Leicester City Storms to the Top of the Championship; Leeds and Ipswich Claim Victories – EFL Round-Up

Leicester secured the top spot in the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-0 victory over Bristol City, thanks to a penalty scored by Jamie Vardy. This marked Nigel Pearson's first return to the King Power Stadium since his departure from the club in 2015. Vardy, who was signed by Pearson from Fleetwood 11 years ago, converted the spot-kick in the 67th minute after Kal Naismith fouled Wilfred Ndidi.

Leicester took over the top spot on the table after Preston's winning streak ended with a 1-1 draw against Rotherham. Despite winning their last six matches, Preston was unable to secure a victory against the Millers, and the home team scored a goal through former North End player Jordan Hugill.

Liam Lindsay scored the equalizer right before the end of the first half when he received a perfectly delivered cross from Robbie Brady. Ipswich made their way up to the second position in the rankings thanks to a goal by Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo, which came 11 minutes before the end of the match and helped secure an exhilarating 4-3 win for the home team against Blackburn.

Town took control in the first half with goals from Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead, and George Hirst, after Arnor Sigurdsson had equalized. A goal from Clarke (own goal) and Sammie Szmodics made it 3-3. Middlesbrough, on the other hand, climbed off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 comeback victory over Southampton.

Michael Carrick's team appeared to be facing another challenging match when Adam Armstrong scored the first goal in the 17th minute. However, just before halftime, Riley McGree equalized for Teessiders, and in the second half, Jonny Howson secured a victory for his team with a penalty, resulting in Saints' fourth consecutive loss.

Manager Xisco Munoz faced the wrath of Sheffield Wednesday supporters as their team suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat against strugglers Swansea, pushing them to the bottom of the league. Goals courtesy of Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates, and Charlie Patino sealed the Owls' eighth winless match in the Championship season.

Morgan Whittaker, the forward for Plymouth, displayed an exceptional performance by scoring his debut Championship hat-trick as Argyle secured a commendable 6-2 victory over Norwich at their home ground.

Additionally, goals from Dan Scarr, Finn Azaz, and Luke Cundle contributed to the hosts' success at Home Park. Despite Adam Idah's brace in the second half, it only served as a consolation for Norwich, who were already trailing by four goals at halftime.

Second-half goals from

Sky Bet League One

Oxford climbed to second place in League One following an impressive 3-0 victory over Exeter. In doing so, they overtook Exeter in the league standings.

Ruben Rodrigues initiated the scoring for Oxford, finding the net within the first eight minutes. Cameron Brannagan then sealed their commanding win with a late brace, making it their largest triumph of the season.

Portsmouth maintains its position at the top of the table with a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory against Lincoln at Fratton Park. Hakeeb Adelakun's surprising early goal was swiftly equalized by Paddy Lane, and just before the halftime whistle, Regan Poole scored the decisive goal, securing Portsmouth's triumph.

Stevenage inflicted further misery on Cheltenham, who are currently without a manager and have failed to score a single goal or earn any points. The visitors took an early lead through Jordan Roberts, and Elliott List's two goals in the second half sealed a resounding win.

Port Vale secured a 1-1 draw at Cambridge, courtesy of an impressive goal by Ben Garrity. Fejiri Okenabirhie managed to equalize with a strike in the first half, and came close to securing a victory for the hosts. However, his hopes were dashed when his last-minute penalty was expertly saved.

Barnsley had a stroke of good fortune as they successfully fended off a late Northampton comeback, securing a 2-1 victory at Sixfields and moving up to fifth place in the table. Callum Styles quickly put the Tykes in the lead within four minutes, followed by Devante Cole's 88th-minute goal. However, in added time, Louis Appere's efforts injected excitement into the match's final moments.

Bolton suffered another setback in their pursuit of a play-off spot as they failed to secure a win for the second consecutive game. They were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Peterborough.

Peterborough took an early lead through Jonson Clarke-Harris, but their advantage was quickly nullified when Victor Adeboyejo scored just a minute later. However, Bolton's chances were dealt a blow when Gethin Jones was shown a red card in added time of the first half.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Bolton managed to cling onto a draw and salvage a point.

Derby closed the gap to the top six by earning a crucial 2-0 victory against Carlisle, marking their first win in three matches.

James Collins initiated the scoring in the 18th minute, securing a late second goal from a penalty kick.

Charlton extended their unbeaten streak to three matches with an impressive 3-1 triumph over Wycombe at The Valley. Miles Leaburn initiated the scoring, but nine minutes into the second half, Freddie Potts equalized, appearing to secure a draw for the Chairboys. However, in the final moments of the game, Slobodan Tedic and Corey Blackett-Taylor netted back-to-back goals to clinch the victory for Charlton.

Bristol Rovers secured two consecutive victories in a commanding manner, dominating Wigan with a resounding 4-1 win at the Memorial Stadium. Despite Charlie Wyke's goal cancelling out Luke Thomas' early opener, Rovers swiftly regained the lead thanks to Jack Hunt. In the second half, Aaron Collins and John Marquis sealed the triumph with their goals, showcasing an outstanding performance.

Blackpool compounded the distress for struggling Reading by securing victory with an identical scoreline at Bloomfield Road. The Tangerines were propelled to success by Jordan Rhodes, who scored an impressive hat-trick, while Kylian Kouassi also found the back of the net for the home team.

Leyton Orient moved six points above the bottom four with a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury.

Ruel Sotiriou's goal after 20 minutes was enough to secure all three points in East London.

Fleetwood earned their second point of the season with a 1-1 draw against Burton Albion.

The two goals were scored within the first 20 minutes, as Joe Powell opened the scoring for the home team, but Junior Quitirna responded swiftly to equalize.

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