Summary

  • Third-placed Boro thrash Preston to move three points behind Sheff Utd

  • Late penalty sees Sunderland hold fourth-placed Luton

  • Rotherham v Cardiff abandoned after downpour with Bluebirds 1-0 up

  • Victories for Coventry, Huddersfield, Birmingham

  • League One - MK Dons get crucial win at relegation rivals Accrington

  • League Two - Charlie Austin scores four as Swindon draw 4-4 at Rochdale

  1. Rain, rain, go awaypublished at 17:25 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Rotherham rainImage source, Rex Features

    That's as far as we go here on a day where a game that didn't finish is probably the main story.

    A torrential downpour meant that the Championship game between strugglers Rotherham and Cardiff game was halted after 48 minutes and subsequently postponed.

    In games that were played to a completion, Middlesbrough thumped Preston 4-0 to close the gap on second-placed Sheffield United to three points and lowly Huddersfield claimed a shock 1-0 win at Millwall.

    In League One, Plymouth closed the gap on leaders Sheffield Wednesday to a point with a routine home win over rock bottom Forest Green.

    In League Two, leaders Leyton Orient chucked away a 2-0 lead in the final two minutes to draw 2-2 with Colchester and Charlie Austin got all four for Swindon as they were held to a 4-4 draw at bottom side Rochdale.

    We'll be back tomorrow with live text coverage of Bristol City v Swansea City. Join us from 11:45 GMT for that one.

    Thanks for your company today.

    Cheers!

  2. Boro keep Blades on their toespublished at 17:20 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    #bbcefl

    TableImage source, BBC Sport

    Middlesbrough took advantage of the top two being in FA Cup action with a big win, though Luton let their lead slip at Sunderland.

    Millwall’s shock defeat means Coventry are now within three points of the top six, while Norwich and Watford could only close the gap by a point.

  3. Lifeline for Warnock's Huddersfield?published at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    #bbcefl

    TableImage source, BBC Sport

    It’s getting tight at the bottom… Wigan stay bottom but picked up a handy point at Watford, while Huddersfield’s stunning win at Millwall has hauled them to within three points of safety.

    QPR’s defeat at home to Birmingham has them just six points clear of the drop-zone.

    The rain in South Yorkshire means Rotherham and Cardiff will have to do it all over again.

  4. We'll meet again, do know where, don't know when...published at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Rotherham P-P Cardiff

    RotherhamImage source, Rex Features

    BBC Radio Sheffield sport manager Rob Staton was at the game today and his Twitter feed is certainly worth looking through for how the drama unfolded at the New York Stadium after the rain fell.

    Click here for that., external

    It was 1-0 to the away side when the match was halted because of a waterlogged pitch, with three minutes of the second half played.

  5. League Two full-time headlinespublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    #bbcefl

    • Orient are held 2-2 after two late Colchester goals but remain six points ahead of Stevenage who drew 0-0 at Carlisle who drop to fourth.
    • Northampton leapfrog United into third spot after a 1-0 win over Crewe, and Stockport drew 1-1 with Mansfield and are six points off the automatic promotion places in fifth.
    • Salford build a four-point cushion in the play-off places with victory over Doncaster, while Barrow's top-seven hopes stall with a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Harrogate.
    • Bottom side Rochdale are six points from safety after a 4-4 thriller with Swindon, but Crawley climb out of the relegation places with a 1-0 win at Wimbledon, leapfrogging Hartlepool.
    • Newport move into mid-table with a 3-1 win at Tranmere, and Walsall end their 13-match winless run by beating Gillingham.
  6. League One full-time headlinespublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    #bbcefl

    Argyle celebrateImage source, Rex Features
    • Plymouth ease past bottom side Forest Green 2-0 with their 17th home league win of the season to move within a point of leaders Sheffield Wednesday
    • Ipswich are three points behind the Owls after beating Shrewsbury 2-0 for a sixth straight win and a seventh clean sheet on the bounce, and Barnsley's late win at Wycombe leaves them within eight points of the top two with games in hand.
    • Derby slumped to defeat at home to Fleetwood to stay fifth, but Portsmouth clung on to their play-off hopes by beating 10-man Bristol Rovers.
    • At the bottom, Cambridge lost to Charlton and are six points from safety, but MK Dons climbed out of the drop zone by beating Accrington who slip into the bottom four.
    • Relegation-threatened Oxford and Morecambe shared the spoils, 1-1, while Burton edged a five-goal thriller at Port Vale, and Cheltenham moved clear of trouble with a welcome 3-1 win over Exeter.

