In-form Fulham's pursuit of the play-off pack received a huge boost as they won at joint leaders Newcastle.

The Cottagers are the biggest threat to the current top six and underlined their menace with a 3-1 success.

Tom Cairney got them going with another long-range stunner before 16-year-old sensation Ryan Sessegnon weighed in with a double from left-back.

Daryl Murphy pulled one back for the home side but Sessegnon could have had a hat-trick when he won a stoppage-time penalty but Tim Ream took it ahead of him and missed.

Newcastle's players react after conceding a third goal (PA) (Getty)

The gap between Fulham in seventh and Sheffield Wednesday in sixth is now two points, with Fulham having played a game less.

The Owls were beaten 2-0 at Aston Villa, Jonathan Kodija at the double on an afternoon when Vincent Sasso and boss Carlos Carvlhal were both sent off for the visitors.

Newcastle's loss will boost top-two candidates Huddersfield whose own run of brilliant results continued at Brentford.

Rajiv van La Parra scored the only goal in a 1-0 win to put the Terriers six points behind Newcastle and Brighton with a game in hand.

Leeds missed the chance to really cement their place in the top six as they were held 0-0 at home by QPR, but it was a better afternoon for them than it was for Reading who were hammered 3-0 at Preston.

Leeds were held to a 0-0 draw by QPR (PA) (Getty)

Tom Barkhuizen scored twice for North End, either side of a Daryl Horgan goal.

Alan Irvine took charge of Norwich after the Friday sacking of Alex Neil but was unable to steady the ship with a win as they drew 2-2 at home to improving Blackburn.

Cameron Jerome put City ahead but Mitchell Dijks was then sent off and 10-man Norwich could not last 70 minutes without him as loan striker Lucas Jaoa scored twice.

Jerome then bailed the Canaries out with his second.

Jaap Stam watched his side succumb to a 3-0 defeat by Preston (PA)

Burton won the battle of the midlands clubs as they saw off Nottingham Forest 1-0 thanks to Cauley Woodrow, while Tom Lawrence earned Ipswich a point with a last-minute leveller as they drew 1-1 at Barnsley.

Former Ipswich target Marley Watkins had put the Tykes ahead.

Lukas Jutkiewicz scored with a minute to go, cancelling out Joe Ralls' penalty, as Birmingham drew 1-1 at Cardiff,

At the bottom of the table, Wigan are in big trouble after losing 1-0 at home to Aden Flint and Bristol City, while Rotherham lost again, this time at 1-0 Wolves, as they head towards the drop.

Wolves missed a penalty through Helder Costa but won it through Andreas Weimann.