Newcastle and West Brom maintained their push for automatic promotion from the Coca-Cola Championship - but Barnsley were this week's losers as a 4-1 lead away at Plymouth was cancelled out because the match had to be abandoned.

Leaders Newcastle faced a Swansea side seeking a victory that would see them move into the play-off spots.

Marlon Harewood headed Newcastle in front after a training-ground corner routine and Jonas Gutierrez set up Peter Lovenkrands to make it 2-0 after 21 minutes.

Lovenkrands played in Harewood to head his side 3-0 up inside half-an-hour and that was how it stayed.

Second-placed West Brom produced a great performance away at Sheffield Wednesday to keep the pressure on and boost their own Premier League ambitions.

Simon Cox opened the scoring on 23 minutes and doubled his tally just seven minutes later, thumping home at the far post.

Jerome Thomas made it 3-0 inside 40 minutes and, five minutes from time, Chris Brunt added a fourth.

Nigel Clough's Derby came from behind to win a bottom-of-the-table clash against Reading 2-1. Gylfi Sigurdsson put the Royals 1-0 up on 56 minutes but Rob Hulse set up Paul Green to equalise on the hour and scored the winner himself 13 minutes later. Reading's Shane Long was sent off late on for a dangerous tackle.

A dramatic late equaliser by Scunthorpe's Martin Woolford saw them rescue a point against Leicester.

Iron keeper Joe Murphy made a series of superb saves as the Foxes failed to finish them off following Martyn Waghorn's early strike.

There was late drama at Loftus Road too, as visitors Coventry salvaged a 2-2 draw against QPR.

Leon Best headed the visitors 1-0 up from eight yards after 16 minutes, but Jay Simpson cleverly flicked in a reply.

QPR led through Akos Buzsaky on 69 minutes, only for Richard Wood to claw Coventry level 10 minutes from time. The away side then had Stephen Wright sent off for a second booking.

Bristol City thought they had grabbed a late equaliser against Sheffield United, only for the game to be snatched away.

United looked to be cruising after Darius Henderson's quickfire double but Louis Carey cut the deficit on 53 minutes and Alvaro Saborio scored in the fifth minute of injury time - but Henderson completed his hat-trick a minute later.

Crystal Palace dominated Watford to run out 3-0 winners. Victor Moses and Alan Lee had the Eagles 2-0 up inside six minutes and Julian Speroni saved David Graham's spot-kick before Darren Ambrose scored the third.

Nottingham Forest ran out 4-1 winners over Doncaster. A Gareth Roberts own goal set Forest on their way and goals from Wes Morgan, Robert Earnshaw and Lewis McGugan meant Jason Shackell's late goal was a mere consolation.

Middlesbrough were held 2-2 away at basement club Peterborough.

Dave Kitson put the visitors 1-0 up in the first half, but George Boyd equalised.

Kitson got his second after great work by Adam Johnson but Sean Batt smashed in a long-range leveller. Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan was livid late on as he felt a foul on Sean St Ledger should have earned his side a penalty.

Barnsley will count themselves unlucky as they recovered from Karl Duguid's early goal to lead 4-1 through Daniel Bogdanovic, Emil Hallfredsson, Adam Hammill and Ryan Shotton, but a waterlogged pitch meant they will have to do it all over again.