Sunderland and Stoke both boosted their chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League with 1-0 wins yesterday.
Stoke beat visiting Blackburn through a 75th-minute goal by Liam Lawrence to move nine points clear of the relegation zone and push Rovers deeper into trouble, while Djibril Cisse scored just before half-time to give Sunderland victory against Hull.
Still some danger
While Stoke, who are in their first topflight season since 1985, now look to be safe from the drop, Sunderland are still in danger despite moving above Blackburn and Hull into 15th place.
The northeastern club has 35 points, one more than the teams it leapfrogged and four more than 18th-place Middlesbrough, who stayed in the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw with Fulham.
Cisse headed his 10th goal of the season in the 45th from a cross by Andy Reid to stretch Hull's poor run to just one win in 17 games.
Lawrence effectively clinched Stoke's place for next season when he controlled James Beattie's flick-on, turned inside a defender and shot past goalkeeper Paul Robinson at the near post.
Portsmouth are also effectively safe after Nwankwo Kanu scored to earn a 1-0 win over Bolton.
Aston Villa missed the chance to consolidate their hold on fifth place after Diego Tristan hit an 85th-minute equaliser to earn West Ham a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.
Villa had led for most of the game through Emile Heskey's 11th-minute opener but are now winless in 11 games and could be overtaken if Everton wins their game in hand.
Wolverhampton Wanderers became the first club this season to clinch promotion to the Premier League after a 1-0 win over visiting Queens Park Rangers, while Charlton - demoted from the topflight recently - were relegated again, this time to League One, following their 2-2 draw with Blackpool.
Leicester won 2-0 at Southend to ensure that their first season in English football's third tier will end with promotion back to the League Championship. Matt Fryatt scored his 30th and 31st goals of the season to help the Foxes clinch the League One title.