Championship: Vardy ends Leicester’s bad run while Ipswich and Leeds win

Leicester stayed three points clear at the top of the Championship as they ended a three-game losing run with a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on a night when the top three sides won.

The Foxes retained their advantage over Ipswich, who needed a late Leif Davis goal to come from behind and beat Bristol City 3-2, while third-placed Leeds kept pace with a 1-0 win over Stoke.

Jamie Vardy’s 13th goal of the season came in the 13th minute and did the trick for Leicester, with their goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, making a fine save to deny Trai Hume an equaliser as Sunderland fell to a fifth straight defeat.

The Leicester manager, Enzo Maresca, said of Vardy: “We know very well that Jamie is so important for us. He has been so important this season and he will be important for the end of the season. He has experience, but also he has done in his life and is doing the most important thing in football, that is scoring goals.”

Ipswich stayed in touch but only after a frantic second half at Portman Road. Anis Mehmeti put the Robins in front, and although Ali al-Hamadi equalised, City were back in front through Tommy Conway’s header in the 77th minute. Conor Chaplin headed Ipswich level with 10 minutes to go before Davis got the winner. Hamadi even had a penalty saved by City’s goalkeeper Max O’Leary but he was unable to stop Ipswich posting their sixth victory on the trot.

Ipswich’s manager, Kieran McKenna, said: “It was a brilliant way to win a football match. A night and an end to a match and an atmosphere we have to enjoy and some quality that was shown in the second half that we have to be very, very proud of. Another really good night for the football club.”

Daniel Farke felt Leeds’ 1-0 victory over Stoke was his side’s “best win in 2024” as they continued their automatic-promotion charge.

Dan James could have had a couple in the first half but for Daniel Iversen’s saves before the Wales international put his side ahead with his 11th goal of the season just after the half-hour mark. Stoke did not roll over and Illan Meslier kept out chances from Lewis Baker, Tyrese Campbell and Josh Laurent in the second period. Mateo Joseph saw one blocked off the line to deny Leeds a second while substitute Ben Pearson was sent off late on for the visitors.

Farke said: “For me, it is the best win in 2024 because everyone expects us to win this home game. Everyone expects us at Elland Road to beat each and every opponent right now against a team not in the best position and think it should be an easy win. It feels like in the stadium ‘we are going there for a cup of tea and a cake’ perhaps instead of this explosion we had against Leicester where everyone was on it.”

Stoke’s defeat saw Sheffield Wednesday move level on points with them near the foot of the table, with the Owls now in the relegation zone only on goal difference after a 1-0 victory over Plymouth made it four wins in succession. Djeidi Gassama got the all-important goal on the hour mark, turning in Ike Ugbo’s cross.

Wednesday’s win saw the gap to rock-bottom Rotherham grow to 19 points as they were thrashed 5-0 by Coventry, who sit three points off the playoff places. Ellis Simms scored a first-half hat-trick at the CBS Arena, with Joel Latibeaudiere also on target as Coventry led 4-0 by half-time. Fábio Tavares finished things off in stoppage time.

Birmingham secured an important point in their fight against the drop with a 1-1 draw at playoff contenders Hull, leaving Blues one point clear of the bottom three. Ozan Tufan headed Hull in front in the first half but the Tigers failed to press home their advantage and Lukas Jutkiewicz levelled in the 82nd minute.

Blackburn sit two points clear of the drop zone after Sammie Szmodics salvaged a point from a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Millwall at Ewood Park. Szmodics pounced on a defensive error to fire home just past the hour mark, 10 minutes after Michael Obafemi had lashed the Lions in front.