Preston are out of the top six after a third successive league defeat without scoring a goal.

They also had Jordan Storey sent-off.

Boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"The goals were all mistakes, all errors, so you're never going to win games if you give goals away like that.

"We've gifted the game to Boro but they're a good side - it would have been hard enough anyway not doing that.

"But I can't accept that we come to a place like this and just because they're a good side we roll over.

"We've shown in spells this season that we can play to those levels. Our challenge is putting a group together that can do it for 46 games."

Preston go to Ipswich Town next.

Middlesbrough have cut the gap to the leaders Coventry to three points as they brushed aside Preston on Teesside.

Alan Browne, Morgan Whittaker and a Tommy Conway brace did the damage as Preston also had Jordan Storey sent-off.

Boro head coach Kim Hellberg has been speaking to BBC Radio Tees:

"It's weird when you put so much emotion into the game and it's over after 60 minutes. But what a performance from the lads, what energy.

"Going away to play Stoke on a Wednesday night, travelling eight hours back and forth on the bus, having the West Bromwich game, 16, 17 hours on the bus back and forth, then one day less of rest playing this game on Saturday lunchtime, which is the shortest amount of rest you can get in between games.

"Then to put in that type of energetic performance, that is unbelievable from the players."

Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones was highly critical of his team after they were thrashed 4-0 by local rivals Millwall.

Jones told BBC Sport:

"We got outworked, out-battled - they treated it as a derby, we treated it as a day in the sun and we got exactly what we deserved.

"It's not how we work - we work hard, we work a press, we compete, we've had success from doing that.

"We've been bullied all over today. Millwall were excellent. But we were nowhere near that level.

"It's a poor first goal, we don't get to the cross, we allow them to play the ball into the box. And then it's not a great header. We don't deal with it.

"We settled nicely, there wasn't massive problems in the first half. We had opportunities, moved the ball well, got in - possible penalty shout - had some chances.

"But second half we were overrun, outworked on every single level.

"We didn't prepare to get bullied, we don't work like that."

Millwall

Millwall boss Alex Neil says his side's resounding 4-0 win over south-east London rivals Charlton was a "fair reflection of their performance".

Neil told BBC Sport:

"My biggest frustration going in at half-time was that with the clear-cut chances that we'd had, the scoreline wasn't more in our favour, and what we spoke about at half-time was to go and get the next goal. We needed to put the game to bed.

"I thought them having the ball a little bit, which is not something I'd usually do, was beneficial for us. And I thought it panned out that way in the first half.

"And in the second half we really turned the screw, got into them a little bit more, got more combinations down both sides, got into really good positions.

"And to see the clinical nature at the end was more pleasing for me because I think that's the bit right now we need to be better at and I really want to push on.

"I thought four certainly didn't flatter us."

While we wait for the reaction to start coming in from the 15:00 GMT kick-offs, let's see what the managers had to say after our two lunchtime games...

Just your run of the mill chaotic afternoon of Championship football.

Thrashings, late goals, red cards and lots of movement in the table.

Stay with us for all the details and reaction.

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Image source, BBC Sport

What a big day for Oxford United, who are now right back in the mix at the bottom of the table. One win away from the safety line...

At the top Middlesbrough have suddenly opened a gap on Ipswich and Hull.

The Tractor Boys' defeat at Sheffield United was good news for both Boro and leaders Coventry.

Leicester fans, is that it for Marti Cifuentes now?

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk commentator

All good things must come to an end.

Ipswich suffer their first defeat of 2026.

Their four match winning streak comes to an end.

Image source, Shutterstock

Big win for Sheffield United but perhaps even bigger a result for Coventry and Middlesbrough.

Callum O'Hare's breakaway goal and an Andre Brooks strike had the Blades in control before Jack Clarke pulled one back from the spot on the hour.

But the Ipswich revival was to be short-lived as Patrick Bamford fired in a third for United from Gus Hamer's lofted pass.

Bamford might get the headlines for the wrong reasons, though, after he was given a second yellow for diving and sent-off.

Oxford win! That's a massive result at the bottom of the table. And what now for Marti Cifuentes?

Image source, Getty Images

Wrexham are into the play-off places.

It took them 53 minutes to have a shot with Callum Doyle equalising Harvey Vale's opener for QPR.

The Londoners dominated the opening hour and then thought they had won it through Steve Cook's 80th-minute header only for a chaotic final five minutes to turn the game on its head.

The home side had Amadour Mbengue sent off for a second caution and then saw Josh Windass and Ollie Rathbone win it for the Welshmen.

For the first time in their history Wrexham have won three successive away games in the second tier and their Premier League dream is alive.

Watford miss the chance to go into the top six despite leading through Edo Kayembe.

Lewis Miller's equaliser gets Rovers out of the relegation zone, at least for a few hours.

Can Oxford hang on?

Richard Wilford
BBC Radio WM commentator

Blues will be frustrated not to have notched their eighth home win of the season.

They had chances at the start of the second half to win the game.

But in the end probably a fair result.

The points are shared at St Andrew's.

Image source, PA

Hull City hold on for a vital three points in their hunt for a play-off place.

An Oli McBurnie penalty and a beauty from Regan Slater had the Tigers two up at the break but Swansea dominated the second period and forced the hosts to dig deep for the win.

Liam Cullen's header pulled one back on the hour for the Swans but Hull showed resilience to see it out.

Three wins in a week for Sergej Jakirovic's side.

We're into seven added minutes at Bramall Lane. Not sure even that is enough for Ipswich here.