Image source, Rex Features

So that's where we leave you after another frenetic day in the Championship.

Leeds kicked off the festivities with their thumping win against Ipswich and we had plenty of goals across the 15:00 GMT kick-offs as we reached the official halfway stage of the season.

We'll be back for a bumper day of action on Boxing Day when all 24 teams are in action.

For now though, thank you for joining us and a very Merry Christmas to you all.

Rotherham United boss Leam Richardson said he thought his side gave a good account of themselves at the league leaders.

“For an hour, 65 minutes, I thought we were very good value for the performance, hoping to take into the latter stages and hoping they’d throw a couple of bodies forward, possibly counter on them, but you have to respect Leicester," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

“They’re full of quality and they’re up there for a reason. We’re in a really challenging division and we’re stretched for bodies at the minute, so fingers crossed we can get reinforcements sooner rather than later.

“But on today’s assessment I thought the lads dug deep and gave a good account of themselves.

“The disappointing thing is the individual goals and the individual errors that we can avoid but that’s habits, and it’s my job to make them stronger going forward.”

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes said he thought his side deserved more out of the game against Southampton.

“I’m disappointed with the result but at the same time proud of the performance against one of the best sides in the league, in my opinion," he told BBC Radio London.

"I think we did a lot of good things to perhaps deserve more but, as I’ve said before, it’s not about deserving, it’s about achieving.

“After a period we started to grow and create some situations and we had very good momentum, then we conceded a free-kick and they took the lead.

“I think we started the second half with a good level, having opportunities to score a goal and unfortunately we couldn’t. Perhaps our management in the last minutes of the game, when they got the red card, was not good enough.

“But I see the team is growing and I cannot complain about the effort, the desire and the way we played.”

Image source, Rex Features

Birmingham City had to settle for a point against Plymouth in a game they possibly could have won, having led 3-1 headed into the final stages.

Blues had been reduced to 10 men when Krystian Bielik was sent off but Morgan Whittaker's late strike levelled for the Pilgrims.

"It's frustrating obviously being 2-0 up and then the mistake lets them back in the game," Blues manager Wayne Rooney told BBC Radio WM.

"In the second half we were down to 10 almost immediately it's frustrating and I'm disappointed. But then we got the third goal and I felt we were okay but we couldn't see the game out in the end.

"The important thing is we didn't lose the game. The players kept working and kept on at it but I'm disappointed we didn't get three points.

"I'm disappointed in the end, but the positive is we didn't come away with no points as I don't think we would have deserved that."

Cardiff stunned Sheffield Wednesday late on at Hillsborough in a game where for much of the 90 minutes they did not look like winning.

Their win moved them up to 10th in the Championship and three points off the play-off places in a crowded battle for the top six in mid table.

"It was hard work. We knew it would not be easy because Wednesday had won three of their last four games," Cardiff manager Erol Bulut told BBC Radio Wales.

"It was not a game where you could play nice football. Today was about fighting and running. First half maybe not so much but second half we showed team spirit, teamwork.

"At the start of the week, we had a meeting and said we had to change our work on the field and, today, we fought as a team and deserved the three points."

And there was another fine comeback at Hillsborough...

Image source, Rex Features

He will probably soon realise that not all games in management will be quite this exciting/dramatic, but Plymouth Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip (who is joint caretaker manager with first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell) spoke to BBC Sport after their six-goal thriller.

"I really enjoyed the experience, I'm really proud of the players, really proud of the supporters - I thought they were really fantastic, and am really proud to have led Plymouth Argyle today," Dewsnip said.

"It feels a little bit strange, I'm under no illusions and I would express to all the supporters I won't be the next manager, we're looking for a manager and we're at the start of that process and hopefully we can get the next manager very soon.

"When you come back from two goals down not once, but twice, and nearly sneak it at the end the momentum goes into the dressing room and everyone's quite pleased.

"But we conceded three goals so we've got a bit of work to do."

Arguably the game of the day came at Home Park where Plymouth fought back from 3-1 down to draw with 10-man Birmingham City.

Let's hear what one of the Pilgrims' interim bosses had to say...

With Leicester on 58 points at exactly the halfway point of the campaign, do you think they will break Reading's Championship record haul of 106 points from the 2005-06 season?

Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no.

Image source, Rex Features

Another brilliant second-half performance saw Leicester City extend their lead at the top of the table to six points and means they will sit on top of the tree on Christmas day.

Leicester City head coach Enzo Maresca told BBC Radio Leicester: “We knew it would be a difficult game.

"We were patient to wait for more chances, keep the balance, don’t lose any transitions, and in the end we did the most difficult thing in this kind of game and found a goal.

“We knew it would be difficult to continue with the same energy for them without the ball. We were happy even with the first half.

“In the first half, we created three clear chances and it’s difficult to have a big amount of chances in this kind of game. You need to be patient.

“It’s six points from Ipswich and more points from Southampton and Leeds, but at this moment we are just in the first half of the season. It’s important to have the amount of points we have and we need to continue a little bit more.”

