Coventry stretched their lead at the top of the Championship to eight points after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Swansea. Ephron Mason-Clark’s emphatic finish just before half-time was enough to give Frank Lampard’s side a ninth home Championship win of the season.
But the usually free-scoring Sky Blues were made to work hard for the points and were perhaps somewhat fortunate to have found themselves in front at half-time. The resolute visitors had done a fine job in keeping the hosts quiet but were undone a minute before the break by Mason-Clark’s opener.
It failed to spark Coventry into life with the hosts fading once again after a good spell of pressure early in the second half. It was the visitors who enjoyed the best of the second-half chances and could well have snatched a point with better finishing after both Liam Cullen and Melker Widell wasted good opportunities to equalise.
It leaves City – who are unbeaten at home this season – with a commanding 13-point cushion on the chasing pack in the playoff zone as they look to bring Premier League football to Coventry for the first time in 25 seasons.
Imrân Louza played a starring role with two assists as Watford came from behind to win 2-1 at Leicester and claim back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Louza, Watford’s captain, crossed for Mattie Pollock to head the winner in the 65th minute, after teeing up Othmane Maamma for the away side’s leveller on the stroke of half-time.
Jordan James had fired Leicester into the lead in the seventh minute with a deflected effort from Jordan Ayew’s pass but the Foxes were unable to find an equaliser once Watford went ahead. The Hornets now sit just one point outside the playoff places while Leicester drop into the bottom half of the table, five points adrift of the top six.
Stan Mills scored a brilliant individual winning goal a minute from time to give managerless Oxford a 2-1 victory over Southampton at the Kassam Stadium.
The recalled midfielder Tyler Goodrham rifled the U’s in front in the 23rd minute with a thumping drive from 20 yards as Saints struggled to clear a corner. Southampton levelled six minutes later when the centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed Léo Scienza’s free-kick from the right past Jamie Cumming and into the bottom left corner of the net.
Quick GuideLeague One: Cardiff stay top
Show
Cardiff kept themselves at the top of League One with a 1-0 win over Exeter.
Alex Robertson’s goal in the 53rd minute, his first in almost a year, proved the difference for the the Bluebirds.
Lincoln snatched a 2-1 victory at Stockport with a stoppage-time penalty from Rob Street to stay three points behind Cardiff. Reeco Hackett had given the Imps a first-half lead, with Jayden Fevrier equalising in the 52nd minute after Ollie Norwood’s spot-kick had been saved.
Joe Wright scored in the last minute to give Bradford a 2-1 win over Wigan, who finished with nine men after Jensen Weir and Matt Smith were both shown red cards in the second half.
Bolton are fourth after Josh Sheehan struck in added time to snatch a 2-1 win over Rotherham – his second goal of the match coming after Sam Nombe looked to have earned the struggling visitors a point from a late penalty.
Huddersfield thumped bottom side Port Vale 5-0 to close in on the play-off places after Leo Castledine scored a brace and Luton kept themselves in the mix with a 4-0 home win over Wycombe, with Gideon Kodua also scoring twice.
Tyrese Shade got his double as Burton thrashed Northampton 5-1 at the Pirelli Stadium. Plymouth slumped to a 4-1 home defeat against Reading after an early red card for midfielder Joe Ralls, after which Lewis Wing hit two in four first-half minutes. The Pilgrims also saw a second-half penalty from Lorent Tolaj saved.
Aaron Lewis’ late goal completed Mansfield’s comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Barnsley, and Declan Frith hit another stoppage-time winner as Peterborough beat Leyton Orient 1-0.
Playoff hopefuls Stevenage were held to a goalless draw at AFC Wimbledon and Tom Bloxham’s first-half goal gave Blackpool a 1-0 win over strugglers Doncaster.
The match looked destined to finish as a draw but Mills had other ideas, running with the ball 50 yards, taking a return pass from Will Lankshear, then hitting a low angled shot under the keeper Gavin Bazunu.
High-flying Hull missed the chance to go third after twice coming from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw away to rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday.
