Brighton and Hove Albion moved second in the Championship with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Reading, as Hull City missed out on their chance to move into the automatic places after playing out a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Second-placed Middlesbrough were beaten by lowly Charlton Athletic at the end of a tumultuous week on Sunday amid speculation manager Aitor Karanka was to leave his role following a bust-up with his squad.
That left the door open for Hull and Brighton to take advantage, and it was the latter who did so as James Wilson scored the only goal of the match at the Amex Stadium.
Hull started the evening above Brighton and a win at the KC Stadium would have seen them go second, but it was visitors Forest that struck first through Gary Gardner's stunning 30-yard effort.
It remained that way until the 73rd minute when a deflection fell kindly into the path of Sone Aluko and he poked past Dorus de Vries in the Forest goal.
Mohamed Diame saw a deflected effort go agonisingly past the post in the closing stages as Hull sought a crucial winner, but Steve Bruce's men had to settle for a point and they are now fourth.
Also in the Championship, Daryl Murphy's double was enough for Ipswich Town to beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 and move within one point of the play-off spaces.
In League One, Walsall moved level on points with second-placed Wigan Athletic.
Tom Bradshaw scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at struggling Fleetwood Town to make it back-to-back wins.
Oldham Athletic also secured a huge 1-0 win against relegation rivals Blackpool at Boundary Park, Matthew Palmer scoring a 53rd-minute winner.
And in League Two, sought-after forward Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick as second-placed Oxford United hammered rock-bottom Dagenham and Redbridge 4-0, while lowly Hartlepool United played out a goalless draw at Newport County.
