Kevin Nolan's first hat-trick of his professional career helped to lift Newcastle to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship.

The Magpies routed Ipswich 4-0 at Portman Road to leave Roy Keane's side one place off the foot of the table and still searching for their first league win since he took charge.

It was three goals in five mad minutes that crushed Ipswich, with Nolan scoring the first two just after the half-hour before Ryan Taylor added the third.

Midfielder Nolan then grabbed the match ball with his third and United's fourth in the 51st minute.

Newcastle now lead the way after West Brom suffered their first league defeat of the season.

Just a week after crushing Middlesbrough 5-0 at the Riverside, the Baggies were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace at The Hawthorns as 19-year-old Alassane N'Diaye scored his first goal for the club.

As for Middlesbrough, they suffered further agony, drawing 2-2 with Coventry at the Ricoh Arena where Leon Best grabbed a 95th-minute equaliser.

Gareth Southgate's side had led 2-0 at the interval with goals from on-loan Sean St Ledger and Rhys Williams, only for the Sky Blues to salvage a point through Clinton Morrison and Best's late finish.

Preston have leapfrogged Boro into third as they ended Leicester's 24-match unbeaten league record at the Walkers Stadium with a 2-1 victory.

Neil Mellor scored just prior to the break, with Richard Chaplow adding a second in the 66th minute, leaving Bruno Berner's 90th-minute effort nothing more than a consolation.

Blackpool are up to fifth after they added to Peterborough's woes with a 2-0 win at Bloomfield Road where Jason Euell and Hameur Bouazza were on target inside the opening 11 minutes.

Sheffield United have dropped to sixth as they suffered a 2-1 loss at Swansea, even though they had two players sent off.

Lee Trundle gave the Swans a 52nd-minute lead before Stephen Quinn equalised 21 minutes later, with the hosts' Jordi Lopez seeing red on 77 minutes.

Despite being down to 10 men, it was Swansea who grabbed the win through Tom Butler before Nathan Dyer was dismissed in the 94th minute.

Doncaster also had two men sent off as they let slip a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Scunthorpe.

A Martin Woods penalty and a second from former Iron striker Billy Sharp put Rovers in control.

But first John Oster was dismissed, and after Clint Byrne had pulled one back, Quinton Fortune was then sent off, with Grant McCann equalising in the 93rd minute.

QPR rattled a handful past struggling Barnsley in a 5-2 romp at Loftus Road, although it was touch and go for a short period as Rangers had led 3-0 before being pegged back to 3-2.

Mikele Leigertwood and a double from Akos Buzsaky had put the home side firmly in control in the first half before Stephen Foster and Andy Gray scored twice in five second-half minutes to rattle a few nerves.

However, on-loan duo Jay Simpson and Ben Watson, from Arsenal and Wigan respectively, managed to wrap up the points with goals in the 67th and 79th minutes.

Goals from Etienne Esajas, Luke Varney and Leon Clarke helped Sheffield Wednesday to a 3-1 win at Hillsborough over Cardiff who had Joe Ledley sent off in the 73rd minute.

Gary Teale's 85th-minute winner was enough to see Derby beat a 10-man Bristol City side 1-0 at Pride Park as the visitors' Jamie McCombe saw red in the 55th minute.

Reading are still without a win at the Madejski Stadium since January as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Watford, who had Nathan Ellington sent off late on.