Championship round-up: Cannon on target for Preston, Burnley move closer to title

Ireland u-21 attacker Tom Cannon scored his seventh league goal of the season as he helped Preston to a 2-1 win over Reading at Deepdale.

Cannon, currently at Preston on loan from Everton, earned his first U21 call-up last month for a friendly with Iceland and scored in the 2-1 win that boosted their play-off hopes.

The hosts hit the front with Cannon's fourth goal in three games but the Royals got their unlikely equaliser seven minutes from time before Brad Potts nodded home Andrew Hughes’ cross deep into stoppage time to put Preston level on points with sixth-placed Blackburn.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson's second-half double moved Burnley one step closer to becoming champions as they comfortably beat 10-man Sheffield United 2-0.

The problems for the Blades came 17 minutes in when a mix-up between Wes Foderingham and Jack Robinson led to the former tripping up Nathan Tella who was seemingly through on goal and saw red for the challenge.

The visitors held strong for much of the encounter but the hosts’ breakthrough came on the hour mark when the ball fell to Gudmundsson inside the area who drilled home before adding a second from close range 10 minutes later.

Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu scored twice as Luton came from behind and moved to third with a 3-1 victory over Blackpool, who edge closer to relegation.

The Tangerines began life without Mick McCarthy in style when Lewis Fiorini’s ball into the box was met by the head of Andy Lyons who nodded the visitors into a shock lead before Mpanzu levelled on the stroke of half-time.

Luton then scored twice in four second-half minutes when Carlton Morris gave the hosts the lead with his 17th goal of the season before the Hatters sealed the points with Mpanzu’s emphatic effort for his second of