Championship round-up: Brighton bounce back and Huddersfield sink Villa

Goals from Anthony Knockaert and Solly March helped Brighton recover from their recent slump to win 2-0 against bottom side Rotherham and cut the gap with Newcastle to just three points. Chris Hughton’s side went into the match having lost both of their fixtures against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest but took the lead just after half-time when Knockaert found the net after shots from Beram Kayal and Sam Baldock had been blocked. March made the points safe 11 minutes from time with his second league goal of the season.

Third-place Huddersfield kept up their promotion hopes after a 1-0 home win over Aston Villa, the only goal of the game coming from defender Tommy Smith after 69 minutes. Leeds saw midfielder Kalvin Phillips sent off late on at Fulham, where Tom Cairney’s stoppage-time goal secured a 1-1 draw for the Cottagers. An own goal from Tim Ream, slicing the ball past keeper David Button, gave Leeds an early lead, but Cairney had the final say against the 10 men to leave both teams still in the play-off shake-up.

Sheffield Wednesday remain sixth after a 1-1 draw with Burton. Ross Wallace put the Owls ahead with a long-range effort in the 16th minute, but Jackson Irvine’s fine volley after 24 minutes proved enough for a share of the points.

At the other end of the table, Wigan won 1-0 at Birmingham with a first-half goal from defender Dan Burn and Bristol City fought back to claim a 1-1 draw against Norwich. Yanic Wildschut had given Norwich the lead just before half-time but a scrambled effort from Bailey Wright 12 minutes from time earned the Robins a point at Ashton Gate.

Blackburn also boosted their hopes of beating the drop after Derrick Williams’ last-minute equaliser against Cardiff salvaged his side a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park, Kenneth Zohore having earlier given the visitors the lead with his seventh goal in eight games.

Wolves, meanwhile, ended a run of five straight Championship defeats with a goalless draw at Ipswich. Lasse Vibe scored twice as Brentford held off a late fightback to win 3-2 at Nottingham Forest. Vibe’s double and a Jota strike put Brentford 3-0 up and although Forest pulled goals back through Ben Brereton and Zach Clough in the final eight minutes, the hosts could not find an equaliser.

QPR beat Barnsley 2-1 at Loftus Road, Idrissa Sylla and an own goal from Angus MacDonald putting Ian Holloway’s men in charge before Tom Bradshaw pulled a goal back. A stoppage-time goal from Tom Barkhuizen gave Preston a 1-1 draw at Derby, who had taken a 50th-minute lead through Matej Vydra.