Kim Hellberg insisted there is more to come from Middlesbrough after they ruthlessly brushed aside Preston 4-0 to close to within three points of leaders Coventry.
Alan Browne scored against the club where he made more than 400 appearances between 2014 and 2024, before Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker capitalised on defensive lapses to put Boro three up at half-time. Preston were down to 10 men just after the break when Jordan Storey saw red for hauling down Conway, who completed the scoring as Middlesbrough claimed a fourth successive league win.
They are now breathing down the necks of Coventry, who travel to Norwich on Monday. “Of course I watch the table but we need to keep our performance up,” Hellberg said. “It’s not for me to focus [on], because I need to prepare my team and develop them. We never stop trying to get better.”
Millwall delivered a commanding performance to beat Charlton 4-0, consolidating their position inside the top six. Kayne Ramsay’s early own goal was added to by late strikes from Caleb Taylor, Luke Cundle and Aidomo Emakhu, with Millwall ruthless in the closing stages against the Addicks, who remain perilously close to the relegation zone.
Quick GuideLeague One: Cardiff's Salech taken to hospital
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Cardiff kept themselves clear at the top of League One with a 1-1 draw against fellow hopefuls Stockport, but striker Yousef Salech was taken to hospital after sustaining a neck injury.
Stockport went ahead in the 10th minute through Kyle Wootton, before there was a lengthy stoppage when Salech collided with Brad Hills and, following treatment, was then carried off on a stretcher. The Bluebirds equalised in the sixth minute of first-half added time through Joel Colwill but were not able to find a winner, leaving them four points clear of Lincoln.
Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff's head coach, said: "Yousef's in hospital having a scan on his neck as a precaution and we're just awaiting the results of that. It definitely wasn't nice viewing, but we're very hopeful it is not serious."
Bolton moved up to third after a stoppage-time penalty from Mason Burstow sealed a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient. Bradford lost 1-0 at West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield as new manager Liam Manning made a winning start. Marcus Harness made the decisive breakthrough after 23 minutes and Huddersfield held out despite a red card for midfielder Marcus McGuane just after the hour.
Wigan fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at strugglers Doncaster with second-half goals from Joe Taylor, Callum Wright and Owen Moxon. Bottom side Port Vale slumped to a 3-1 home defeat against Exeter, while Rotherham halted a run of seven league defeats with a 1-1 draw against Wimbledon, who levelled late on through Marcus Browne.
Mansfield were denied a sixth successive win in all competitions after Stevenage substitute Chem Campbell equalised in the sixth minute of added time to snatch a 1-1 draw for the hosts. Plymouth were 1-0 winners over Luton and Blackpool saw off Northampton 2-0 at Bloomfield Road. A late goal from Jack Marriott secured Reading a 2-2 draw against Barnsley, while Peterborough won 2-0 at Wycombe - their first league success at Adams Park since 2003. PA Media
Charlton’s manager, Nathan Jones, said his team was “outworked, outbattled … Millwall treated it as a derby, we treated it as a day in the sun and we got exactly what we deserved. We got bullied all over today.”
Patrick Bamford scored and was then sent off as Sheffield United eased fears of being dragged back into the relegation battle with an impressive 3-1 victory over promotion-chasing Ipswich. After conceding first-half goals to Callum O’Hare and Andre Brooks, Ipswich were given hope when Jack Clarke scored from the penalty spot on the hour mark. But Bamford soon added a third goal for the hosts before being shown a second yellow card for diving six minutes from time.
Pressure is growing on Martí Cifuentes after Leicester were beaten 2-1 at home by Oxford. The U’s led after just four minutes at the King Power Stadium when defender Sam Long stabbed home from a long throw before Mark Harris doubled the away side’s lead on the break after 71 minutes. Leicester halved the deficit six minutes from time when Abdul Fatawu curled home, but Oxford held on to claim a first away league win since October.
Home supporters chanted for Cifuentes to be sacked during the match, but the Foxes manager remained confident of turning things around. “It’s sad they feel this way, but I know football is about results. We are working relentlessly every day to try to improve the situation. Under pressure, human beings react in different ways. Sometimes you grow through the pain. The only way is to work harder.”
