Five things we learned from the midweek football

Town smashed five goals past hapless Charlton, while Millers feasted out on faltering Brighton to give their Championship survival hopes an irrevocable boost.

Sheffield Wednesday were afforded more home comforts, albeit after being handed a scare or two in 3-2 win over Bolton, but the Steel City drama was unquestionably reserved for Sheffield United, who staged a miracle rally from 3-0 down to somehow draw at Wigan.

It couldn’t have started any better for Leeds, before more Portman Road blues arrived in a 2-1 loss, while Middlesbrough’s juggernaut just powers on.

Here’s five observations from Tuesday’s action.

1: Don’t be surprised by five-star Huddersfield. This was something that had coming and which Town had been threatening.

An emphatic Town home success - their biggest since the St David’s Day massacre against Barnsley on March 1, 2014 - had been on the cards, given the exhilarating, high-octane, pumped up performances of late under Herr Wagner.

It represented another staging post in the development of Town and reconnection process on a night when Charlton were that hopeless that captain Johnnie Jackson pledged that the players will refund the travelling costs of the small band of fans who headed north.

Confidence is simply oozing from every pore at the moment for Town, who have hit ten goals in their last three home games.

Next up Fulham, you have been warned.

2: Rotherham United are chipping away - with last night’s win also providing a spot of karma.

Rewind to the home game with Brighton last season with the Millers’ Easter Monday 1-0 ‘win’ taken away following the Farrend Rawson affair when the club were docked for fielding an ineligible player.

Brighton may have played an unwitting part on that day, but for Millers fans, last night’s success over the Seagulls must have felt sweet.

The Millers have had a few knocks this term - and will undoubtedly suffer a few more. But they are showing their durability and character and chiselling out important wins, with last night a case in point. Certainly, if you had asked any Millers fan worth their salt if he or she could take victory over Leeds in the cup at the weekend and three points last night, most would have chosen the latter option.

3: Sheffield Wednesday - the great Hillsborough entertainers. But keep the back door shut.

The Owls’ goals for tally at home this term is an impressive 25 - nine more than they managed last season. Talk about progress, eight wins too.

With the likes of a confidence-fuelled Fernando Foresteri and Gary Hooper - let’s hope he stays - on deck along with Barry Bannan, the Owls have creativity and potency. Defensively, last night proved a bit more worrying with Bolton, without an away win all season, carving the hosts open with too frequent regularity. You sense that the return of Tom Lees to the fray shortly would be timely...

4: Middlesbrough - now 817 minutes without conceding a league goal.

Anyone who watched Boro’s three-nil loss at Hull on November 7 would have ventured that their hopes of automatic promotion looked a little ropey. Nine league matches - and clean sheets on - and Boro are set fair.

The Teessiders have powered forward relentless in the minute part of the season, with their team ethic stirring. They not have not conceded in a goal in a club record nine league matches. Or 817 minutes - 13-and-half hours. Staggering stuff.

They may not have played well at Brentford on Tuesday, but they dug in and ground out victory. All successful sides need that.

5: The events at the DW could prove a big catalyst for the Blades.

3-0 down midway through the second half on a cold, wet Lancashire night in January, it doesn’t get much worse. But the Blades’ amazing draw-from-the-jaws-of-a-heavy-defeat proved just why we all love the beautiful game. A result for which the phrase ‘it feels like a win’ was made of and a psychological blow to a rival as well.

An imperfect night, yes. But if this does not inspire belief among the Blades - who obviously possess reservoirs of character - nothing well.