LAST UPDATE | 30 Sep 2023
WILL SMALLBONE HELPED to end Southampton’s horror September and put them on course for a 3-1 victory over Leeds.
Adam Armstrong needed just 104 seconds to chip Saints ahead before Smallbone’s low finish and another Armstrong effort – via a deflection – put the hosts in control.
Pascal Struijk pulled one back for Leeds but Southampton ended their four-match winless run and halted a six-game unbeaten stint for their West Yorkshire visitors.
Gavin Bazunu again played the full game for Southampton.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Ipswich moved to the summit as Brandon Williams’ late leveller denied Darren Moore a first home win as Huddersfield boss. The Terriers looked destined to hand their new manager a dream start to life at the John Smith’s Stadium thanks to Delano Burgzorg’s goal after 61 minutes. However, substitute Williams notched an equaliser three minutes from time as the Tractor Boys leapfrogged Leicester into top spot.
Preston’s unbeaten record was emphatically ended as they lost 4-0 at home to West Brom. After six wins and two draws, North End were comprehensively dispatched by the impressive Baggies. Goals from Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley gave West Brom a third win of the season, lifting them to within three points of the play-off places.
Aaron Connolly played all 90 minutes but couldn’t extend his scoring run as Hull City were held 1-1 at home by Plymouth.
Norwich put last weekend’s humiliation at Plymouth firmly behind them with a comfortable 2-0 win over Birmingham at Carrow Road. The Canaries were hammered 6-2 at Home Park, and had also lost their previous home game against Leicester, but two goals inside five minutes early in the second half got their Championship campaign back on track.
Gabriel Sara set the ball rolling in the 55th minute with a close-range header and the hosts gave themselves some breathing space on the hour mark with a well-taken goal from Jonathan Rowe, his sixth of the season. Adam Idah and Shane Duffy were in action for Norwich.
Substitute Nathan Lowe snatched a late winner as Stoke came from two goals down to clinch a 3-2 Championship victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The home side took a fifth-minute lead when Stoke dithered over clearing Kal Naismith’s near-post corner from the right and Sam Bell pounced to fire a low left-footed shot past Mark Travers from a narrow angle.
It was 2-0 after 15 minutes, Nahki Wells intercepting an under-hit back pass to Travers from Ki-Jana Hoever and taking his time before clipping a right-footed shot past the exposed Stoke goalkeeper.
Stoke reduced the arrears five minutes later, Mehdi Leris picking out the top corner with a sweet left-footed drive from outside the box.
Two minutes after the break the Potters were level, Sead Haksabanovic firing low past Max O’Leary from a Hoever cross.
The comeback was complete in the 89th minute as Lowe arrived unmarked at the far post to slot home a right-wing cross, sending the 1,600 travelling fans behind the goal into raptures. O’Leary, Jason Knight and Mark Sykes were the Irish in action for Bristol; Mark Travers was in goal for Stoke.
Cardiff were 2-0 winners over Rotherham, Swansea hammered Millwall 3-0 at the Den, and Middlesbrough won 3-2 away to Watford.
Championship results
- Southampton 3-1 Leeds
- Bristol City 2-3 Stoke
- Cardiff 2-0 Rotherham
- Huddersfield 1-1 Ipswich
- Hull 1-1 Plymouth
- Millwall 0-3 Swansea
- Norwich 2-0 Birmingham
- Preston 0-4 West Brom
- QPR 1-3 Coventry
- Watford 2-3 Middlesbrough
