EFL weekend round-up: Coventry City and Lincoln City march on as West Brom grab vital win

By Holly Wright

Coventry City strengthened their grip on the Championship summit with another dominant win, while Lincoln City extended their lead at the top of League One during a crucial weekend across the EFL.

The Sky Blues moved nine points clear with a commanding victory over Swansea City, as Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Millwall all dropped points in the race for automatic promotion.

In League One, Lincoln’s unbeaten run continued as they pulled further clear, with Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers struggling to keep pace.

Meanwhile, in League Two, Cambridge United, Notts County and Swindon Town all boosted their promotion hopes in an increasingly competitive battle at the top.

Here, Holly Wright highlights the key results from another dramatic weekend across the EFL.

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Championship

Coventry’s march and the second-place fight

Coventry maintained their remarkable march toward the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Swansea.

Matt Grimes struck against his former club, helping the Sky Blues secure their seventh win in eight matches and extend their lead at the top to nine points.

Boro, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw by Blackburn Rovers, leaving them two points ahead of Ipswich and Millwall.

Kim Hellberg side’s recent inconsistency continued, with just two wins in eight matches and no victories in their last four home games, raising questions about their finishing power in the crucial final stretch.

Ipswich and Millwall played out a thrilling 1-1 draw, missing an opportunity to strengthen their automatic promotion bids.

Baggies emerge big winners in relegation fight

West Bromwich Albion secured a second successive win, beating Bristol City 1-0 thanks to George Campbell, while Oxford United and Portsmouth both suffered defeats elsewhere.

Leicester City were held to a goalless draw by Watford, with Patson Daka missing a penalty, leaving them 22nd and only a point behind Portsmouth.

Blackburn earned a valuable point against Middlesbrough as Michael O’Neill prepared to return to international duty with Northern Ireland.

Rams & Tigers keep up the pace in play-off battle

Derby County kept their play-off hopes alive with a first-half winner from Rhian Brewster against Birmingham City, keeping the pressure on Southampton and Wrexham.

Hull City came from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, closing the gap to Ipswich and Millwall and keeping slim hopes of automatic promotion alive.

Wrexham earned a comeback win over Sheffield United, while Southampton secured a 2-0 victory against Oxford United thanks to a stunning goal from Shea Charles.

League One

Imps’ unbeaten surge

Lincoln continued their surge with a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Rotherham United, stretching their lead at the top to seven points.

Unbeaten in 22 league matches, the Imps capitalised on Cardiff’s frustrating home draw, while Rotherham have won just once in their last ten games.

The Bluebirds’ promotion hopes suffered another setback after the goalless draw with Blackpool, leaving them 11 points behind their promotion rivals.

Third-placed Bolton had the chance to close the gap when they faced bottom-side Port Vale later in the day – but fell short in a frustrating defeat.

Pilgrims and Boro shake up play-off race

Stockport County drew 1-1 with Luton Town after a late equaliser from Ollie Norwood, keeping their play-off challenge alive.

Plymouth Argyle rallied from a goal down to defeat Huddersfield Town, moving up to seventh, while Stevenage’s Dan Kemp scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Reading to return to the top six at the Royals’ expense.

Burton Albion completed a league double over Bradford City with a 2-1 win, moving four points clear of the drop zone.

League Two

U’s, Magpies & Robins close in on the Dons

Cambridge moved five points clear of their promotion rivals with a deserved 1-0 win over Salford City, thanks to James Gibbons’ decisive goal.

Notts County also strengthened their promotion push with a 5-2 win over Cheltenham Town, ending the Robins’ eight-match unbeaten run.

Swindon snatched a dramatic stoppage-time 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers, keeping their hopes alive, while MK Dons suffered their first defeat since New Year’s Day at the hands of Barnet.

READ MORE: From the EFL to the Premier League: How stars like Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane rose to the top