Aidy Boothroyd was released by Coventry on Monday after he'd led his side to just one win in 16 games. The final straw was a home defeat to Hull on Saturday.
Coventry played again on Tuesday and without a manager drew 2 - 2 at Burnley. A result that helped Cardiff's cause.
Scunthorpe lost patience with Ian Baraclough after a shocking home 0 - 3 reverse against doomed Preston. Scunthorpe could have closed the gap on Crystal Palace in the safe zone to just one point leaving Preston 13 from safety but the defeat means Preston are now 10 away from 21st place and Scunthorpe have a four point gap to overcome.
Bottom of the table:
| Pos | Team | Pld | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Derby County | 37 | -5 | 43 |
| 19 | Coventry City | 37 | -8 | 42 |
| 20 | Middlesbrough | 36 | -9 | 41 |
| 21 | Crystal Palace | 37 | -22 | 38 |
| 22 | Scunthorpe United | 37 | -33 | 34 |
| 23 | Sheffield United | 37 | -27 | 32 |
| 24 | Preston North End | 36 | -24 | 28 |