Burnley kept up the pressure on the Championship's top two in the race for automatic promotion by maintaining their unbeaten home record with a 4-0 win over 10-man Luton Town.

The relegation-threatened Hatters had Kal Naismith sent off in the 19th minute after receiving two yellow cards and fell behind to a soft own goal from substitute Mark McGuinness.

Lyle Foster made it two with his first league goal since August and Josh Brownhill scored his third in four games with a simple close-range finish early in the second half.

Ashley Barnes added his first goal since returning to the club from Norwich City in added time, but Burnley remain third, two points behind Sheffield United in the standings. 

The clean sheet was their seventh in a row in home league games and 26th overall this season, while Luton – who ended a 12-match winless run by beating Portsmouth seven days earlier – suffered their 15th defeat in 18 on the road.

Burnley were unable to break into the automatic promotion places as second-placed Sheffield United edged past Preston North End 1-0 at Bramall Lane. 

Tyrese Campbell's second goal in as many games secured the victory, with the Blades forward heading in a near-post cross from Harrison Burrows in the 56th minute. 

Preston, managed by former United boss Paul Heckingbottom, defended tenaciously and made it difficult for the home side to break them down.

Having struck the woodwork through Sam Greenwood just before Campbell's goal, North End finished strongly but were unable to carve out an equaliser.

Preston, who face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the end of the month, are 16th in the table, but 11 points clear of the relegation zone. 

Coventry City, meanwhile, needed a 97th-minute winner from Bobby Thomas to inflict late heartbreak on former boss Mark Robins, emerging 3-2 victors in a Championship thriller. 

The Sky Blues have now won five consecutive league games as their revival under Frank Lampard continues to gather pace, with the club now sitting fifth in the table. 

Victor Torp's first-half double put the hosts 2-0 up, heading in Milan van Ewijk's throw-in before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto set him up to add to his side's advantage soon afterwards.

Coventry felt they should have had a penalty when Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson appeared to take out Ephron Mason-Clark, but those appeals were waved away.  

The Potters seemed to have salvaged a point when substitute Sam Gallagher scored twice after the break, but there was to be late drama in the contest. 

Thomas lashed in a left-foot drive to secure the points in the final knockings of the contest, making it an unhappy return for Robins at the side he spent two spells with. 

But there was a happy return for John Eustace at Ewood Park after he picked up his first win since taking over at Derby County against former employers, Blackburn Rovers.

Eustace guided the Rams to their first win in 12 Championship fixtures, with their latest three points lifting them off the bottom of the Championship table. 

Two goals in the first seven minutes from a Rams side that had failed to score in their previous four matches – and who had only managed four in their past 12 league games – set them up for a much-needed win that dented Rovers' play-off hopes.

Craig Forsyth opened the scoring from close range after the visitors failed to deal a free-kick into the box, and captain Ebou Adams scrambled home the second soon after.

Makhtar Gueye came up with a thumping response for Blackburn just before the break and, while the visitors pressed for a second-half equaliser, Derby hung on for a win that moves them to within four points of safety.