Championship wrap: Swansea, Leeds cut QPR lead

Swansea City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday to move within three points of Championship leaders Queens Park Rangers.

Darren Pratley put hosts Swansea 1-0 ahead two minutes before half-time at the Liberty Stadium, before a second-half brace from Scott Sinclair – the first from the penalty spot – secured the win.

QPR could only draw 0-0 away to mid-table Burnley and are now just three points ahead of Swansea, but they do have a game in hand over Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Cardiff and Norwich are level on 44 points, five behind QPR, after the two sides – third and fourth respectively in the table – played out a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road.

Leeds United joined them on 44 points, fifth in the table on goal difference, after beating Scunthorpe 4-0 at Elland Road.

Watford occupy the final playoff berth in sixth place after a 3-0 win at home to Derby County.

A last-minute equaliser from Iain Hume helped Preston North End salvage a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester City.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni put the visitors ahead with a goal on debut following his loan move from Everton.

Preston remain bottom, three points behind Scunthorpe and five back from Palace.

Sheffield United are two points clear of the drop zone following a 0-0 draw away to Coventry City, while Paul Jewell made a losing start as Ipswich manager, going down 2-1 at Millwall.

Middlesbrough climbed to 19th following a much-needed 4-0 win away to Bristol City, and a Matty Fryat penalty helped Hull beat nine-man Barnsley 2-0.

Nottingham Forest needed two late goals to come from behind and beat Portsmouth 2-1 at the City Ground.

Fellow playoff contenders Reading won 3-0 away to Doncaster Rovers.

Reading and Forest are just two points outside the top six, level on 40 points in seventh and eighth place respectively.