Stephy Mavididi scored twice as Leicester extended their lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship to three points with a 3-2 win against Birmingham at St Andrew’s.
Leicester fans wore Jamie Vardy masks in support of their absent striker, whose wife Rebekah lost a court case against Blues boss Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen after a judge ruled Vardy’s wife passed on information about Rooney to the press.
A dramatic start saw three goals in the first 22 minutes.
Birmingham created the first opening but midfielder Jordan James’ low, bouncing drive was straight at goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Blues forced two early saves from the Danish stopper, who blocked Siriki Dembele’s shot with his legs then tipped over Krystian Bielik’s back header from Marc Roberts’ long throw-in.
Leicester took the lead from a speedy breakaway from a Blues corner in the 10th minute – after James Justin’s sliced clearance cannoned off his own post.
Abdul Fatawu sped away, and in a two-v-one, squared to Mavididi to dink the ball over advancing keeper John Ruddy for a classy finish.
Mavididi was booked for climbing the advertising hoarding and goading Birmingham fans in his celebration.
Rooney’s side were level after 15 minutes when James found the bottom corner with a low shot after Dembele squared to Ivan Sunjic, who supplied the killer pass.
Leicester regained the lead in the 22nd minute in another lightning counter-attack which started on the edge of their own box.
This time Ricardo Pereira dispossessed Juninho Bacuna and Fatawu again raced goalwards, releasing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to round Ruddy and slot into an empty net for his seventh goal of the season.
Leicester went close to extending their lead when Dewsbury-Hall crossed deep inside the area but Patson Daka fired wide with a first-time effort from seven yards, before the Zambia striker curled well off target on the angle.
The visitors made it 3-1 in the 50th minute when Mavididi’s curling shot from 15 yards took a slight deflection and flew past Ruddy.
Leicester wasted other chances but Blues jangled their nerves when a James shot deflected in off Jannik Vestergaard to make it 3-2 after 74 minutes.
Inspired by the goal, Birmingham applied pressure but struggled to penetrate Leicester’s determined rearguard as the visitors stayed firm to make it four straight wins and six matches unbeaten.
Huddersfield all but relegated from Championship while League Two play-off spots decided
Huddersfield Town saw their relegation from the Championship all but confirmed after a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Birmingham City on Saturday.
The Terriers avoided a defeat that would have seen them relegated on Saturday, but even a win on the final day over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town will not be enough unless they overcome a huge goal difference of 15 goals with Plymouth Argyle.
Birmingham remain in the other relegation place and now must beat Norwich City to stand a chance of staying up with Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers also still in danger.
At the other end of the table, the Canaries dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City, leaving the door open for Hull City, who face Ipswich Town later today.
Huddersfield Town all but relegated from Championship while League Two play-off fate is decided
Huddersfield Town saw their relegation all but confirmed after a 1-1 draw with fellows strugglers Birmingham City.
The Terriers avoided a defeat that would have seen them relegated on Saturday, but even a win on the final day over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town will not be enough unless they overcome a huge goal difference of 15 goals with Plymouth Argyle.
Birmingham remain in the other relegation place and now must beat Norwich City to stand a chance of staying up with Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers also still in danger.
At the other end of the table, the Canaries dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City, leaving the door open for Hull City, who face Ipswich Town later today.
Derby seal Championship return with Carlisle win as Cheltenham drop to League Two
Derby County sealed a Championship return by beating already-relegated Carlisle United 2-0 at Pride Park on the final day of the League One season.
Derby knew a single point would end their two-year stay in the third tier of English football, with Bolton Wanderers waiting to pounce if the Rams did suffer a shock defeat.
However, such a slip-up never looked likely as Max Bird's powerful strike from outside the area put them ahead within five minutes, and James Collins added a close-range second on the hour mark to make certain of promotion.
Paul Warne's team finished five points behind Portsmouth, who clinched the title earlier this month, and five clear of Bolton – who needed a late equaliser from Cameron Jerome to draw 3-3 with Peterborough.
Bolton will face Barnsley in the play-offs as the Tykes were not punished for their 1-1 draw with Northampton Town, defeats for Blackpool and Lincoln City denying them the chance to gatecrash the top six.
Fourth-placed Peterborough will face Oxford United in the other play-off semi-final, as the U's clinched a 2-1 win over Exeter City to claim fifth place in the final reckoning.
Three of the four relegation places had already been decided before Saturday's matches, with Carlisle, Port Vale, and Fleetwood Town on their way to League Two.
Cheltenham will join them after Nick Freeman struck a 90th-minute winner in their 2-1 loss at Stevenage. Darrell Clarke's side needed a win to save themselves and send Burton Albion down in their place, but they were hit with a late sucker punch as their three-year stay in League One came to an end.
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