Bristol City surged up to third in the EFL Championship with a win over Middlesbrough as it took advantage of promotion rival Sheffield United's defeat to Millwall.

The 2-1 home win for Lee Johnson's men in Sunday's (AEDT) late game meant they were the big movers near the top of the table as they jumped up three places while the league's top two teams, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City, were not in action.

That came after United lost 3-1 away to struggling Millwall, meaning it failed to gain ground on the top two and ultimately lost a place to City, while Bolton Wanderers was the big mover at the other end of the division, beating Barnsley by the same scoreline to move from bottom spot up to 21st.

All of the goals came in the second half at Ashton Gate, with Joe Bryan's header from Australian Bailey Wright's pinpoint cross and a Jamie Paterson strike putting the Robins two to the good against Boro before Hordur Magnusson's late own goal did not prove costly.

Bristol City has now won five of its past seven league games and sits only six points behind Cardiff, which beat Norwich City on Saturday (AEDT), in second and seven adrift of leaders Wolves, who are away at Birmingham City on Tuesday (AEDT).

Garry Monk's Boro, meanwhile, is down in ninth, suffering a run of only four wins from its past 11 games, a damaging blow to its promotion challenge.

Sheffield United could have moved to within three points of Cardiff only to suffer a poor defeat to Millwall.

The match was level at half-time after David Brooks impressively cancelled out Lee Gregory's opener, but second-half strikes from Mahlon Romeo and Jake Cooper gave the hosts a first win in seven and left the Blades with only one point to show from their past three outings.

That puts the pressure on United for when it hosts City in a crunch clash, with those two sides, Aston Villa and Derby County currently occupying the play-off positions.

Bolton's third win of the season was enough to see it move out of the bottom three, its 3-1 home triumph over Barnsley coming courtesy of Gary Madine's first-half double and giving it a welcome response to last week's thrashing at the hands of Wolves.

Sunderland was one of the teams it moved above after Chris Coleman's first home game in charge ended in a disappointing 3-1 loss against Reading, Callum McManaman's first-half red card proving costly as Modou Barrow netted twice after the break.

Hull City is only three points clear of the bottom three despite Michael Dawson heading in an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage-time in a thrilling 2-2 away draw with mid-table Sheffield Wednesday, which had looked destined for victory after Gary Hooper's late double.

Derby moved up to sixth after Johnny Russell's volley nine minutes from the time sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Burton Albion, a result which, along with Bolton's victory, dropped the visitors to the bottom of the table.

Ipswich Town is only one place and three points behind Derby after it moved above Leeds United and Boro with an entertaining 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest at Portman Road.

The match was level at two apiece at half-time before Martyn Waghorn and Bersant Celina struck in the second half to give Mick McCarthy's men a second straight victory, having beaten the Rams on Wednesday (AEDT).

Elsewhere, Brentford recorded an impressive 3-1 home win over 10-man Fulham, while Preston North End defeated Queens Park Rangers 1-0 at Deepdale, the visitors having Jamie Mackie sent off in the first half before Alex Baptiste saw red after the final whistle in a fiery affair.