minute goal was enough to give
Peterborough a 1-0 win against rock-bottom
Coventry.
Nottingham Forest held fellow strugglers
Bristol City to a goalless draw while
Blackpool and
Watford also shared the points without either side getting on the scoresheet.
