Ireland internationals Jimmy Dunne and Jason Knight were both among the goal-scorers on a busy day in the Sky Bet Championship, while Callum Robinson picked up a red card.
League leaders Leeds were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Blackburn after a dramatic ending to their New Year's Day clash at Elland Road.
Pascal Struijk thought he had snatched victory for the hosts when he struck from the penalty spot after 88 minutes but Danny Batth scrambled a last-gasp equaliser for play-off hopefuls Rovers.
Promotion rivals Burnley missed the chance to gain ground as they played out a 0-0 stalemate with Stoke at Turf Moor. The Clarets' frustration was compounded when Hannibal Mejbri was sent off for a stamp in the closing minutes.
Bottom side Plymouth grabbed a last-gasp equaliser to claim a 2-2 draw with Bristol City in their first match since the New Year's Eve departure of Wayne Rooney as manager.
The Pilgrims twice trailed at Home Park to goals from Anis Mehmeti and Jason Knight but hit back, first through Rami Al Hajj, and then with an acrobatic effort from defender Julio Pleguezuelo in stoppage time.
Fellow strugglers Portsmouth made a flying start to the new year with an emphatic 4-0 home win over Swansea. Josh Murphy, Paddy Lane, Ryley Towler and Colby Bishop were the men on target.
Cardiff held on for a 1-1 draw against Coventry after the sending off of Callum Robinson. The Bluebirds had led early through Alex Robertson but Tatsuhiro Sakamoto equalised.
Robinson was sent off when backed into Bobby Thomas and caught him across the face with his left arm. Referee Durkin went straight to his pocket to pull out his red card.
QPR saw off Watford 3-1 to continue their recent revival. Goals from fit-again Michael Frey and Jimmy Dunne put them on their way before Sam Field made sure after a deflected Kwadwo Baah reply.
Oxford maintained their winning start under Gary Rowett as a Ruben Rodrigues header gave them a 1-0 win at Millwall in Alex Neil's first game in charge of the Lions.
Josh Windass scored from inside his own half in Sheffield Wednesday's 4-2 defeat of Derby. Barry Bannan, Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba also struck.
Marcelino Nunez scored the only goal as Norwich won 1-0 at Luton and West Brom ran out 3-1 victors over Preston after Josh Maja scored either side of a Callum Styles strike in the first half.
Substitute Alex Gilbert's stoppage-time strike lifted Middlesbrough to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over struggling Hull at the MKM Stadium.
It looked set to be a frustrating New Year's Day for Boro as Ivor Pandur made a string of saves and on the one occasion the Hull goalkeeper was beaten, Hayden Hackney's effort thudded off the woodwork.
But just as the visitors appeared on course for a fourth consecutive draw, Gilbert struck in the third minute of four added on to lift Michael Carrick's side up to fifth in the Championship.
Wilson Isidor fired Sunderland right back into the race for automatic promotion after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over third-placed Sheffield United.
The on-loan Zenit St Petersburg frontman's 35th-minute strike - his seventh goal of the season - proved decisive for the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light after Luke O'Nien's own goal had cancelled out Eliezer Mayenda's opener.