Wrexham moved into the playoff places in dramatic style, scoring twice in stoppage time to come from behind in an incredible 3-2 victory at QPR. After Harvey Vale’s early opener, Callum Doyle’s first Wrexham goal hauled them level early in the second half. Steve Cook’s 80th-minute goal looked to have secured victory for Rangers, but they were reduced to 10 men when Amadou Mbengue was sent off. Josh Windass equalised before fellow substitute Ollie Rathbone netted a dramatic winner moments later with a thumping right-foot strike from 30 yards.
Julien Stéphan, QPR’s manager, admitted Mbengue’s dismissal was a pivotal moment. The defender was already on a yellow card – his 10th of the season – when he rashly fouled George Thomason. “To finish the game with 10 players in the last minute had a huge impact,” said Stéphan.
Regan Slater’s rocket helped in-form Hull secure a third league victory on the bounce as Sergej Jakirovic’s promotion-chasing side fought for a 2-1 win against Swansea. No team has won more points over the last nine second-tier games than the Tigers, who dug deep as they racked up a seventh victory in that period.
Hull took the lead at the MKM Stadium when Oli McBurnie scored from the spot against his former club before the Championship top scorer, Zan Vipotnik, missed two great chances for Swansea. The hosts capitalised as Slater slammed home from the edge of the box, before Liam Cullen’s smart header gave Vítor Matos’ visitors hope of snatching a point.
Stoke maintained their playoff push after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Birmingham. Phil Neumann’s 71st-minute own goal cancelled out Tomoki Iwata’s 42nd-minute header to make it seven points out of the last nine on the road for Mark Robins’ side.
Lewis Miller’s first Ewood Park goal for Blackburn secured a battling 1-1 draw with Watford which moved Rovers out of the relegation zone. Saturday’s match marked the start of a boycott organised by the Blackburn Rovers Supporters Coalition, aimed at forcing Venky’s to sell the club. It made for a subdued atmosphere that Javi Gracía’s men looked set to benefit from when Edo Kayembe hammered home to give Watford a deserved 26th-minute lead. However, Miller’s smart finish two minutes later levelled matters.
Quick GuideLeague Two: Bromley seal crucial win over Swindon
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Nicke Kabamba's late goal gave leaders Bromley a crucial 2-1 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Swindon. Fletcher Holman put the visitors, who started the afternoon in second place, ahead in the 10th minute. Ashley Charles had the Ravens level early in the second half and substitute Kabamba secured all three points in the 89th minute.
Salford moved up to second, six points off the top, after Ryan Graydon's early goal secured a 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers. Callum Paterson scored a first-half hat-trick as MK Dons swept past strugglers Shrewsbury 5-1 to climb to third.
Cambridge extended their unbeaten league run to 12 games after coming from behind to beat Tranmere 4-2, with Kelland Watts scoring twice. Walsall lost more ground after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Accrington while Notts County kept themselves in the play-off mix with a 1-0 home win over Crewe.
Colchester maintained their push for the play-off places with a 2-1 home win over Fleetwood. Newport hauled themselves off the bottom with a 2-1 win over Chesterfield at Rodney Parade as Harrogate slipped to the foot of the table after losing 3-0 at home to Gillingham.
A late goal from Taylor Richards saw Crawley boost their survival hopes with a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Barrow – a first league victory since November. Grimsby won 2-0 at Cheltenham while 10-man Barnet closed out a 3-2 victory over Oldham. PA Media
Second-half goals from Scott Twine and substitute Sam Bell helped Bristol City strengthen their playoff challenge with a 2-0 victory over bottom club Sheffield Wednesday at Ashton Gate. Wednesday’s captain, Barry Bannan, was substituted in the closing stages of what is expected to be his last appearance for the club. The veteran midfielder left the field to handshakes from both teams and applause from both sets of fans.
Manager Henrik Pedersen said: “We will miss him because he is a real club legend and a great leader as well as a top player. The reaction of both sets of supporters said everything about how he is regarded and it was very emotional. He is a special player and a special human being, who gives without taking.”
On Friday night, West Brom rescued a late point at Derby to end a 10-game losing streak in away league games. Patrick Agyemang put Derby in front after a fumble from Max O’Leary, making his debut in goal for the visitors. Chris Mepham forced home a header in stoppage time to earn manager Eric Ramsay his first point since taking charge and ease the Baggies’ fears of a relegation battle.