SAMMIE SZMODICS REACTED to his latest omission from the Irish senior squad by scoring once and assisting another as struggling Blackburn hammered QPR 4-0.
Szmodics is now the Championship’s top scorer, with today marking his seventh goal and second assist in 11 games this season. Arnor Sigurdsson (two) and Tyrhys Dolan scored the other goals for Blackburn, to snap a four-game losing run.
The dismal defeat imperils the job prospects of QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth. Irish U21 international Andrew Moran played the last half-hour off the bench for Rovers, while his compatriot Sinclair Armstrong started up front for QPR. Another Irish U21 international, Zak Gilsenan, replaced Szmodics for stoppage time and a first appearance in the Championship.
Elsewhere, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy were both on target as Leicester stayed top of the Championship with a 2-0 victory against Stoke at the King Power Stadium.
Iheanacho scored for the third successive game as the dominant Foxes reached the 30-point mark from only 11 games and already have a 10-point cushion to third.
Mark Travers and Luke McNally played the full game for Stoke.
Ipswich kept pace with Leicester and extended their lead over third-placed Preston to eight points after a thrilling 4-2 victory over North End at Portman Road.
Conor Chaplin fired Ipswich ahead before the visitors levelled through Mads Frokjaer-Jensen. Brandon Williams’ superb solo effort restored Town’s advantage, which was added to by Nathan Broadhead.
Ben Whiteman got Preston back in it, but Kayden Jackson’s late fourth ensured promoted Ipswich’s extraordinary start to the season continued and inflicted a third straight defeat for the visitors.
Alan Browne returned to the Preston team, and he will link up with the Irish squad on Monday for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar.
Fourth-placed Sunderland slumped to a 4-0 hammering to rivals Middlesbrough.
Leeds are fifth, beating Bristol City 2-1 this afternoon. Irish squad members Jason Knight, Mark Sykes, and Max O’Leary all started for Bristol. Norwich, meanwhile, are seventh, having been held 1-1 by Coventry.
Jonathan Rowe had prodded Norwich ahead in the first half before Ben Gibson headed through his own net to prevent a first Coventry home defeat since April. Shane Duffy and Adam Idah started for the Canaries.
Former Ireland U21 international Mark McGuinness scored for Cardiff, but they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Watford. Callum Robinson, included in the latest Irish squad, played the last half-hour for the Bluebirds.
Hull and Millwall drew 2-2, with Aaron Connolly playing the last 30 minutes as a substitute for the Tigers after a recent run of starts.
Gavin Bazunu, Ryan Manning and Will Smallbone were all involved as Southampton were held 1-1 by Rotherham. Stuart Armstong had put Saints into an early lead, but Jordan Hugill came off the bench to spectacularly lob Gavin Bazunu and earn Rotherham their first away point of the season.
Swansea made it four Championship wins on the spin following a 3-1 comeback at Plymouth.
With reporting by Gavin Cooney
