HULL – LEICESTER CITY 2:2
Jamie Vardy restored Leicester City’s three-point lead at the top of the Championship by scoring both of the Foxes’ goals in a battling draw at Hull.
The 37-year-old former England international’s 14th and 15th goals of the campaign helped Leicester twice come from a goal down in a tense match against their fellow promotion hopefuls.
A clumsy challenge from Jean Seri on Abdul Fatawu then allowed Vardy to equalise from the penalty spot before the break.
And after Anass Zaroury restored Hull’s lead with a fierce low second-half finish, Vardy hit back immediately with a goal that salvaged a crucial point to protect Leicester’s lead at the summit.
SOUTHAMPTON – SUNDERLAND 4:2
Substitute Joe Rothwell scored a late double as Southampton survived a Sunderland fightback to keep their slim hopes of automatic promotion back to the Premier League alive.
The Saints, who had their midweek game against Preston postponed at late notice because of a fire on a nearby industrial estate, took an early lead when Stuart Armstrong scored on the rebound after Anthony Patterson had saved Jan Bednarek’s header.
Romaine Mundle pulled one back for the away side after the break with a deflected shot from the edge of the area and Jobe Bellingham curled home a wonderfully hit equaliser but the home side stepped back on it and sub Rothwell scored twice in three minutes to secure the points for Saints.
Defeat for the Black Cats means they have lost six successive matches in the league for the first time since March 2006, when they were relegated from the Premier League.
Southampton are six points adrift off second-placed Leeds but do have a game in hand on the in-form Whites.
NORWICH CITY – ROTHERHAM UNITED 5:0
Norwich City moved back into the play-off places with a thumping win over rock-bottom Rotherham.
The Canaries got up and running when Gabriel Sara headed in unmarked from Jack Stacey’s cross and Jacob Sorensen made it 2-0 from a Sara corner.
Sara walloped in a fifth, and his 10th of the season, shortly after the restart and consigned the away side to a second successive 5-0 defeat.
The Millers have now lost their past nine games and are 20 points adrift of safety with nine games to play.
CARDIF – IPSWICH 2:1
Ipswich Town missed the chance to reclaim the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship as Cardiff City scored two injury-time goals to snatch a stunning victory.
Cardiff started strongly and should have taken an early lead but Perry Ng’s scuffed close-range effort was cleared off the line by Kieffer Moore.
The visitors probed patiently as the match wore on, gradually taking control before former Cardiff striker Moore fired into the far corner with a powerful left-footed finish.
Just as Ipswich looked to be heading level on points with Championship leaders Leicester City, Ryan Wintle scored with a deflected shot from close range five minutes into added time.
Then five minutes later, substitute Callum O’Dowda volleyed in from Famara Diedhiou’s flick-on at a corner to spark ecstatic celebrations at Cardiff City Stadium.
The end of Ipswich’s six-match winning run means they remain third in the table, trailing second-place Leeds United – who won at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night – by one point.
Cardiff remain 10th but move within four points of the play-off spots after producing one of their best performances of the season.
