Championship talking points: Ipswich Town take control of promotion race but Leicester City in trouble
Analysis of the Easter Monday Championship action as Ipswich take control of promotion race after Millwall and Middlesbrough slip up; Derby keep their play-off hopes alive; Leicester remain in bottom three
Simeon Gholam
Simeon Gholam Monday 6 April 2026 22:01, UK
Millwall slip up at the worst time; Boro also fall short & Ipswich capitalise
- Millwall 1-2 Norwich| Ipswich 2-1 Birmingham| Swansea 2-2 Middlesbrough
After all the joy of Friday, came the grim reality of Monday.
For the first time in the promotion race Millwall were the side occupying second spot, and kicking off earlier than the rest they had the chance to lay down a marker.
They even took the lead against Norwich, something they didn't manage to do in their previous games against Ipswich and Middlesbrough - where they hit back to collect four points in total against their rivals.
But from there it went wrong. Six minutes after Mihailo Ivanovic's opener, Pelle Mattsson drove a brilliant equaliser for Norwich. Oscar Schwartau finished off a scintillating counter-attack with 14 minutes to go to seal the Canaries win.
“It’s a disappointing day," boss Alex Neil admitted after the game. "I don’t think we did enough to win the game and we didn’t defend two moments well enough."
Middlesbrough slipped up as well.
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They led against Swansea, but gave away two penalties which Zan Vipotnik happily put away. Their own spot-kick from Tommy Conway salvaged a point, but it's very much advantage Ipswich in the race for second spot.
"Ipswich are in a massive pole position," conceded Boro boss Kim Hellberg. "We have to find wins and points. Even though this period has been poor, we have suffered only a few defeats. It's the draws that have killed us.
"We probably have to win all five of our remaining games to get past them. It's very difficult to get those wins, but we will try and get as many points as possible and then we will see where we end up."
Ipswich hit back from behind, for the first time this season, to beat Birmingham 2-1.
"The first comeback win of the season is really important and I think it’s been coming," Kieran McKenna said. "I’ve said that over the last few weeks and months.
“Every time we’ve had a setback our reaction is getting better and better and I think today was the best one because the group took a big body blow in the first half."
They have rarely truly impressed this season, but McKenna's side look like they are going to do enough to get the job done.
All three sides are on 72 points, but Ipswich have a vastly superior goal difference and two games in hand. And they are all 12 points behind Coventry, who drew 0-0 at Hull in the evening kick-off to move within four points of the Premier League.
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Derby do their own job and keep the pressure up in play-off race
Derby 2-0 Stoke
With Wrexham and Southampton not in action until Tuesday night, when they meet at the Racecourse Ground, it was a chance for Derby to pile on some pressure on the play-off battle.
They are still the outsiders but all they could do on Easter Monday was get their own job done, and they did as they saw off Stoke at Pride Park with a comfortable win.
"We thoroughly deserved the win," said Rams boss John Eustace. "From the first minute we were on the front foot, the football we played today was superb, the second goal was a top goal.
"Numerous chances in the first period we didn't put away."
A point behind Wrexham and behind Southampton on goal difference, although they have played more games than both. A draw between the two would serve the Rams nicely.
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Portsmouth hit back at Oxford as Leicester commit cardinal Championship sin
Portsmouth 2-2 Oxford | Sheff Wed 1-1 Leicester
All things considered it turned out to be a good point for Portsmouth as they held their relegation rivals Oxford to a draw.
It was the dream start as Keshi Anderson fired them ahead at Fratton Park but Connor Ogilvie's contentious red card soon after left them with a mountain to climb.
Oxford seemed to be heading for victory as Brodie Spencer and Will Lankshear turned the game, before Andre Dozzell levelled things up with three minutes to spare. The point kept Portsmouth above the dotted line.
"My take on the red in real time was that I don't think anyone was expecting it to be a red - including Oxford," Pompey boss John Mousinho said.
"I'm not going to hide away from Ogilvie not needing to make the challenge but if that is a red card then there is going to be a fair few red cards dished out over the next year.
"It is still extremely tight at the bottom of the table. It was a must-win for both teams so I'm not sure it has helped either side. In the circumstances, we will take the point."
For Oxford, a golden opportunity to climb out of the bottom three themselves was stripped away. But Matt Bloomfield knows there is still time to go to get themselves out of trouble.
"We could have won," he said. "We got our noses in front so close to the end of the game. We worked so hard to get ahead and feel terribly disappointed we're not walking away with three points."
And then to Leicester, who could have climbed out of the bottom three but failed to win at Sheffield Wednesday.
Needing a late goal from Jordan Ayew to salvage a point at a ground where the home side are yet to win this season.
Even taking into account some incredible work in goal from Pierce Charles, it was a huge and costly missed opportunity for Leicester. It should have been a banker.
"It's obviously hugely frustrating on the whole and a big disappointment we haven't won the game after having so many chances," said Leicester boss Gary Rowett. "I get the narrative you have to come here and win, but a lot of teams haven't had it easy against Sheffield Wednesday this season.
"What you can't do is give them a lift and we gave them a lift after a minute and a half. That allowed them to sit back and make it harder for us to break them down. We've had five or six incredible chances and their 'keeper has made some brilliant saves. I feel we've done more than enough to win the game."
But they didn't. Five games remain for Leicester to avoid the ignominy of back-to-back relegations.
All Championship Easter Monday results
- Portsmouth 2-2 Oxford
- Millwall 1-2 Norwich
- Blackburn 0-0 West Brom
- Bristol City 1-0 Sheff Utd
- Derby 2-0 Stoke
- Ipswich 2-1 Birmingham
- Preston 1-1 QPR
- Sheff Wed 1-1 Leicester
- Watford 1-1 Charlton
- Swansea 2-2 Middlesbrough
- Hull 0-0 Coventry
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