Lessons to be learned for Leeds United, Hull City, Boro, Owls and Millers

Some will have greeted a one-point haul with considerably more satisfaction than others.

Step forward 10-man Huddersfield Town, who shrugged off their man disadvantage following Philip Billing’s harsh dismissal to chisel out a gutsy point at MK Dons.

In marked contrast, frustration was prevalent for Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday after West London visitors Fulham and QPR left Elland Road and Hillsborough with a point in 1-1 draws, while Barnsley played out a 0-0 Roses stalemate at Bury.

Top billing went to Hull City and Middlesbrough, who beat Ipswich Town and Cardiff City respectively on a night when the top four all won in the Championship.

How Rotherham would have been glad for just a point after a 1-0 loss at Reading. Ditto York City, back in the drop zone after failing to halt the Northampton Town bandwagon in a 2-1 home reverse at Bootham Crescent.

Here’s five observations from the midweek action:

1: Leeds United have bags of spirit, but precious little quality.

No-one can knock United’s application or work-rate. They are an honest side.

But in the final analysis, Lewis Cook and a couple of other players aside, they lack guile, sophistication, wit and conviction in the final third.

More ruthless sides than Fulham would have punished Leeds last night.

Without Cook’s quite magnificent strike, Leeds would have been staring down the barrel again on a night when they looked wholly disjointed.

It is one win in 10 now in the Championship and while United aren’t going down - but most definitely are not going up - they need a win or two and fast or the statistics will seriously start to stack up against Steve Evans.

2: Hull City’s victory at Portman Road bore all the hallmarks of a ‘going up’ result.

Steve Bruce may have been outwardly calm after the game on Tuesday night but he will have been inwardly delighted at the sight of the Tigers topping the Championship table at the close of play, especially given rivals Boro and Burnley were at home.

Going to Ipswich is never easy, with an excellent clean sheet and a touch of class from Mo Diame earning three points which are as good as any they have accrued on the road this term.

It has put Hull in the perfect place ahead of Friday night’s derby with Sheffield Wednesday, with recent away wins at Blackburn and Ipswich taking their tally of away wins on their travels in 2016 to four from five matches.

Promotion form - and title form married to Hull’s majestic home statistics.

3: A test for Sheffield Wednesday, but bank on them to hold their nerve.

Given their imperious home statistics, a draw with visiting QPR will represent a disappointment to Wednesdayites, especially given Saturday’s loss at Preston.

But these things happen and now is not the time to panic, with the Owls massively in credit this season.

Carlos Carvalhal’s comments that it was a positive point set the right tone with his side - and more especially Atdhe Nuhiu - at least showing their character to cast aside the dual blow of missing a penalty and going behind to level. This is the time of year when setbacks and disappointing results happen but don’t forget Wednesday were missing their best attacking player too in Fernando Forestieri.

4: A massive three points for Middlesbrough. A good job they did win, too.

Heading into proceedings on a five-match winless run is serious, serious business coming up to March to attend to if you have genuine top-two designs.

Boro had to deliver against Cardiff and they did on a night when they also had to handle the emotion and expectation prevalent as Teesside remembered Boro cult radio icon Ali Brownlee and craved a victory to crown a poignant night.

Given that Hull, Burnley, Brighton and Derby also won, it is a good job that Aitor Karanka’s men did win.

Crucially, Karanka’s line-up reaped rewards, with Gaston Ramirez in particular justifying his selection as did Albert Adomah. A sound rehabilitative night for the Spaniard.

5: Time is starting to run out fast for Rotherham United.

Three games into Neil Warnock’s reign and no signs of lift-off yet, with not so much as a goal scored in a haul of one point from nine against Birmingham City, Burnley and Reading.

Six points adrift of safety is a massive hill to climb, although it could have been eight had Huddersfield not equalised at MK Dons.

Rotherham are not dead and buried yet, but if a win does not arrive in the next couple of games, they will start to look seriously doomed. They are desperate for a bit of magic - or luck - from somewhere.