Reading kicked off a manic Championship game-week with an impressive victory over fellow promotion rivals Bournemouth, before convincing wins for Brentford and Swansea City applied pressure on Norwich City at the summit.
Reading, Brentford and Swansea City Star in Latest Championship Game-Week
Reading Solidify Championship Play-off Position With Victory Against Sorry Bournemouth
Reading hosted Bournemouth in the first game of the weekend, securing a 3-1 win over their promotion-chasing rivals under the lights at the Madjeski Stadium.
Josh Laurent opened the scoring for the hosts in the 24th minute, smashing home after Bournemouth failed to clear from a corner.
The lead was doubled just seven minutes later when Tom McIntyre tapped in from a similar distance after Asmir Begovic’s save landed right at the 22-year-old’s feet.
Lucas Joao topped off a scintillating first-half performance from Reading, turning his man and firing his side into a three-goal advantage.
The Cherries marginally improved in the second half but had to wait until the 85th minute to reply, when Junior Stanislas’ free-kick crept in at the near past.
Victory for Reading sees them retain their fifth-place spot, whilst Bournemouth remain in sixth.
The Cherries will now be increasingly concerned about the chasing pack just outside the play-offs and will need to start picking up results once more if they are to be genuine promotion challengers this season.
Brentford Smash Wycombe for Seven
Brentford scored five second-half goals to record a 7-2 victory over a Wycombe Wanderers side whose hopes of survival are rapidly diminishing, with The Chairboys now sitting 11 points off safety.
Ethan Pinnock volleyed The Bees into a one-goal lead in the ninth minute, before Uche Ikpeazu’s equaliser just five minutes later.
Tarique Fosu restored the promotion-chasing side’s lead in the 41st minute, but The Chairboys went into half-time level thanks to Admiral Muskwe’s header just two minutes later.
Fosu once again put his Brentford side into the lead in the 50th minute, with Ivan Toney netting a penalty just four minutes later.
All hope was killed in the 81st minute when Sergi Canos added to the score sheet with a fine effort.
Toney inflicted further damage on the already defeated Chairboys with his second of the match in the 86th minute, before Josh DaSilva concluded the scoring, slotting home from inside the area.
For Brentford, it is now 18 games without a defeat, and they have jumped up to third. However, Wycombe have a real up-hill battle if they are to stay in the division, with the club rock-bottom and with just one win in their last 14.
Clinical Swans Close the Gap to the Summit With Win in Rotherham
Following Norwich City’s 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough in the early kick-off, Swansea knew that a win would close the gap to just four points. And win they did, recording a 3-1 victory over Rotherham United.
Conor Hourihane’s deflected effort fired the visitors into a one-goal lead on the half-hour mark.
Matt Grimes then doubled Swansea’s advantage in spectacular fashion, when his thunderous effort flew beyond Jamal Blackman in the Rotherham goal.
Freddie Ladapo halved the deficit in the 65th minute with a powerful header into the far corner, before Jay Fulton ensured that The Swans would leave with all three points when his improvised effort flew in past the near post.
Swansea remain in second place after a well-fought victory in Yorkshire and in doing so, they have cut the gap at the top of the table to four.
Meanwhile, Rotherham still occupy the final relegation spot at the moment, but they do have two games in hand on Nottingham Forest just above them.
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