Zach Clough's first goal for Bolton since returning to the club gave the hosts an invaluable 1-0 win in their Sky Bet Championship relegation scrap with Sunderland.
There was a hint of controversy about Clough's 17th-minute effort as Chris Coleman's visitors insisted the striker converted with a hand.
But referee David Coote waved aside protests and without ever looking convincing Wanderers pushed the Black Cats closer to the second-tier trap door.
Phil Parkinson's side are now seven points clear of Coleman's bottom-placed team and up to 19th.
Brentford did the double over Birmingham with a 5-0 thrashing to cement their play-off hopes and edge Blues nearer the Championship drop zone.
Two Ollie Watkins goals, one each from Florian Jozefzoon and Neal Maupay and a Marc Roberts own goal saw the Bees romp to an emphatic win in a scoreline that flattered Birmingham.
It was a nightmare first return to Griffin Park for Blues trio Harlee Dean, Maxime Colin and Jota, who all moved on August transfer deadline day.
It could have been a night to rival the hosts' 9-0 record win over Wrexham in 1963 but for a string of David Stockdale saves and some lacklustre finishing.
Middlesbrough returned to within two points of the play-off places as they plunged Hull deeper into the relegation mire at the Riverside.
Rudy Gestede claimed his second and third league goals of the season as Boro ran out comfortable 3-1 winners, Patrick Bamford with the Teessiders' other goal on the stroke of half-time.
Having bemoaned his side's limp attacking efforts in their weekend defeat to Cardiff, Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis will have been delighted with a much brighter display inspired by Adama Traore.
There is not much cause for positivity in the Hull camp and while Evandro's equaliser towards the end of the first half briefly threatened to dent Middlesbrough's superiority, the visitors finished well beaten. As a result, they are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Millwall climbed into the top half of the Championship after coming from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
Joey Pelupessy opened the scoring with his first goal for the Owls three minutes before the break.
But second-half efforts from Lee Gregory and Steve Morison handed Millwall all three points.
Lee Tomlin scored Nottingham Forest's first home league goal since December 9 to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw with Reading.
Omar Richards' first career goal looked likely to earn Reading a vital three points late in the first half, but on-loan Tomlin broke his duck for the Reds five minutes from time to end a run of five straight home league defeats.