Championship roundup: Middlesbrough romp closes gap on Ipswich and Hull suffer crucial loss | Championship

Middlesbrough’s hopes of winning automatic promotion remain alive after they thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Riverside. With second-placed Ipswich drawing 0-0 at West BromBoro moved to within a point of the top-two positions with one game to play – although Ipswich still have a game in hand.

Boro’s 5-1 victory was their joint-biggest win of the season and came thanks to doubles from Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway plus a goal from David Strelec. Watford’s goal came at the start of the second half from James Abankwah, but while the visitors were a match for their opponents for most of the first period, they were comprehensively outplayed after the break.

It left Kim Hellberg now hoping that Southampton can do Middlesbrough a huge favour when they host Ipswich on Tuesday night. If Ipswich win at St Mary’s, Boro will travel to Wrexham on the final day knowing they will have to be content with a place in the play-offs. But if it ends in a draw or a Southampton victory, Boro will head into the final weekend with their hopes of securing automatic promotion still alive.

Hellberg said: “Football is an unbelievable sport, and you know that if it goes down to the last day, it is difficult to know how anyone is going to handle that. We’ve come from a position where we really felt we had nothing to lose in the last week. It felt as though it was probably gone, but if Ipswich do not win their next game, then it will come down to the last day of the season.

“If that happens, you never know. There are a lot of things that play into that type of game. Hopefully, Southampton can take at least a point from Ipswich, and then we will get that exciting last day of the season.”

Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, was satisfied with his Ipswich side’s display in their draw at West Brom, but said: “You don’t know if today was a good point, I’ll tell you next weekend. It’s a brutal league.”

For the Baggies, the point secured safety for the second time in a week. The home side were hit with a two-point deduction for breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules on Friday which had left them mathematically vulnerable to relegation.

James Morrison, West Brom’s interim manager, said the points deduction had been well timed, in that it gave the players the clarity they wanted. “We had the cloud hanging over us, but finally we knew where we stood … we knew what we had to do,” he said, after seeing their unbeaten run extend to 10 matches. “We spoke to the players over dinner at the training ground, but I didn’t have to say too much – the players made that clear.”

Hull’s hopes of a playoff spot were dealt a major setback as Jayden Fevrier’s second-half goal earned Charlton a 2-1 victory at The Valley. The Tigers have now failed to pick up a victory in their last six matches, taking four points from a possible 18, as they failed to jump back above Wrexham and into the top six. The Addicks, who led through Charlie Kelman’s seventh goal of the campaign, ended a seven-game winless run and mathematically secured their safety.

Charlton’s win and West Brom’s point meant Oxford were relegated before they kicked off against Sheffield Wednesdaybut they went down with defiance, beating their fellow-relegated club 4-1 at the Kassam Stadium. Will Lankshear, on loan from Tottenham, scored twice in the game, including a curling 25-yard shot into the top corner in the 27th minute. The Owls had known their fate for months, but their fans still filled out the 1,500-capacity away section, dozens of them dressed as bananas.

Jaydon Banel scored a late winner for Derby as they twice came from behind to beat QPR 3-2 and stay in the race for a playoff place. Harvey Vale put Rangers ahead and Oscar Fraulo levelled with his first Derby goal, before Richard Kone put the west London side back in front with his 10th league goal of the season.

Sondre Langas hauled the Rams level again, and Banel’s 88th-minute strike – the youngster’s third goal in five matches – secured the points for John Eustace’s men. The winner was scored with QPR down to 10 men after forward Rumarn Burrell, recently back after a three-month absence, went off injured with Rangers having made all their permitted substitutions.

Derby’s win means they go into the final weekend of the season eighth in the table and with a chance of making the playoffs unless sixth-placed Wrexham beat champions Coventry on Sunday.

Norwich’s unlikely bid to reach the playoffs ended after being held to a 1-1 draw by Swansea at Carrow Road. Needing a win to keep their slim hopes alive, the Canaries went behind just after half-time when Zan Vipotnik slotted home his 25th goal of the season from the spot. Player of the season Kenny McLean converted another penalty in the 83rd minute to make it interesting but the home side, who were in the bottom three at the turn of the year, were unable to find a winner.

Liam Lindsay was Preston’s unlikely hero as they secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Sheffield United. The former Stoke centre-half had only scored six league goals in five years with the club, but Preston’s inspirational captain struck twice in just 15 minutes – the first double of his career – to put the visitors 2-0 up. Midfielder Gus Hamer scored a 71st-minute penalty to make it 3-0, but Lewis Dobbin responded five minutes later. Then, in the 82nd minute, the former Leeds striker Patrick Bamford reduced the deficit again with his 12th goal of the season, setting up a frantic finish.

Bristol City’s interim manager Roy Hodgson suffered defeat in what is expected to be the final away game of his 50-year managerial career in the St Andrew’s sunshine. The former England manager, 78, watched his side lose 2-1 to Birmingham after first half goals from Phil Neumann and Jhon Solís as Tomi Horvat’s late penalty turned out to be mere consolation.

Adrian Segecic scored a hat-trick as Portsmouth beat Stoke 3-1 to record a first ever victory at the bet 365 Stadium. The Australian-born Croatian gave Pompey a 32nd-minute lead and netted again after 66 minutes following Lamine Cisse’s equaliser two minutes into the second half. Top-scorer Segecic then completed his treble with a 20-yard left-footed effort to wrap up the points eight minutes from time.

Portsmouth’s last away win at Stoke came at City’s former Victoria Ground home in February 1995. It ensured Stoke, who were second earlier in the season, will suffer an eighth successive bottom-half finish since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.