Wayne Rooney's Derby County relegated to League One 

The Rams have been fighting an uphill battle ever since being hit with a 21-point deduction for their financial problems

SALUTE: Derby boss Wayne Rooney applauds the fans following the team's relegation at SQP.

WAYNE Rooney's Derby County have been relegated from the Championship after a 1-0 defeat at QPR on Easter Monday was coupled with Reading’s remarkable comeback from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 with Swansea.

Luke Amos scored the only goal of the game in west London with just two minutes to go to condemn Wayne Rooney’s side to defeat and a first season in the third tier since 1985-86. But their fate was only sealed by a stunning second-half fightback from the Royals at the Madejski, where Swansea led 3-1 at half-time and 4-1 at the hour mark.

Tom Ince started the comeback, Lucas João made it 4-3 and Tom McIntyre scored the equaliser deep into stoppage time.

The Rams, who have been fighting an uphill battle ever since being hit with a 21-point deduction for their financial problems, gave their survival chances a shot in the arm by beating leaders Fulham on Good Friday but were unable to follow that up against Rangers, whose win was their first in seven matches.

Derby captain Tom Lawrence told BBC Radio: "We wanted to take it to the last game if we could, but it wasn't meant to be. I'm super-proud of everybody involved with Derby County, the way everyone's united together. I'm struggling for words for what to say but I'm super-proud of everyone and the fans.

"We've been up against it all season, set-back after set-back and the way everyone's united as one has been special. I'm gutted for the fans, but better days are coming."

It will be Derby's first time in the third tier of English football since the 1985-86 season.

Elsewhere, Luton tightened their grip on a playoff spot with a 1-0 win over Cardiff in south Wales. Harry Cornick came off the bench to score the goal, making it a very happy Easter for the Hatters, who beat play-off rivals Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Good Friday, and keeping them in fourth place.

Blackburn’s play-off hopes, on the other hand, are hanging by a thread after a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke. Jacob Brown’s solitary strike did the damage as he combined with Josh Maja in the fourth minute to score his 13th goal of the season.

Scott Malone’s freakish second-half goal helped Millwall to a 2-1 win against Hull at The Den to boost their playoff hopes. Malone made it 1-0 after 51 minutes when Richie Smallwood’s clearance rebounded off him into the net, before Tom Bradshaw doubled the lead four minutes later. But the game was far from over as Tom Eaves scored an 86th-minute consolation to make the home fans sweat.

Dominic Solanke scored twice as Bournemouth edged closer to sealing automatic promotion with a 3-0 win at Coventry, while at the bottom Peterborough gave themselves a lifeline with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Barnsley.