Dark days for Ipswich as they drop into third tier

LONDON: Ipswich Town will play in the third tier of the English league for the first time in over 60 years after a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City confirmed their relegation from the Championship on Saturday.

Paul Lambert's side -- bottom of the table since mid-October -- can only garner 12 points from the remaining four matches and fourth-from-bottom Wigan Athletic are 13 points better off.

It is the second successive season Lambert has tasted the bitterness of relegation, after his Stoke City side dropped out of the Premier League last year.

Lambert, who as a player won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, said relegation was "gut-wrenching" but the positive reaction of the fans had moved him.

"You saw the reception at the end of the game, that was incredible," he told BBC Radio.

"I've been involved in some unbelievable moments in my career, that's as good as it gets for me, that's how emotional it was," added the 49-year-old former Scottish international.

The relegation of the former English champions and UEFA Cup winners sees them drop down to League One for the first time since 1957 where they look likely to be joined by crisis-ridden Bolton, who are nine points off safety following a 4-0 walloping by Derby County.

- Leeds edge closer to promotion -

The ding-dong battle for the second and final automatic promotion place swung back in Leeds United's favour on Saturday as they beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0.

The impressive Jack Harrison secured the points in a match which Leeds dominated and should have had wrapped up well before his 65th-minute winner.

The once mighty Leeds -- a whole generation of whose fans have not experienced Premier League football since they were relegated in 2004 -- are three points clear of Sheffield United with four matches to play.

Leaders Norwich City are another three points clear of Leeds and play struggling Wigan on Sunday.

"It's fantastic to score in a game like this, when the pressure's high," Harrison told Sky Sports.

"We were just knocking on the door, throughout the game.

"We can't get too (far) ahead of ourselves. We have to keep ourselves level-headed."

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder remonstrated angrily with officials after the 1-1 home draw with struggling Millwall -- which ended a costly week for United who have dropped four points while Leeds collected six.

Millwall had a late penalty saved but still secured a point when Jake Cooper headed home in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Both West Bromwich Albion and Midlands rivals Aston Villa consolidated their places in the play-off positions.

Dwight Gayle grabbed a hat-trick in West Brom's 4-1 drubbing of Preston -- Jay Rodriguez scoring the other for his 21st of the season -- which all but ended the losers' hopes of a play-off spot.

Villa edged play-off rivals Bristol City 2-1 in a fiery affair. Tammy Abraham set them on their way with a penalty for his 24th goal of the season.

Villa, who recorded their eighth successive victory and are on their best league run since 1975, have a five-point advantage over seventh-placed Middlesbrough.

However, Bristol City, who occupy sixth place are just a point better off than Boro.