Championship round-up: Mitrovic closes in on 40 goals as runaway leaders Fulham beat Boro

Aleksandar Mitrovic's 38th league goal of the season clinched Fulham a 1-0 win at Middlesbrough and lifted them 11 points clear at the top of the Championship.

Mitrovic headed home Harry Wilson’s free-kick to break the deadlock in the 74th minute as the Cottagers took advantage of nearest automatic promotion rivals Bournemouth’s defeat.

It was Fulham’s 13th league win on the road this season in their fifth successive away game, while goal machine Mitrovic struck his 41st goal in 45 appearances in all competitions.

Boro, chasing a third straight league win, saw their play-off hopes dealt a blow as they dropped out of the top six, two points behind Sheffield United albeit with a game in hand.

Second-placed Bournemouth slipped to their first defeat in six league games, losing 2-0 at West Brom.

Early goals from Alex Mowatt and Andy Carroll in the space of four minutes put West Brom in control at the interval and although Bournemouth piled on the pressure in the second half, they created few clear-cut chances.

Nottingham Forest climbed back into the play-off places as they beat Coventry 2-0 at the City Ground.

Brennan Johnson’s 14th league goal of the season gave Forest a half-time lead and James Garner added a second in the 61st minute.

Forest extended their unbeaten league run to nine matches and moved up to fifth, with two games in hand on the three other sides who occupy the play-off places.