Rocco Vata came off the bench to score for Watford as they traded blows with Portsmouth at Fratton Park, but his side had to settle for a point after a 2-2 draw.
Yang Min-Hyeok put Pompey ahead in the fifth minute, before the Hornets turned the tables with strikes from Imran Louza and Vata either side of half-time.
The hosts completed the scoring through Adrian Segecic with 11 minutes left, the Australian rifling home a loose ball from 12 yards.
Frank Lampard's Coventry charged into second place in the Sky Bet Championship courtesy of a 4-0 away win over Millwall.
The unbeaten Sky Blues were in stirring form at the Den, with United States international Haji Wright netting twice to reduce Middlesbrough’s lead at the summit to two points.
Wright scored his seventh goal of the season on the half-hour and ticked off number eight midway through the second half, leaving Ellis Simms and Kaine Kesler-Hayden to add the gloss late on.
West Brom also banked three important points as they went fourth with a 1-0 win at Norwich.
The Baggies registered a first win in four games to make their move at Carrow Road, Josh Maja with the poacher’s finish after good work down the right from Samuel Iling-Junior.
Oxford’s goalless draw at QPR was enough to take them out of the relegation zone on goal difference, dragging Blackburn down into the bottom three.
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