Preston 2 - 2 Middlesbrough
Billy Jones scored a last-minute header to snatch a point for Preston.
Middlesbrough dominated the opening half and took the lead when Gary O'Neil, who had already been denied by Andy Lonergan, scored with a free-kick.
Paul Parry levelled with a neat finish from a tight angle after Brad Jones has parried Jon Parkin's header.
Adam Johnson restored Boro's lead with a low shot into the bottom corner and Rhys Williams hit the post but Jones converted a Ross Wallace free-kick.
The match may well be Colin Cooper's only game in charge of Boro before the club make a permanent appointment as successor to Gareth Southgate.
On the evidence of the first-half, Boro should have taken all three points from the encounter.
The visiting team, encouraged by considerable away support, created a series of decent openings.
But Preston rallied after the break and their perseverance was rewarded with their late equaliser - although the draw means that North End drop out of the top six.
Preston manager Alan Irvine:
"I'm not over-happy. We have got a point, but I look for more than just a result. There are a lot of things we will need to take out of that game and improve upon.
"We were poor in the first half. I was praying for half-time to come to address some of the issues that needed addressing.
"I thought we got the response almost from the kick-off in the second half. We then started to stretch the game out a bit better than we had in the first half.
"They deserve enormous credit for keeping going. It's a fantastic quality to have."
Middlesbrough caretaker manager Colin Cooper:
"Unfortunately it comes a bit too much of a coincidence when you concede two to three late goals.
"We should be sitting fairly close to the top of the table with the points that have gone begging.
"Hopefully we will learn and not make mistakes in a game that we should have won comfortably."
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Sheff Utd 3 - 4 Cardiff
Hat-trick hero Peter Whittingham is mobbed by his Cardiff team-mates
Cardiff went second in the Championship in a dramatic, action-packed game.
Jay Bothroyd seized on a rebound to put Cardiff ahead, but Mark Hudson's back-header let Darius Henderson equalise.
Peter Whittingham's penalty restored Cardiff's lead after Matthew Kilgallon fouled Bothroyd, only for Henderson to strike again with a looping header.
Whittingham sealed the win, converting a flick-on then poking in his hat-trick, only for James Harper's late goal to give the Blades forlorn hope.
Even after Harper struck in the 90th minute to make it 4-3, there was still time for the home side to carve out another chance and they thought they had equalised.
But Stephen Quinn's effort was ruled out for off-side, much to Cardiff's relief as they leap-frogged West Bromwich Albion to become Newcastle's main Championship challengers.
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell:
"Things are tough at the moment, but the squad players that came in gave me a great shift and I can't knock them.
"It was a good performance and on another day it would have been enough to get us a point.
"It's tough when you are losing your experienced players and until we get them back it will be tough.
"But I think we deserved more than we got out of the game, that's for sure and the players showed terrific spirit to keep coming back."
Cardiff City manager Dave Jones:
"The first half was a bit crazy... so I'm sure Kevin [Blades boss Blackwell] will be disappointed with his defending as much as I am with ours.
"I just felt every time we got our noses in front we went and did something stupid.
"But our fourth goal today you won't see many better, our moving, our passing, our crispness and the finish.
"And well deserved for Whitts [Whittingham] to get his hat-trick... it was a tough game."
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Tottenham 0 - 1 Stoke
Glenn Whelan struck late to earn Stoke victory over Spurs, who will ruefully look back at missed chances.
Aaron Lennon's curling shot was well kept out by Steve Simonsen, while Peter Crouch's header was acrobatically cleared off the line by James Beattie.
Niko Kranjcar's drive hit the foot of the post as Spurs pressed.
But Spurs, hit by an early injury to Jonathan Woodgate and a late one to Lennon, were stunned when Whelan smashed in an angled shot to win it.
England winger Lennon was forced off with 10 minutes to play, leaving Spurs to finish the match with 10 men as they had already used all their substitutes.
And as Tottenham were stretched, Stoke took advantage to pull off a smash and grab they barely deserved.
The match marked the first anniversary of Harry Redknapp taking over as Spurs boss, and there is no doubt he has transformed the club.
A year on from his appointment, Redknapp has taken the Londoners from relegation candidates to a side that would go top of the table with victory against Stoke.
It should have been extra incentive for Tottenham to turn on the style against opposition who had won only one of their last five Premier League matches.
But instead, they failed to make the most of their greater possession and territory and got hit with a sucker punch.
They will also be frustrated by the injury to Woodgate, who managed only a 13-minute cameo in his first start of the season.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp on injured Aaron Lennon walking off with 14 minutes left:
"I hoped he could stay on but he couldn't. I told him we'd only have 10 men and could he play on, but he said his ankle was too sore.
"I don't want to cause an issue. It's not about England - he's got big games coming up for Tottenham."
Stoke boss Tony Pulis:
"It was probably our best result because we were playing against a top, top side. They have all the ammo you need to win games and they will still probably have a great season.
"For this football club, we have to be in the Premier League for three years before we push on. We are still living in portacabins at the training ground."
www.bbc.co.uk
Middlesbrough started the season in Championship with clear intention for returning in the Premier League. And all started well as club was placed at the top of the table. Then crisis at Riverside and three consecutive home defeats without a single goal scored (WBA 0-5, Leicester City 0-1 and Watford 0-1). 'Boro bounced back at mid-week against Derby County as midfielder Adam Johnson scored twice for a 2-0 win. Then public was hit by the news that Gareth Southgate has been sacked. Well, it’s not about his capability to lead one team on 'Boro’s level, I first claimed he should chose more appropriate profession. The problem is the moment that seems wrong. Team finally won at home, players were pointing the team spirit, fans promising full support and I expect at least missing of positive reaction at Deepdale. Future boss (will be appointed in coming days), Gordon Strachan, will watch the game, but I doubt he’ll see too many good things. Team that will be led by coach Colin Cooper will miss mentioned defender Sean St Ledger, another centre back Seb Hines is a doubt, while skipper defender Emanuel Pogatetz could return after his knee injury. 
