Burnley take huge step towards Championship title with win over rivals Sheffield United
- Planet Sport writer
- 10 April 2023
Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s second-half double moved Burnley one step closer to becoming Championship champions as they comfortably beat 10-man Sheffield United 2-0.
The problems for the Blades came 17 minutes in when a mix-up between Wes Foderingham and Jack Robinson led to the former tripping up Nathan Tella who was seemingly through on goal and saw red for the challenge.
The visitors held strong for much of the encounter but the hosts' breakthrough came on the hour mark when the ball fell to Gudmundsson inside the area who drilled home before adding a second from close range 10 minutes later.
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu scored twice as Luton came from behind and moved to third with a 3-1 victory over Blackpool, who edge closer to relegation.
The Tangerines began life without Mick McCarthy in style when Lewis Fiorini's ball into the box was met by the head of Andy Lyons who nodded the visitors into a shock lead before Mpanzu levelled on the stroke of half-time.
Luton then scored twice in four second-half minutes when Carlton Morris gave the hosts the lead with his 17th goal of the season before the Hatters sealed the points with Mpanzu's emphatic effort for his second of the afternoon.
Middlesbrough are now without a win in three but came from two goals down to rescue a point away at Bristol City.
Sam Bell and Harry Cornick gave the Robins a two-goal lead with strikes either side of the half-time whistle but Boro were handed a lifeline when Aaron Ramsey got on the end of Tommy Smith's cross with a diving header to cut the deficit in half.
Six minutes later the visitors were level - Ramsey turned creator and picked out an unmarked Matt Crooks inside the box before coolly slotting past Max O'Leary to draw things level.
Preston closed in on the Championship play-off places with a 2-1 win over Reading thanks to Brad Potts' injury time winner.
The hosts hit the front with Thomas Cannon's fourth goal in three games but the Royals got their unlikely equaliser seven minutes from time before Potts nodded home Andrew Hughes' cross deep into stoppage time to put Preston level on points with sixth-placed Blackburn.
Coventry came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Watford at the CBS Arena.
Goals from Joao Pedro and Imran Louza gave the Hornets a 2-0 lead heading into the half-time break.
The Sky Blues' fightback began in the 58th minute with a superb curling strike from Matt Godden and had their equaliser 18 minutes to go when Ben Sheaf's back-post header made things all square, leaving Coventry three points off the play-offs with Watford a further three back.
Relegation threatened QPR fought back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw against West Brom.
The Baggies were quick out of the blocks and raced into a two goal lead inside 13 minutes thanks to strikes from Brandon Thomas-Asante and Semi Ajayi.
QPR began their fightback in the 22nd minute when Lyndon Dykes glanced home Ilias Chair's cross from 10 yards out and the equaliser came when Chris Martin charged down Josh Griffiths' clearance to end a four match losing streak.
Adama Traore scored the only goal of game in the 70th minute as Hull secured a 1-0 victory over Millwall, who are now without a win in four - but are hanging onto a play-off place due to their superior goal difference.
Wigan plunged further towards a return to Sky Bet League One as Joel Piroe's double condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.
Piroe slotted the ball home coolly past Ben Amos for his first and got his second in carbon copy fashion from Jay Fulton's cross which found the Dutchman who finished to leave Wigan eight points adrift of safety.
Sunderland moved to within four points of the play-off places after Dennis Cirkin tapped in from two yards out to give them a 1-0 victory over Cardiff, who are only one point above the drop zone.
Ryan Hedges scored in stoppage time to rescue a point for Blackburn, who came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Huddersfield.
Neil Warnock's invigorated Town side raced into a two-goal lead thanks to efforts from Matty Pearson and Jack Rudoni in the first-half.
Joe Rankin-Costello pulled a goal back straight after the break when he lifted a finish over Tomas Vaclik but had to wait till stoppage time to pull things level through Hedges' rebound finish which keeps Blackburn in the play-offs while the Terriers move two points clear of safety and stretch their unbeaten run to five games.
Birmingham played out a goalless draw with Stoke, while Rotherham also held Norwich to a 0-0 draw.
