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Championship round-up: Bad day for Mick McCarthy as Cardiff play-off hopes fade after Wednesday rout

Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy looks dejected during the Sky Bet Championship defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. Photo credit: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire. Expand

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Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy looks dejected during the Sky Bet Championship defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. Photo credit: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.

Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy looks dejected during the Sky Bet Championship defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. Photo credit: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.

Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy looks dejected during the Sky Bet Championship defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. Photo credit: Isaac Parkin/PA Wire.

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Struggling Sheffield Wednesday stunned play-off hopefuls Cardiff with a 5-0 win at Hillsborough to lift themselves off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship.

Three of the goals came in the first 23 minutes, with Julian Borner, Callum Paterson and Adam Reach all on target.

Jordan Rhodes added a fourth goal approaching the midway point in the second half, before Reach rounded off the scoring with his second of the match.

Wednesday, who had won just once in their previous 10 games, had slipped to the bottom of the table following Wycombe’s win at Rotherham earlier in the day. They are now six points from safety.

The result completed a miserable Easter for former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy’s team, following their 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Good Friday.

Relegation-threatened Wycombe boosted their slender survival hopes by inflicting a damaging 3-0 defeat on fellow strugglers Rotherham.

Goals from Admiral Muskwe, Jason McCarthy and David Wheeler earned the lowly Chairboys a second successive win to move them eight points from safety.

The 22nd-placed Millers, who have games in hand on the teams around them, remain two points above Gareth Ainsworth’s visitors following an eighth loss from 10 games.

Victory lifted Wycombe above Sheffield Wednesday and off the foot of the table, but only for a couple of hours as the Owls responded in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Cardiff.

Julian Borner, Callum Paterson and Adam Reach scored in the opening 23 minutes as Wednesday produced a barnstorming start and further goals from Jordan Rhodes and Reach again completed an emphatic win which moved the hosts level on points with Rotherham.

Coventry took a big step towards safety by beating Bristol City 3-1 to end their three-game winless run.

Leo Ostigard’s early strike and a second-half penalty from Matt Godden put the Sky Blues in control before Viktor Gyokeres ensured they would move seven points above the drop zone after Robins forward Nahki Wells pulled one back.

At the other end of the table, second-placed Watford missed the chance to significantly cut the gap to leaders Norwich after surrendering a lead to draw 1-1 at Middlesbrough.

Ismaila Sarr’s 10th goal of the season opened the scoring at the Riverside Stadium but Yannick Bolasie’s first Boro goal denied the promotion-chasing Hornets a seventh successive win.

Xisco Munoz’s men sit five points adrift of the table-topping Canaries, who host Huddersfield on Tuesday, but more importantly moved 10 points clear of the chasing pack after goal-shy Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Preston.

Steve Cooper’s side have suffered four successive defeats without scoring after a late Matt Grimes own goal gifted North End victory.

Daryl Dike’s brace boosted fifth-placed Barnsley’s surprise play-off push as they won 2-1 against Luton at Kenilworth Road to move within a point of the Swans.

United States forward Dike squandered the chance to claim a hat-trick after seeing a penalty saved by Hatters goalkeeper Sam Sluga before James Collins’ consolation set up a nervy finish.

Reading remain sixth after beating Derby 3-1.

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Royals top scorer Lucas Joao came off the bench to secure victory with his 22nd goal of the season after Tom Lawrence’s stunning long-range finish reduced the Rams’ deficit following strikes from Michael Olise and George Puscas.

Bournemouth kept up the pressure on the Tykes and Royals with a 2-0 success against Blackburn.

In-form duo Philip Billing and Arnaut Danjuma were on target either side of half-time at Ewood Park to keep Jonathan Woodgate’s men a single point outside the top six, while Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic saved a late spot-kick from Adam Armstrong.

Millwall enhanced their slim play-off hopes as goals from Murray Wallace and Mason Bennett, either side of Jacob Brown’s equaliser, secured a 2-1 victory at Stoke.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest beat QPR 3-1 at the City Ground.

Alex Mighten, Lewis Grabban and James Garner wrapped up the points for Chris Hughton’s hosts, prior to Lyndon Dykes’ stoppage-time consolation.

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