Championship roundup: Jamie Vardy seals victory for leaders Leicester
Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy were both on target as Leicester stayed top of the Championship with a 2-0 victory against Stoke at the King Power Stadium.
Iheanacho scored for the third successive game as the dominant Foxes reached the 30-point mark from only 11 games, with a 10-point cushion to third. But Enzo Maresca’s side had to work hard for their victory against stubborn opponents, with the points not secure until substitute Vardy’s 79th-minute close-range effort.
Ipswich kept pace and extended their lead over third-placed Preston to eight points after a thrilling 4-2 victory over North End at Portman Road. Conor Chaplin fired Ipswich ahead before the visitors levelled through Mads Frokjaer-Jensen. Brandon Williams’ superb solo effort restored Town’s advantage, which was added to by Nathan Broadhead. Ben Whiteman fired Preston back into it, but Kayden Jackson’s late fourth ensured promoted Ipswich’s extraordinary start to the season continued.
Leeds kept pace with the play-off pack with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bristol City at Elland Road. Daniel Farke’s side opened the scoring in the 37th minute when Dan James was in the right place to fire into the bottom corner after the visitors had failed to clear a flowing move by the home side. Kal Naismith sent the sides in level at the break as he headed in a corner but Leeds regained the lead early in the second half through Joel Piroe’s neat finish from the edge of the area.
Arnor Sigurdsson scored twice as Blackburn thrashed QPR 4-0 to increase the pressure on beleaguered home manager Gareth Ainsworth. Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics also found the net in a thumping away victory for Rovers, who had lost their previous four league matches. Ainsworth’s future is
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