Sky Bet Championship round-up: Norwich City leave it late again as Kemar Roofe helps Leeds come back
A review of Saturday's action in the second tier...
Sky Bet Championship results
- Birmingham City 0-1 Bristol City
- Brentford 2-3 Swansea
- Leeds 2-1 QPR
- Middlesbrough 1-1 Blackburn
- Millwall 2-2 Hull
- Norwich 3-2 Bolton
- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Preston
- Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Rotherham
- Stoke 2-0 Ipswich
- Wigan 0-1 Derby
- Reading 0-2 Sheffield United
Pukki pounces at the death for Norwich
Teemu Pukki grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Norwich beat Bolton 3-2 at Carrow Road to stay top of the SkyBet Championship.
The Canaries looked to have thrown away a couple points against a struggling visiting side when they let a two-goal lead slip through their grasp in the second half, with defender Mark Beevers equalising with just two minutes of normal time remaining.
But Daniel Farke's side shrugged off the setback by grabbing a decisive third goal, with top scorer Pukki thumping home from just outside the box to maintain a remarkable record that has seen City win eight and draw one of their past nine games.
The goal came just after Bolton had been reduced to 10 men following a second yellow card for Sammy Ameobi - and how Phil Parkinson's side were made to pay for his tug back on City youngster Todd Cantwell in the centre circle.
Roofe at the double as Leeds come from behind
Kemar Roofe scored twice as Leeds came from behind to beat QPR 2-1 and make it four straight Sky Bet Championship wins.
The double took Roofe's tally against QPR to six goals in three games but the match will be remembered for United ending their 58-game wait for a penalty.
Leeds spurned a host of early opportunities and were made to pay as Nahki Wells put the visitors ahead after 26 minutes with a cool finish.
Roofe was in the thick of the action in the opening stages and he eventually found a way past Rangers goalkeeper Joe Lumley on the stroke of half-time.
The United striker's spot-kick appeared to be sending Marcelo Bielsa's side top of the table but they remain in second following Norwich's late winner against Bolton.
Blades up to third
Sheffield United moved up to third in the Sky Bet Championship with a hard-earned 2-0 victory at managerless Reading.
Two goals in the last 10 minutes secured the points after the Blades had had two goals disallowed for offside in a disjointed first half.
Top scorer Billy Sharp struck seven minutes from time with a far-post header and Jack O'Connell nodded in a second, though it was later credited as an own goal from home striker Sam Baldock.
Assombalonga salvages Boro point
Ten-man Middlesbrough staged a stirring second-half comeback to claim a point from a 1-1 draw with Blackburn.
Rovers boss Tony Mowbray looked like enjoying a successful return to the Riverside when Charlie Mulgrew curled home a 22nd-minute free-kick, moments after Middlesbrough had Mo Besic dismissed for a professional foul.
But Rovers were unable to make their extra man count and Boro claimed a deserved leveller when substitute Britt Assombalonga curled home in the second half.
Tigers hit back to earn draw at Lions' Den
Captain Markus Henriksen popped up when it mattered most as Hull came from behind at The Den to snatch a 2-2 draw and deny Millwall a first win in six Championship games.
Kamil Grosicki lashed in an early goal for the visitors before Millwall striker Lee Gregory headed home an equaliser midway through the first half.
Millwall saw two efforts cleared off the line in the first three minutes of the second half but Aiden O'Brien fired the hosts in front from the edge of the box in the 54th minute.
It was Hull's turn to level on 73 minutes as Jordy De Wijs headed Jarrod Bowen's corner back across goal and Henriksen nodded in at the back post.
The draw does little for either side's hopes of pulling away from the bottom three but Tigers boss Nigel Adkins - who celebrated his one-year anniversary in charge of the Yorkshire side - did end a three-match losing streak as a manager against Millwall.
The Lions went behind for the sixth time in their last seven home league games at The Den and were in pole position to get three points, but instead are without a win since October 27.
Wednesday fans turn on Luhukay
Sheffield Wednesday fans were chanting for manager Jos Luhukay's head after a 2-2 draw with Rotherham at Hillsborough.
It was an abject display from the Owls, who were outplayed by their South Yorkshire rivals but earned a point they did not deserve through Lucas Joao's double.
That was not enough to appease their angry supporters, who demanded for the Dutchman to lose his job after just one win in their last eight games.
It has now been 36 Championship away games since Rotherham came home with victory, but that horrible run should have ended here as two goals in 10 second-half minutes from Michael Smith and Richie Towell saw them lead 2-1.
Their inability to win a game they deserved to is symptomatic of their season, though, and they have now drawn nine of their last 12 league games and sit just above the relegation zone.
Disappointing Stoke return for Lambert
Paul Lambert's return to the Britannia was one to forget as goals from Tom Ince and Joe Allen secured Stoke a comfortable 2-0 win over Ipswich.
Ince's sixth goal of the season opened the scoring for Stoke in first-half added time with a well-taken strike from inside the penalty area.
Gary Rowett's side doubled their lead on the hour after Allen swept home Erik Pieters left-sided cross.
But Lambert, who spent five months in charge at Stoke as the club suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, could only watch his Suffolk side slip to another defeat, with Ipswich bottom of the Championship table having collected just 11 points so far this campaign.
Derby defeat 10-man Wigan
Jack Marriott scored the only goal as Derby picked up three Sky Bet Championship points at a Wigan side who played with 10 men for 75 minutes following the dismissal of left-back Kal Naismith.
Referee Gavin Ward had no option but to brandish red after only 15 minuets when last man Naismith allowed Harry Wilson to get the wrong side, and ended up pulling him down as he attempted to shoot from the edge of the area.
And Marriott popped up within five minutes to send a clever header past Christian Walton to decide a decent game played in almost-torrential rain at the DW Stadium.
Preston cut down Forest
Louis Moult's goal was enough to help Preston condemn Nottingham Forest to just their second home defeat of the season, as Alex Neil's side claimed a narrow 1-0 win at the City Ground.
Aitor Karanka's side had been on a five-match unbeaten run, which had lifted them into the top six in the Championship.
But, while they missed some good chances in front of goal to secure a result that would have maintained their momentum, Moult was ruthless when a cross from Lukas Nmecha gave him the chance to convert from close range in the 56th minute.
Joe Lolley, Daryl Murphy and Matty Cash all spurned good opportunities for the Reds, who had previously only lost to promotion chasing Norwich on home soil.
Brentford slump goes on
Brentford slumped to their seventh defeat in nine games with a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Swansea.
Wayne Routledge, a Chris Mepham own goal and Leroy Fer put the visitors three up in a dream first half that left the rattled Bees reeling.
Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma gave the hosts hope but squandered a string of clear-cut chances to pull off an unlikely comeback.
Brum beaten on home soil
Famara Diedhiou's fifth goal of the season for Bristol City consigned Birmingham to their first Sky Bet Championship home defeat of the campaign.
The game was a drab affair and only moved up a gear when Diedhiou put the visitors into a 63rd minute lead.
The 25-year-old had an extra special reason to shine against Birmingham as he was involved in an incident playing against the Blues last April which earned him a six match ban at the start of the season.
The tall striker often proved a handful particularly in the second half when the Robins' record signing came up with the goods to pave the way to the Bristol club's third away win in their last five games on the road.
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