Oscar Schwartau climbed off the bench to fire Norwich to a 2-1 win over Millwall – and do their fierce rivals Ipswich a big favour.
The Lions, who started Easter Monday in second, had taken the lead through substitute Mihailo Ivanovic shortly after half-time.
But a long-range rocket from Pelle Mattsson and Schwartau’s winner condemned them to defeat to give the chasing pack – including Norwich’s East Anglian foes Ipswich – a major boost in the race for automatic promotion.
The Tractor Boys made the opportunity count as they came from behind and boosted their hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Birmingham at Portman Road.
The visitors stuck first through Carlos Vicente, before goals just before the break from Ben Johnson and Kasey McAteer delivered a win that took Ipswich into second, while still having games in hand over Millwall and Middlesbrough.
At the opposite end of the table, Jordan Ayew’s late goal denied Sheffield Wednesday their first home win of the Championship season but it was not enough to drag Leicester out of the relegation zone as they drew 1-1 with the league’s bottom side.
With Wednesday’s demotion having been confirmed for months amid administration, their replacement in the Championship was confirmed on Easter Monday as Lincoln City sealed promotion from League One, returning to the second tier for the first time in 65 years.
Blackburn, meanwhile, kept their third successive clean sheet as they were held to a goalless draw by fellow relegation battlers West Brom.
Following the earlier draw in the relegation dogfight between Portsmouth and Oxford, in which Andre Dozzell’s 87th-minute equaliser saved a point for 10-man Pompey, both sides knew a win would hand a significant boost to their survival chances, but neither were able to capitalise.
There was a play-off boost to be had second-half goals from Jaydon Banel and Carlton Morris earned Derby a comfortable 2-0 win over Stoke to boost their own chances of a top-six finish.
But the same could not be said for Watford, with Charlton indebted to goalkeeper Will Mannion as his heroics helped them record a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.
Charlton manager Nathan Jones revealed after the match that Conor Coady had been taken to hospital after being knocked out by taking Tom Ince’s shot straight to the head, which caused a lengthy stoppage.
An inspired second-half performance from goalkeeper Radek Vitek helped Bristol City make it maximum points from two games under interim head coach Roy Hodgson with a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United at Ashton Gate.
And at Loftus Road, Thierry Small scored an unfortunate own goal to help Queens Park Rangers extend their unbeaten run to four games after a 1-1 draw at Preston.
The Championship’s two top sides are still yet to play later on Easter Monday, with Middlesbrough facing Swansea while leaders Coventry travel to fifth-place Hull.
PA
