Leicester leap back to top of Championship as Leeds and Ipswich falter

The battle for automatic promotion from the Championship remains impossible to call as Leicester returned to the summit by beating Birmingham while Leeds and Ipswich both lost.

Leicester sealed their victory in the 89th-minute with Stephy Mavididi’s header condemning relegation-threatened Birmingham to a 2-1 defeat. Gary Rowett’s men had appeared on course for a precious point after Jay Stansfield cancelled out Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opener, but just as Enzo Maresca’s side looked set to pay the price for their profligacy, Mavididi ensured a dominant performance at the King Power Stadium did not go to waste.

Leeds missed their chance to go top after suffering their first defeat in 16 league games at the hands of Coventry. Ellis Simms nodded in his 17th of the season inside the first 10 minutes before Haji Wright’s brilliant finish shortly after half time put the Sky Blues in control. Joel Piroe gave Leeds hope with 14 minutes remaining but Mark Robins’ men remain within four points of the top six.

Ipswich, meanwhile, lost a tense derby at rivals Norwich 1-0, with a game of few clear-cut chances settled by 39th-minute free-kick from Marcelino Núñez. Ipswich have now failed to secure an East Anglian derby win since a 3-2 victory at Portman Road way back in 2009.

Blackburn edged closer to survival as Southampton’s faint automatic promotion hopes took another blow with a goalless draw. John Eustace celebrated his first official win as Rovers manager in style with a 5-1 triumph at Sunderland at the start of a week that saw Saints stunned in a 3-2 stoppage-time defeat at fellow high-flyers Ipswich – but there was no such drama as the teams cancelled each other out at a blustery Ewood Park.

Stoke picked up a precious point in