Championship roundup: Sheffield United up to 2nd, Sunderland held
Sheffield United beat struggling Portsmouth 2-1 to climb to second in the Championship table on Saturday, while Sunderland's promotion push was dented by a 2-2 home draw against Watford.
The Blades moved to within two points of leaders Leeds and opened up a three-point cushion on third-placed Burnley thanks to Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's winner 17 minutes from time.
A seventh consecutive away defeat leaves Portsmouth just two points above the relegation zone but they came close to causing a shock at Bramall Lane.
The home side took a 24th-minute lead when Gustavo Hamer fired low into the far corner.
But Pompey deservedly equalised just three minutes later when Connor Ogilvie glanced in Josh Murphy's low cross.
The visitors had chances to claim a shock three points on the road, but were hit by a sucker punch when Rak-Sakyi turned in Rhian Brewster's cross.
Sunderland were minutes away from their first home defeat of the season until Dennis Cirkin salvaged a point.
The Black Cats took an early lead thanks to Luke O'Nien but Watford turned the match around through Tom Dele-Bashiru's penalty and a stunning effort from Imran Louza in the first minute of the second half.
Cirkin had gifted Watford their leveller with a needless foul on striker Mamadou Doumbia late in the first half, but the left-back made up for that mistake when he bundled in Enzo Le Fee's corner in the 89th minute.
The draw left Regis Le Bris' side in fourth, five points off the automatic promotion places.
"We started well and we finished well," said Le Bris said.
"It wasn't really a surprise the challenge we faced today because we knew before the game that this team was very powerful, with many players with high pace.
"I think probably it suits perfectly our weaknesses. We are well organised, but we are not as powerful and so in one-v-one we were dominated."
Managerless Derby snatched a late point in a 1-1 draw at Norwich thanks to Jerry Yates' stoppage time penalty.
Josh Sargent's second-half strike put the Canaries in front, but their playoff chances were hit when Jack Stacey caught Marcus Harness with a high boot.
Derby remained in the bottom three but edge to within one point of safety. Norwich are two points outside the playoff places in eighth.
West Brom climbed into fifth thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Callum Paterson thought he had salvaged a point for Wednesday with a 93rd-minute equaliser after Adam Armstrong opened the scoring on his Albion debut.
However, Jayson Molumby struck six minutes into stoppage time.
West Brom's Kyle Bartley was sent off after full-time for violent conduct after a melee broke out between the teams.