Leeds stutter their way into play-offs, Bolton bow out with a whimper and Jon Obi Mikel grabs a goal

Here, we take a look over what you might have missed from the final day of the Championship

Leeds ended their season with a disappointing defeat at Ipswich (PA)

The Championship drew to a close today, with Norwich City wrapping up their title victory with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

Although Derby‘s bid to secure a play-off spot was the main point of drama and intrigue across the 12-game programme, there were plenty of talking points from across the league.

Here, we take a look over what you might have missed from the final day of the Championship:

Leeds stutter their way into the play-offs

After pushing for automatic promotion for the entirety of the season, Leeds’ campaign came to a close in disappointing fashion as the side slumped to a third defeat in four games.

The wheels have fallen off for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who lost 3-2 at relegated Ipswich. This follows defeats by Brentford and Wigan, as well as a 1-1 draw at Villa.

They now head into the play-offs shorn of the momentum and confidence which defined their exploits earlier on in the season.

History shows that those teams who have narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League - as with third-placed Leeds – often go on to fall short in the play-offs. Does a similar fate await the Whites?

Close but no cigar for Bristol City and Middlesbrough

Bristol City drew 1-1 at Hull as the Robins failed to make the Championship play-offs.

Lee Johnson’s side had gone into the game needing to win but as both Derby and Middlesbrough won their games what happened at the KCOM Stadium became irrelevant to the play-off picture.

Jackson Irvine scored early in the second half with a low shot but substitute Matty Taylor equalised late on to ensure the points were shared.

For Boro, their 2-1 victory at Rotherham proved similarly irrelevant. Derby’s win against West Brom saw Tony Pulis’ men squeezed out of sixth place by a point.

Tony Pulis‘ men narrowly missed out on a play-off spot (Action Images)

It was a memorable day for Jon Obi Mikel, though, who scored his first domestic goal in nearly six years to double his side’s lead before the break.

A late Michael Smith penalty pulled a goal back for Rotherham.

Bolton bow out with a whimper

Crisis club Bolton bowed out of the Championship with a whimper as a patched together side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Martin O’Neill’s side notched three consecutive wins for the first time since December 2016 as Joe Lolley’s 12th goal of the campaign earned them a narrow 1-0 success at the City Ground.

Bolton, condemned to a 15th away defeat of the campaign, are contemplating a future in League One with the ownership of the club still up in the air.

Their players had ended a strike – staged in protest following the late payment of wages – to play the game, but it was Forest who claimed the spoils.

O’Shea waves goodbye

Reading and Birmingham fought out a low-key 0-0 Championship draw at Madejski Stadium as John O’Shea’s career came to an end.

O’Shea, Reading’s 38-year-old centre back, was afforded a cameo appearance in the last minute after he had announced his retirement in midweek.

John O’Shea’s professional career has come to an end (AFP/Getty Images)

Both sides formed a guard of honour for the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland defender as he came on as an injury-time substitute.

Results in full:

Aston Villa 1 Norwich 2

Blackburn 2 Swansea 2

Brentford 3 Preston North End 0

Derby 3 West Brom 1

Hull 1 Bristol City 1

Ipswich 3 Leeds 2

Nottm Forest 1 Bolton 0

Reading 0 Birmingham 0

Rotherham 1 Middlesbrough 2

Sheff Wed 1 QPR 2

Stoke 2 Sheff Utd 2

Wigan 1 Millwall 0