Image source, Rex Features

I think it's safe to say Michael Beale's reign at Sunderland couldn't have got off to a worse start.

“I’m not going to make any excuses for losing 3-0 at home – I have to apologise to the fans," Beale told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"There was some naivety in our performance today we need to look at.

“Between the boxes we played some good football, we got into good areas and had as many, if not more chances than Coventry – but we can’t concede three goals at the other end. It’s not good enough.

“Early in the game we had the first big opportunity to score and we didn’t take it. In the first half we had the majority of possession but it’s fair to say we were sloppy at times.

"Other than the set-play, where Patti makes a great save the first half was petering out and right on the whistle we go in 1-0 down. Our response to that at the start of the second half was actually very good but we created numerous opportunities and didn’t take them.”

Image source, Rex Features

Coventry had a tough task in front of them today against a Sunderland team under new stewardship.

However, they gave Michael Beale the worst possible start to his reign at the Black Cats, by putting three goals past them at the Stadium of Light.

Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire: “We’ll take the three points on the back of a reasonable performance but a great scoreline.

"Both teams, I think, gave the ball away too cheaply, certainly in the first half, but chances were at a premium.

“They started the second half on the front foot and there were times when we threw bodies in front of the ball. We got good blocks in, we won the headers and defended corners really well.

“The first goal sort of ricochets off Tatsu (Sakamoto) and goes into the net but he’s in the right place at the right time. That gives him a little bit of confidence and he’s got our noses in front.

“Callum (O’Hare) certainly looked like he was tiring then he picked the ball up and sticks it in the back of the net with a brilliant finish, really calm. Then we start to get a lift in terms of energy levels.”

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough pulled off an impressive victory against West Brom to make it two successive wins.

It put them within three points of the top six in 11th place in a crowded race for the play-offs.

"It was a good one, for so many different reasons, the performance was there against a really good team, individually, the quality of the players they have, they're so well organised and very tough to play against so it was a real challenge for us," Boro boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees.

"We're stretched in terms of numbers but I keep saying about the quality we've got, and we believe in it, it was there today, the spirit was there and we should probably have won by more."

Image source, Rex Features

Talking of promotion contenders, Southampton made it 15 games unbeaten with victory at QPR.

Saints boss Russell Martin reflected on their nervy win in west London as they finished with 10 men after Shea Charles picked up two quick yellow cards when he came off the bench.

“The first half was okay, we just lacked a little bit of energy and then we scored from a set-piece, which was nice," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"Second half we were in their box a lot and I don’t think they created too much – there were a few ‘ooh’ moments but the lads defended so well.

“I think he (Shea Charles) has taken one for the team and the lads have clapped him. You want to stop their biggest threat which is the counter-attack and, if he doesn’t make that, because he’s worried about getting a red card, maybe they go and score.”

Blackburn Rovers led until the 83rd minute and the result was tough to stomach for boss Jon Dahl Tomasson.

The Rovers boss told BBC Radio Lancashire: "That is a hard result to take of course. It is unbelievable that we are standing with nothing.

"We dominated the game in the first 70 minutes and played some excellent football.

"The only criticism which we can have is we didn't kill off the game with the chances we had in both halves.

"Probably the biggest moment of the game is when the Watford keeper dropped the ball and they disallowed the goal."

Image source, Rex Features

BBC Radio Lancashire's Andy Bayes tipped improving Watford as challengers for promotion after seeing them come from behind to beat Blackburn.

Do you agree?

Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no.

Watford scored twice within seven minutes in the second half to come from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Despite the victory, Watford boss Valerien Ismael was not happy with the effort levels from his team in the first half.

He told BBC Three Counties Radio: "The first half, we were too complacent. This is what we have to learn. At half-time, I was loud with the players.

"If we think that 80% will be enough to win a game in the Championship, then we make a big mistake and we will have a lot of regrets.

"In the second half, we showed another mentality and desire to do the right thing. The win [comes] with a warning to be at 100% to get our reward."

Andy Bayes
Sports Editor, BBC Radio Lancashire

A lot to admire about Blackburn today but another day where conceding late has done the damage.

Horribly similar goals to concede late on, Watford had great options from the bench to come on & influence things. They’ll challenge for promotion in my opinion.

There's a feast of Championship football to come on 26 December (Tuesday) and we'll have all the action for you on the BBC Sport website and app...

12:30 GMT

• Preston v Leeds

13:00

• Millwall v QPR

15:00

• Cardiff v Plymouth
• Coventry v Sheff Wed
• Huddersfield v Blackburn
• Hull v Sunderland
• Rotherham v Middlesbrough
• Southampton v Swansea
• Watford v Bristol City
• West Brom v Norwich

17:15

• Birmingham v Stoke

19:45

• Ipswich v Leicester

It doesn't get any easier for Ipswich during the festive period.

A visit from leaders Leicester on Boxing Day is one of 12 fixtures...