Ipswich moved a point clear at the top of the Championship after a thrilling 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at Portman Road.

Town went into the game looking to take advantage after seeing automatic promotion rivals Leicester and Leeds lose to Plymouth and Blackburn respectively.

In a breathless first half the visitors took the lead through a header from Emmanuel Latte Lath but Town struck back 10 minutes later when Massimo Luongo crashed home a corner by Leif Davis.

Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky produced two wonderful saves, firstly from Isaiah Jones and then Matt Clarke, to keep the scores level deep into the second period.

Ipswich were on the front foot from the start but Middlesbrough were carving out their own chances and they got their noses in front after 20 minutes when a cross from Leeds loanee Luke Ayling found Ivorian striker Latte Lath, who headed home.

There were strong shouts for handball after Boro defender Clarke blocked a cross from Axel Tuanzebe but referee Sam Allison ruled it out and awarded a corner from which Town equalised as Luongo came rushing in at the far post and fired the ball home via the underside of the bar.

Town almost immediately took the lead when Jeremy Sarmiento was played through by Conor Chaplin and chipped Seny Dieng as he rushed off his line.

It looked like it was going into the net but it clipped a post. Ali Al-Hamadi tried for the rebound with a back-heel flick but it was blocked.

Boro wasted a great chance to take the lead just before half-time when they countered down the left through Sammy Silvera.

Latte Lath’s first shot was deflected, with a handball shout from the visitors, before the second went out for a corner from which former Norwich midfielder Jonny Howson headed wide.

A dazzling run by Omari Hutchinson saw him leave Middlesbrough defenders in his wake and as he closed in on goal his shot was deflected over the bar by Danish defender Lukas Engel.

As both teams pushed Hladky had to dive to his right to deny Boro substitute Sam Greenwood after Town skipper Sam Morsy lost possession while at the other end Dieng parried away a shot from Hutchinson.

Hladky produced two wonderful saves to keep the game level. First he stopped Jones from point-blank range and then stretched to palm over a header from Clarke as the game drew to a nail-biting close.

Gabriel Sara nets late winner at Preston to boost Norwich’s play-off hopes

Freddie Woodman produced a goalkeeping masterclass but Gabriel Sara’s late winner saw Norwich beat Preston 1-0 at Deepdale to move closer towards securing a coveted play-off place.

The former Newcastle shot-stopper pulled off a string of fine saves but Brazilian midfielder Sara’s 86th-minute strike dented the Lilywhites’ play-off hopes and left the Canaries six points clear of seventh-placed Hull.

Woodman made four excellent saves in the first half alone while the Lilywhites also hit the crossbar but it was Sara’s later intervention which proved crucial.

It was the playmaker’s fifth goal in seven games, with the Canaries having left themselves well-placed to be in the play-off mix with just three games left.

Preston dropped to 10th and are now eight points off sixth place, although they have four games left.

Defender Liam Lindsay went close for the home side in the 13th minute but his header flew narrowly over.

Midfielder Mads Frokjaer forced a fine save from Canaries keeper Angus Gunn not long after as the home side forced the early pace in their quest to further their play-off hopes.

At the other end, Sara picked out Borja Sainz with a fine pass but the Spaniard rifled his powerful volley wide of the target.

Centre-back Jordan Storey was then thwarted from close range by a superb save from Gunn.

But another missed chance nearly cost the home side but for Woodman’s brilliant intervention.

The on-song keeper produced an excellent block to deny Sainz the opener as the visitors found their way back into the contest.

Two minutes later Woodman saved well from Ashley Barnes as the home side found themselves on the back foot.

Sara went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock but again Woodman did well to collect a fizzing 25-yard volley.

Woodman saved again from Sara in first-half stoppage time as the home side were able to get some much-needed respite going into the break.

But that was just before Jack Whatmough thought he had put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, his thundering header having beaten Gunn and crashed into the woodwork.

Sara smashed over the bar after just two minutes of the second half while Sainz’s deflected effort fell fortuitously into the path of Josh Sargent but he lashed across the face of goal.

Kenny McLean fired a powerful shot over the bar as the visitors pushed for a winner and the pressure told with just four minutes left when Sara pounced to win it for the visitors.

Woodman got a hand to the shot but not enough to prevent it going into the far corner.

Midfielder Alan Browne had a shot cleared after a goalmouth scramble as Preston desperately tried to get back on level terms but Sara’s winner was a real sucker-punch to their play-off ambitions.

Flynn Downes winner versus Watford keeps Southampton in automatic promotion race

Flynn Downes sensationally bundled in a stoppage-time winner to keep Southampton in the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion race with a 3-2 victory over Watford.

Will Smallbone and Che Adams had put Saints on course to capitalise on Leeds and Leicester’s earlier defeats before Ryan Porteous and Ismael Kone levelled things up.

But Downes crashed home at the back post deep into stoppage time to send St Mary’s and manager Russell Martin into raptures – with a play-off place confirmed at the very least.

Saints are now seven points off the top two with games in hand.

Saints were rapid out the blocks as Smallbone headed in their quickest goal of the campaign after 57 seconds.

Adam Armstrong provided a perfect cross from the left side to allow Ireland international Smallbone to celebrate his fifth goal of the season.

The midfielder almost bagged a quickfire brace when he won the ball with a tackle on the edge of the Hornets box before getting back to his feet to blaze over the crossbar.

The home supporters did not have to wait too long for a second goal, though, as Adams tapped home in the 20th minute.

His 15th goal, and third versus Watford, this season came after Kyle Walker-Peters’ cross was sliced by Tom Dele-Bashiru, with his clearance chased down by David Brooks to tee up the Scotland international.

The momentum suddenly turned towards Watford half an hour into the match with Yaser Asprilla twice shooting wide, the second after a skilful run off the right flank.

They capitalised in the 34th minute when lackadaisical defending saw Porteous pick up the ball and fire home, via a deflection off Jack Stephens.

Vakoun Bayo stabbed another Hornets chance wide as Saints’ advantage was almost completely wiped out.

But the hosts rallied either side of the interval. Adam Armstrong controlled and fired over a Joe Aribo lifted ball, before Brooks slapped over a first-time effort from the edge of the box.

Porteous almost notched for a second time in the 53rd minute but his header was cleared off the line by Taylor Harwood-Bellis, before Giorgi Chakvetadze sliced wide from six yards.

Ryan Fraser thought he had settled the nerves when he slotted home in the 83rd minute but had not timed his run from Armstrong’s through ball.

And his poor synchronisation was punished when Kone turned on the ball in midfield before driving into the box and coolly inserting into the bottom corner – which appeared to put Watford on course for a fifth straight draw.

Armstrong almost won it when he volleyed into the ground, but Daniel Bachmann brilliantly tipped over before Downes’ last-gasp heroics.

The on-loan West Ham midfielder met Harwood-Bellis’ knock-on from a corner to take the three points.