Billy Sharp fired Southampton one step closer to the Premier League as the striker’s double secured a 2-0 win over his former club Doncaster at St Mary’s on Saturday.
Sharp joined Southampton in a STG2 million ($A3.06 million) move during the January transfer window and scored twice in the second half to maintain the Saints’ five-point lead at the top of the Championship with seven games to play.
Nigel Adkins’ side are now nine points clear of third-placed West Ham and look a good bet to secure one of the two automatic promotion spots just 12 months after coming up from League One.
After a closely-fought first half, Sharp broke the deadlock with a 58th minute header and then sealed the points by firing home from inside the area with 15 minutes to go.
Sharp’s heroics pushed Doncaster closer to relegation as his old club are now five points adrift of safety.
Second-placed Reading are also in a strong position in the promotion race after beating Blackpool 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium to move four points clear of West Ham.
Brian McDermott’s side took the lead in the 30th minute when Ian Harte followed up after Jobi McAnuff struck the woodwork and Alex Pearce headed the second goal five minutes later.
Lomana LuaLua pulled a goal back for sixth placed Blackpool just before the break with a long range strike but Mikele Leigertwood put the result beyond doubt with a second half goal.
West Ham staged a second half fight-back to rescue a 2-2 draw at Burnley but Sam Allardyce’s side need to improve quickly to avoid blowing their automatic promotion chances.
Marvin Bartley put the hosts ahead in the 25th minute and Martin Paterson added the second 11 minutes later.
Kevin Nolan got one back in the 68th minute and James Tomkins equalised two minutes later but West Ham had to settle for a fifth successive draw
Ten-man Brighton remain fourth after conceding a last minute equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
On-loan striker Sam Vokes’ 63rd minute goal put Brighton ahead. But substitute Matthew Sparrow was sent off in the closing stages and Forest took full advantage when defender Joel Lynch pounced to poke in from close range.
Fifth placed Middlesbrough were held to a 1-1 home draw by 10-man Bristol City.
City scored their first away goal in 2012 when Hogan Ephraim struck with a clever finish in the 13th minute.
Malaury Martin equalised for the hosts with a powerful effort in the 56th minute and Ryan McGivern was sent off late on for City but Middlesbrough couldn’t land a winner.
Elsewhere, Leeds bounced back from their 7-3 hammering at home to Forest in midweek by beating Millwall 1-0 at The Den.
Leicester defeated Hull 2-1, Derby beat Crystal Palace 3-2 and Watford saw off Ipswich 2-1.
Barnsley won 1-0 against Peterborough and Coventry boosted their survival hopes with a 2-0 win against bottom of the table Portsmouth.
