Promotion-chasing Watford held by Middlesbrough

LONDON: Watford's bid for promotion to the Premier League stalled as

Yannick Bolasie

's first Middlesbrough goal earned a 1-1 draw in Monday's Championship action.


Xisco Munoz's side were on course for a seventh successive win when

Ismaila Sarr

put them ahead in the 32nd minute despite Middlesbrough's claims for handball and offside.

But Middlesbrough substitute Bolasie, on loan from Everton, headed in the equaliser with 12 minutes remaining.

Second placed Watford are 10 points clear of third placed

Brentford

, who have two games in hand.

The Hornets' hopes to the Premier League after last season's relegation were boosted just hours later as Swansea crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Preston.

Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick in the play-off final for Swansea at Wembley in 2011 that took them into the Premier League for the first time.

But a decade later Sinclair is playing for Preston and it was his shot that went in via a deflection off Matt Grimes to earn Preston's first win at Swansea for 60 years.

It was the fourth game in a row that Swansea had failed to score and their fourth defeat in a row, leaving them 10 points behind Watford in fourth place.

Nottingham Forest took a giant step towards safety with a 3-1 win over QPR, while Coventry beat

Bristol City

3-1 to boost their survival bid.

Sixth placed Reading are in possession of the last play-off berth after a 3-1 victory over Derby.

Daryl Dike scored twice as fifth placed Barnsley set a club record of six successive away wins to keep their play-off push on track with a 2-1 victory at Luton.

Bournemouth kept the pressure on the Championship's top six with a 2-0 win at Blackburn.

Jonathan Woodgate's side are a point off sixth place with a game in hand after a third successive win.

Mason Bennett's sixth goal of the season secured Millwall's 2-1 win at Stoke.

Bennett was the beneficiary of Danny Batth's slip as he tapped in Jed Wallace's pass after 71 minutes.

Murray Wallace's first half opener was cancelled out by Stoke's Jacob Brown, but the Lions have now won three in a row.

Wycombe's 3-0 victory over third bottom Rotherham lift them off the foot of the table for a few hours at least.

Sheffield Wednesday would go back above Wycombe if they avoid defeat against Cardiff in Monday's late match.