LONDON, Saturday - Norwich roared to the top of the English Championship with a thumping 4-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday while high-flying Sheffield United and Middlesbrough stumbled.
Mario Vrancic missed an early penalty but the Canaries took control with two quickfire goals early in the second half.
The first came when Teemu Pukki turned in Vrancic’s deflected effort, before Jamal Lewis’s cross looped to Emi Buendia, who made it two in the 56th minute.
Pukki tapped in his eighth of the season from Max Aarons’s cross and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson gifted a fourth, and almost a fifth, to Dennis Srbeny.
The win lifts Norwich ahead of Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, though they could still be overhauled by Leeds on Sunday.
Sheffield United lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, Lewis Grabban with the goal in the 69th minute with a deft finish after good work by Joao Carvalho, while Boro later drew 0-0 with manager Tony Pulis’s former club Stoke.
Frank Lampard’s Derby climbed within two points of the summit after coming from behind to beat Birmingham 3-1.
Lukas Jutkiewicz gave the Blues an early lead but Mason Bennett equalised and Harry Wilson’s free-kick put them 2-1 ahead. Jack Marriott rounded off the scoring.
West Brom lost ground with a shock 1-0 defeat at Hull, Fraizer Campbell with a deserved winner shortly before half-time after Jackson Irvine’s header rebounded off the bar.
The Tigers remain in the relegation zone despite that win but are now five points clear of Ipswich, who were held by Preston after a dramatic cameo by substitute Paul Gallagher.
Freddie Sears’s penalty just before the interval put Ipswich ahead but Gallagher equalised with a free-kick just two minutes after coming on.
North End immediately lost goalkeeper Chris Maxwell to a red card, though, forcing Gallagher to take the gloves for the remaining quarter-hour plus eight added minutes as Preston had made all three of their substitutions.
Reading earned an overdue win as they saw off Bristol City 3-2 while two late Ryan Manning penalties saw Rotherham come from behind to beat Swansea 2-1.
Bradley Dack’s late penalty earned Blackburn a 1-0 win over QPR and Brentford beat Millwall 2-0. - AFP
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