Leeds United extended their lead at the top of the Championship table to five points after a commanding 4-0 win against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Daniel Farke's league leaders – who crashed out of the FA Cup last weekend – asserted control in the fixture before the half-hour mark as Wales international Dan James scored twice inside nine first-half minutes, both times capitalising on defensive errors from Edo Kayembe, to give them a 2-0 lead.

Manor Solomon then added a third before the break as his strike took a wicked deflection off Mattie Pollock and beat goalkeeper Egil Selvik.

Joel Piroe sealed the victory in the 62nd minute to help Leeds, unbeaten in 14 league games, pull further away from second-placed Sheffield United, who face Middlesbrough on Wednesday, while Tom Cleverley's Hornets dropped to 12th with just one win in the past 10 matches.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard's Coventry City posted a last-gasp 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers to move only one point off the play-off places.

Bobby Thomas rose highest to head home Jack Rudoni's corner in second-half stoppage time as Coventry bounced back from a 2-0 defeat to Leeds last week.

Lampard's side sit eighth with 44 points – level with Middlesbrough above them and one point behind Blackburn Rovers – while QPR are three points behind in 13th.

In a battle between two relegation rivals, Portsmouth leapfrogged Cardiff City with a 2-1 win at Fratton Park.

Derby County and Oxford United shared the points in a 0-0 draw, while Preston North End beat Norwich City 1-0.