Championship round-up: Newcastle win agin, while Glenn Murray hits hat-trick for Brighton
Saturday 29 October 2016 19:49, UK
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored both goals as Newcastle maintained their Sky Bet Championship lead with a 2-1 win at Preston.
Mitrovic scored both goals after Preston had the better of the opening 45 minutes, which saw Newcastle 'keeper Karl Darlow deny the home side on a couple of occasions, his best save coming to palm away a Paul Gallagher effort.
Gallagher was again denied by Darlow early in the second half, as was Jordan Hugill moments before Newcastle claimed the lead when Mitrovic got on the end of a Matt Ritchie pass and converted past Chris Maxwell.
Mitrovic would double his, and Newcastle's, tally with 19 minutes remaining when he scored from close range after Maxwell had kept out his header.
Newcastle were made to sweat for the three points after Jermaine Beckford pulled a goal back a minute from time, with Preston twice going close to an equaliser in nearly 10 minutes of added time, Marnick Vermijl's last-gasp shot coming back off the post.
Brighton took a seventh minute lead thanks to Norwich 'keeper Michael McGovern, who was muscled off the ball by goalscorer Murray as he dithered making a clearance.
Norwich dominated possession for much of the opening period, without testing David Stockdale, and they were picked off for a second when Murray headed home a Jiri Skalak cross.
Four minutes later it was game over with Skalak providing another assist, this time a corner which was headed home by Lewis Dunk.
There was still time for Murray to complete a hat-trick on 73 minutes and Brighton would add a fifth six minutes before the final whistle through Anthony Knockaert.
Fulham also hit a handful at Craven Cottage, where slumping Huddersfield were thumped 5-0.
Chris Martin gave Fulham the lead on eight minutes when he smashed home after Ragnar Sigurdsson knocked down a deep corner.
The home side added to their lead 11 minutes before half-time when Chris Loewe failed to deal with a cross from Scott Malone and Tomas Kalas struck a sweet half-volley past Danny Ward.
And worse would follow for the former leaders - now losers of three of their last four games - seconds before the interval when Sone Aluko tormented their defence out wide and delivered a lovely cross for Lucas Piazon to head home.
Christopher Schindler's foul gave Martin the chance to make it 4-0 from the penalty spot on 63, and three minutes later Aluko provided Kevin McDonald with the chance for Fulham's fifth.
Reading are up to fifth after beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the Madejski Stadium.
Former Forest winger Garath McCleary gave Reading a 10th-minute lead when he reacted quickly to hammer home after Vladimir Stojkovic saved from John Swift.
The visitors laid siege to the Reading goal for long spells, although many of their best moves ended with shots off target.
And they remain in the bottom five after another Forest old boy Chris Gunter doubled Reading's lead just after the hour mark.
Marley Watkins gave the home side a 21st-minute lead and the Tykes had a chance to add to their lead in first-half injury time but Sam Winnall's penalty, which he had won, was saved by Frank Fielding.
City would go on to level the game on 58 when a second penalty was awarded after Barnsley's Adam Jackson was adjudged to have handled, and Lee Tomlin made no mistake from the spot.
And that earlier penalty miss would become even more costly for Barnsley with 14 minutes remaining when Tomlin set up Tammy Abraham to put the visitors in front.
But they could not hold on for three points with Hammill earning the home side a draw with a superb curling effort at the start of second half added time.
There were two goals in an exciting opening seven minutes with Freddie Sears firing Ipswich into the lead before Danny Ward levelled from a corner.
Town had the better of the opening 45 minutes but they found themselves behind three minutes after the break when Ward found space to volley home a long throw from Will Vaulks.
But Kenny Jackett was denied his first win since taking over as Millers manager in the fifth minute of added time when David McGoldrick's low drive found the back of the net.
Two late goals helped Leeds United maintain their play-off push with a 2-0 win over Burton Albion.
Burton more than held their own for the first 83 minutes, although their shooting was often wayward, and it needed a penalty decision to finally see the deadlock broken.
Chris Wood converted from the spot after Souleymane Doukara had been fouled with seven minutes to play, and it was Doukara who made the points secure in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Leeds caught the visitors on the break.
Victory lifted Leeds to ninth and stretched their unbeaten home run to six games.
The Rams took the lead on 17 minutes when Cyrus Christie nipped in to head home a Tom Ince corner.
Liam Palmer came close to an equaliser for the Owls two minutes after the break but his shot, which was also deflected, came back off the post.
And Derby made it 2-0 with 23 minutes remaining thanks to Alex Pearce, who scored from close range after a Jacob Butterfield shot fell at his feet.
Cardiff dominated for long spells but, much to the frustration of home supporters, Adam Bogdan produced fine saves to deny Aron Einarsson and Anthony Pilkington and Sol Bamba had a header cleared off the line.
And they were caught on the counter with four minutes to go, as Jordi Gomez slid in to cap a move down the left-wing with what turned out to be the only goal.
Dave Edwards' second-half header helped managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers salvage a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
In their first game following Walter Zenga's departure, the midfielder's second goal of the season 12 minutes from time was enough for a share of the spoils in a spirited encounter between two struggling sides.
Rovers looked to be heading out of the drop zone through Sam Gallagher's stunning first-half volley but the Wolves equaliser came soon after a large section of the crowd walked out in protest at the club's owners Venkys.
Their unbeaten home run stretches to three, though that will provide little consolation. Wolves are winless in six.