  7. Championship full-time headlinespublished at 17:07 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Middlesbrough celebrateImage source, PA Media
    • Middlesbrough thrash 10-man Preston North End 4-0 with Cameron Archer scoring twice to reduce Sheffield United's lead in second to just three points.
    • Huddersfield give their survival hopes a massive lift with a 1-0 win against play-off chasing Millwall thanks to Danny Ward's goal.
    • Coventry thump strugglers Blackpool 4-1 to maintain their hopes of crashing the play-offs on a big afternoon by the seaside.
    • Birmingham pour more misery on QPR with a win at Loftus Road, thanks to Tahith Chong's early strike.
    • Sunderland strike late through Amad Diallo's penalty to deny Luton all three points after Alfie Doughty's set-piece left Anthony Patterson red-faced.
    • Heavy rainfall and surface water prompt postponement at the New York Stadium - meaning Cardiff's 1-0 lead at Rotherham will not go into the record books and they will have to replay.
    • Reading and Hull share a goal and a point apiece, as do Watford and Wigan while Stoke and Norwich is an absolute stalemate.
  8. Postpublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    We're at full-time on another bumper Saturday afternoon of EFL action, well, apart for at Rotherham, but that's a whole other story.

    Give this post a like if you're happy with your teams' showing today and hit the thumbs down if... well, you're not.

  9. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:02 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    QPR 0-1 Birmingham

    What a win for Birmingham. Tahith Chong’s third-minute goal proved enough to secure their first win in London in 10 attempts.

    Lukas Jutkiewicz was twice denied by Seny Dieng as Blues completed the double over Rangers for the first time since 2006/07.

    As for the Rs, it's a fourth defeat in five games under Gareth Ainsworth and, with one win in 15, the Hoops are only six points clear of the relegation zone.

  10. FULL-TIMEpublished at 17:01 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Watford 1-1 Wigan

    James McClean's spectacular flying header has earned the bottom side a point at Vicarage Road.

    Keinan Davis set the Hornets on their way with a solo goal but Chris Wilder's side are held, though they do move a point closer to the play-off places.

    WIgan remain winless in 14 games on their travels but are five points from safety.

  11. Postpublished at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Watford 1-1 Wigan

    Ben Amos to the rescue for Wigan, clutching Keinan Davis' shot from the edge of the box from the edge of the area. Deep into six added minutes already.

  12. Match abandonedpublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023
    Breaking

    Rotherham 0-1 Cardiff

    RotherhamImage source, Rex Features

    Play has been abandoned at the New York Stadium after a deluge left parts of the playing surface totally flooded.

    The referee took the players off shortly after the start of the second half and the groundstaff manfully tried to get the water drained off but to no avail.

    We'll have to wait and see what they decide to do in terms of the 42 minutes which were left of this match.

    WaterloggedImage source, Rex Features
  13. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Millwall 0-1 Huddersfield

    Big, big, BIG win for Huddersfield.

    The Terriers claim a vital three points at the play-off chasers thanks to Danny Ward's goal.

    They're still in the bottom three but that's now just one defeat in four and maybe, just maybe, Neil Warnock can inspire a great escape after all.

  14. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston

    Boro celebrateImage source, Getty Images

    Middlesbrough chew three big points off Sheffield United's automatic promotion buffer with a big 4-0 win over 10-man Preston North End.

    Chuba Akpom got the ball rolling with the opener, and two Cameron Archer goals plus Marcus Forss' late effort made it a comfortable finish for the Boro.

    Bambo Diaby's red card late on was just another fly in Ryan Lowe's ointment on a disappointing day.

  15. goal

    GOAL: Middlesbrough 4-0 Prestonpublished at 16:57 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Marcus Forss (90 mins)

    Blow out for the Boro.

    Marcus Forss tucks in and that is a perfect way to finish for the hosts.

  16. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:57 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Stoke 0-0 Norwich

    Norwich keeper Angus Gunn has denied Jacob Brown at least four goals this afternoon and earned his side a decent point at in-form Stoke which took them within three points of the top-six.

    David Wagner is now winless in three games against Stoke while Alex Neil has won just one of eight games against City since leaving Carrow Road. He did, however, avoid a third defeat against them this season, however.

  17. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Sunderland 1-1 Luton

    Sunderland deny Luton a chance to really dig into Sheffield United's points buffer, after Amad Diallo's penalty cancelled out an Alfie Doughty free-kick opener.

    Luton might have felt this was a missed opportunity, but they're still right in the mix. Sunderland are outsiders now and this won't help them close the gap on the top six.

  18. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Blackpool 1-4 Coventry

    Coventry celebrateImage source, PA Media

    Coventry keep their Championship play-off hopes alive with a dominant victory over struggling Blackpool, who remain moored in the bottom-three.

    Ben Sheaf, a Curtis Nelson own-goal, Kyle McFadzean and Matty Godden goals are enough to seal it.

    Blackpool's Jerry Yates was on target with the spot kick consolation, but it was back down to earth after the 6-1 midweek win versus QPR.

  19. Postpublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Watford 1-1 Wigan

    It's all getting a little spicy in the last few minutes. Hornets boss Chris Wilder is booked after a confrontation with opposite number Shaun Maloney on the touchline.

  20. FULL-TIMEpublished at 16:53 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March 2023

    Reading 1-1 Hull

    Not much between these sides in the table, not much between them on the pitch either.

    Regan Slater put the away side in front but Andy Carroll levelled before the break.

    The point does at least snap Reading's run of four straight losses.