Championship

Norwich are top of the table after a crushing 4-0 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday secured a fourth victory in a row. The damage was done for Wednesday over eleven second-half minutes, Teemu Pukki scoring two goals that sandwiched Emiliano Buendía’s strike. Substitute Dennis Srbeny notched the fourth ten minutes from time with his first touch since coming off the bench.

Wednesday were unable to do a favour to neighbours and previous leaders Sheffield United, who lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest thanks to Lewis Grabban’s winning goal, scored after a deflection from a João Carvalho shot.



Frank Lampard’s Derby required a second-half comeback to beat Birmingham 3-1 at home. In-form Lukas Jutkiewicz had put Birmingham ahead in the tenth minute. Derby’s immediate improvement in the second period was rewarded by Mason Bennett’s equaliser. There was a stroke of fortune to Harry Wilson putting Derby ahead with what looked a cross rather than shot; it came off Jutkiewicz. Jack Marriott’s near-post finish completed victory.

Derby finished the day in fourth after Middlesbrough climbed to third with a 0-0 draw at Stoke. Tony Pulis got a warm reception at the club he led to the Premier League, but his side were denied by two fine saves from Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, first from Jordan Hugill, and then from Jonny Howson.



Forest’s win lifted them into the play-off positions, where they replaced West Brom, who lost 1-0 at Hull thanks to Fraizer Campbell’s goal. Blackburn kept in the chasing pack with a 1-0 defeat of QPR, with Bradley Dack scoring a penalty after Rangers defender Josh Scowen had brought down Ben Brereton.



Paul Lambert’s first home match at Ipswich did not result in victory, despite Preston being reduced to ten men when goalkeeper Chris Maxwell was sent off in the 75th minute. Preston midfielder Paul Gallagher had scored his team’s 73rd minute equaliser after Freddie Sears’ penalty had put Town ahead and then donned the gloves to keep Ipswich at bay for 15 minutes plus a further eight of injury time.

Paul Gallagher scored for Preston – and then went in goal after Chris Maxwell was sent off. Photograph: David Shipman/CameraSport via Getty Images





That hard-won point kept Preston above the drop zone but level on points with Reading, who held on for a 3-2 defeat of Bristol City. There were four goals shared in the first half, with Yakou Meite and Liam Kelly’s goals for Reading equalised by Marlon Pack and Josh Brownhill. Leandro Bacuna’s 66th minute goal grabbed three points for under-fire Reading boss Paul Clement.



Thomas Frank got his first win in charge of Brentford with a 2-0 defeat of Millwall, with Sergi Canos and Ollie Watkins scoring the goals.



Millwall dropped to 19th after Rotherham came back to beat Swansea 2-1. Oli McBurnie put Swansea into a seventh minute lead before Ryan Manning scored twice, his second from the spot, in the 79th and 87th minute.



Quick Guide Championship results Show Championship results Blackburn 1-0 QPR, Brentford 2-0 Millwall, Derby 3-1 Birmingham, Hull 1-0 West Brom, Ipswich 1-1 Preston, Nottm Forest 1-0 Sheff Utd, Reading 3-2 Bristol City, Rotherham 2-1 Swansea, Sheff Wed 0-4 Norwich, Stoke 0-0 Middlesbrough



League One



Portsmouth stayed top of the table after a 1-0 win at bottom club Bradford, with Gareth Evans scoring the only goal. Bradford were condemned to lose their sixth successive match once defender Adam Chicksen was sent off in the 83rd minute.



Sunderland moved into second and an automatic promotion spot with a 2-0 win at strugglers Plymouth. Aiden McGeady scored both goals, his second coming from the penalty spot.





Peterborough dropped down after losing 1-0 at Wycombe, for whom Bryn Morris scored the winner. It took Kieffer Moore’s late winner for Barnsley to secure their 1-0 win over Southend.



The Shrewsbury manager, John Askey, had spoken of fears for his job but his team climbed clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 comeback win at AFC Wimbledon, Luke Waterfall scoring both goals.



Scunthorpe were 3-0 down to Oxford after Curtis Nelson’s 55th minute goal, only to be level eleven minutes later after goals from Jordan Clarke, George Thomas and Charlie Goode.

Quick Guide League One results Show League One results Barnsley 1-0 Southend, Blackpool 0-3 Bristol Rovers, Bradford City 0-1 Portsmouth, Charlton 2-0 Doncaster, Coventry 1-1 Accrington, Gillingham 3-0 Fleetwood, Plymouth 0-2 Sunderland, Rochdale 0-0 Luton, Scunthorpe 3-3 Oxford, Walsall 1-3 Burton, Wimbledon 1-2 Shrewsbury, Wycombe 1-0 Peterborough



League Two

Leaders Lincoln turned around their recent slump in form with a 2-1 defeat of Forest Green, with John Akinde and Kellan Gordon scoring their goals.



With second-placed MK Dons winning 4-0 at Crawley, Colchester climbed into an automatic promotion spot with a 1-0 home win over Swindon, thanks to Sammie Szmodics’ goal.



James Norwood scored twice as Tranmere rose to fourth with a 2-0 defeat of Exeter, who dropped from third to fifth.



With fellow strugglers Notts County drawing 2-2 at Port Vale, and Cheltenham also drawing 2-2 with Mansfield, Macclesfield dropped further behind at the bottom in losing 4-1 at home to Bury.