Wednesday, who took step closer to a takeover on Christmas Eve when a consortium led by James Bord was named as the preferred bidder by administrators, initially led through Svante Ingelsson before Mohamed Belloumi claimed City’s first equaliser.
Matt Crooks earned the Tigers a point at Hillsborough with a 65th-minute leveller after Bailey Cadamarteri had restored the Owls’ advantage.
Hull stay fourth, below Ipswich on goal difference, while the hosts move on to minus eight points but remain without a home league victory this season after their wretched winless run stretched to 16 games.
First-half goals from Anis Mehmeti and Ross McCrorie helped Bristol City climb into the playoff zone with a 2-1 victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Ousmane Diakité pulled one back in the 85th minute but Albion struggled to create chances once City had taken the lead. Back-to-back wins for City saw Albion suffer a first Hawthorns defeat in eight matches and successive losses.
Jack Robinson rescued a point for Birmingham in a bad-tempered 1-1 draw against Derby which saw both teams finish with 10 men. The veteran defender netted his first goal for the club from close range in the 64th minute to cancel out Patrick Agyemang’s first-half header.
The Rams were reduced in numbers just before the interval when Joe Ward was dismissed for picking up two bookings in quick succession.
That left the visitors on the back foot but Birmingham also saw a man dismissed during stoppage time when the home captain, Christoph Klarer, was sent off after a reckless challenge on the substitute Ebou Adams.
Despite being the season of goodwill, the match was a niggly affair from the start with the Derby manager, John Eustace, also booked for overstepping the mark with the fourth official, returning to face the club he managed before being replaced by Wayne Rooney.
Quick GuideLeague Two: Bromley keep pace after comeback
Show
In League Two, Bromley came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at 10-man Bristol Rovers with a stoppage-time goal from Ben Thompson and put themselves a point behind leaders Walsall.
New Rovers manager Steve Evans looked to be set for a first home win after goals from Jack Sparkes and Fabrizio Cavegn before the break. However, after Shaq Forde was sent off for a second yellow card, the Ravens mounted a fightback with Nicke Kabamba reducing the deficit before fellow substitute Thompson struck twice in the last 10 minutes.
Walsall kept themselves clear of the chasing pack after Jamille Matt’s goal just before half-time secured a 1-0 win over Crewe at Bescot Stadium.
Notts County lost ground as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat at promotion rivals Chesterfield and Swindon were beaten 1-0 at MK Dons.
A late penalty from Daniel Udoh gave in-form Salford a 1-0 win over strugglers Harrogate.
Bottom side Newport battled to a goalless draw against Barnet, which leaves them four points adrift of safety, while Shrewsbury lost 3-1 at Cheltenham.
Josh Woods’ late header gave Accrington a 2-1 win over Barrow, Crawley and Colchester drew 1-1, as did Gillingham and Cambridge at Priestfield Stadium.
Tranmere beat Fleetwood 1-0 at Prenton Park and it finished goalless between Grimsby and Oldham.
Top-six hopefuls Millwall and Ipswich played out a goalless draw in the lunchtime clash at the Den. Millwall, now winless in four league matches, came close to breaking the deadlock on several occasions, only be denied by some good goalkeeping by Ipswich’s Christian Walton.
Jimmy Dunne, the QPR captain, rescued a point to keep his side in the hunt for the playoffs with a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth. Terry Devlin had put John Mousinho’s side ahead on the stroke of half-time but Rangers deservedly equalised through Dunne’s header after an improved second-half showing.
Preston extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven matches after a 0-0 draw away at Stoke. Both sides had chances to score in a hard-fought encounter, but they ultimately cancelled each other out as the spoils were shared.
The result sees playoff hopefuls Preston, whose manager, Paul Heckingbottom, was serving the final match in his three-game touchline ban, remain in fifth place. Stoke, meanwhile, have dropped to 10th spot having now won only one of their past six league games.
Jovon Makama maintained his hot streak in front of goal as Norwich beat Charlton 1-0 at Carrow Road to give their bid to move clear of the relegation zone another boost.
Makama struck for the third game running just past the hour mark to extend the Canaries’ unbeaten run under Philippe Clement, the recently appointed head coach, to four games.
