Championship wrap: Leicester set the pace at the top

Leaders Leicester registered their sixth Sky Bet Championship victory in a row as Enzo Maresca's men saw off Stoke 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Kelechi Iheanacho put the Foxes in front in the 24th minute and Jamie Vardy added a finish with 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

Leicester maintained their two-point lead at the top over Ipswich, who are eight clear of the play-off spots after defeating third-placed Preston 4-2 at Portman Road.

The Tractor Boys were 3-1 up at the break via goals from Conor Chaplin, Brandon Williams and, following Mads Frokjaer-Jensen's reply, Nathan Broadhead.

Ben Whiteman pulled another goal back for the visitors early in the second half before Kayden Jackson wrapped things up for Ipswich.

In the lunchtime kick-off, fourth-placed Sunderland were thrashed 4-0 at home by derby rivals Middlesbrough after having Dan Neil sent off in first-half stoppage time when the match was still goalless.

Boro ran riot after the break as Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isaiah Jones and Marcus Forss all got on the scoresheet.

Leeds moved up a place to fifth with a 2-1 home win over Bristol City sealed by Joel Piroe's finish.
Piroe restored the hosts' lead in the 53rd minute after Dan James' opener had been cancelled out by Kal Naismith.

Blackburn ended their four-match losing streak in emphatic fashion as they won 4-0 against QPR at Loftus Road, where Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics, who was left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar, scored either side of an Arnor Sigurdsson brace.

The result put Jon Dahl Tomasson's Rovers, who brought on Ireland U21 midfielder Andrew Moran on for the final half hour, five points clear of 22nd-placed Rangers.

Valerien