Summary

  • Vardy goal gives Championship leaders Leicester win at Sunderland

  • Ipswich come from behind to beat Bristol City 3-2 and stay second

  • James strike gives third-placed Leeds win over lowly Stoke

  • Coventry thump bottom side Rotherham 5-0 - Simms hat-trick

  • Hull draw with Birmingham; Szmodics earns Blackburn point against Millwall

  • Gassama gives Sheff Wed vital win against Plymouth

  1. More to shout about on Wednesdaypublished at 22:45 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    #bbcefl

    Russell Martin shoutsImage source, Getty Images

    That's all we've got time for tonight, but we're only halfway through our midweek feast of Championship action. There are another five games to bring you on Wednesday.

    Can Southampton keep up with Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds? Will QPR or Huddersfield pick up any points to put some distance between themselves and the drop zone? Can Watford turn around their poor form to stop their slide down the table?

    Cardiff v Huddersfield Town

    Middlesbrough v Norwich

    Southampton v Preston North End

    Watford v Swansea

    QPR v West Brom

    Make sure you're back tomorrow where we'll have everything covered.

  2. 'It stops the rot' - Venuspublished at 22:42 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Hull 1-1 Birmingham City

    Birmingham City caretaker manager Mark Venus speaking to BBC Radio WM:

    "It's a big point for us - it stops the rot.

    "Hull had a lot of play, asked a lot of questions and we contained Hull better than we contained Southampton and Ipswich.

    "We fought, we battled and in the end, we got we deserved.

    "I think the bench gave us a freshness and energy. If you take Saturday's game, we've got five games in 16 days. You can't take footballers to every game so you need to utilise the squad. The club invested in these players and they have to get something back from them.

    "George Hall is a kid who we've liked since he came in. We want to build his minutes up and get him on the pitch regularly for us."

  3. 'We showed fight' - Schumacherpublished at 22:40 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Leeds 1-0 Stoke

    Steven Schumacher speaks to officialImage source, Rex Features

    Stoke might remain in the bottom three after tonight's loss at Leeds but the promising signs have given comfort to boss Steven Schumacher.

    The dismissal of Ben Pearson did not help their cause, but the way they troubled Leeds in the second-half, with chances from Tyrese Campbell, Ki-Jana Hoever and Josh Laurent denied by Ilian Mesiler, offers hope they can escape their plight.

    "We showed some resilience and character, some fight," Schumacher told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "Especially in the second-half, we won loads of second-balls, we were a bit more aggressive with them and got into some brilliant areas.

    "That should give them some confidence, because if we put in the effort like that we'll be absolutely fine."

  4. 'Can't believe we've lost' - Fosterpublished at 22:39 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Sheff Wed 1-0 Plymouth

    Ian Foster clapsImage source, Rex Features

    Plymouth Argyle head coach Ian Foster told BBC Radio Devon:

    "It's bitter disappointment, we didn't feel it was a game we ought to have lost.

    "It's really unfortunate the manner of the goal - Adam has made an honest mistake, he should have cleared his lines and unfortunately for Adam he slipped over and they've scored on the transition.

    "Second half I thought the team were perfect in terms of their approach, I thought we bossed the second half and I can't believe that we've come away having lost the game."

  5. 'Second half we were sensational' - Doddspublished at 22:36 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Sunderland 0-1 Leicester

    Sunderland interim boss Mike Dodds speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle:

    "I'm really conscious around answering the question, because I'm aware that's five on the bounce now, and we have to buck that trend as soon as possible.

    "But I do feel in particular that second-half is a snapshot in terms of a blueprint of how we want to play, how I want to play and how the players want to play.

    "The first 15 minutes, I have to give Leicester credit, they moved the ball so quickly. After that the game settled down a bit but they scored in that spell.

    "We started to get a level of control, for 30 minutes the game was even, but in the second-half we were sensational. I don't want to be that stats guy, but xG [expected goals in the second-half] was 0.01. We're talking about the best team in the league.

    "I feel one win is going to turn into two wins or three wins."

  6. 'The worst 45 minutes I've been involved in'published at 22:32 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Coventry 5-0 Rotherham

    Rotherham manager Leam RichardsonImage source, Getty Images

    Rotherham manager Leam Richardson speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield:

    “You can defend footballers as long as you can, and I always will, but that’s probably the worst 45 minutes that I’ve been involved in.

    “You can accept mistakes from Vik (Johansson). He’s had an outstanding season, with a couple of mistakes of late, but he’ll bounce back from it, but you can’t start games like this in the Championship.

    “It was very soft, conceding three or four goals in the middle of our goal, avoidable, not acceptable, and we’re very aware of the situation we are in.

    “If we’re not 100% we will find ourselves on the back of things like this. It’s the first time I’ve experienced it in my time at the club and I’ll do my best to make sure it never happens again."

  7. Postpublished at 22:31 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    Life isn't quite as sweet if you're a Rotherham fan...

  8. 'Nothing surprises me' - McKennapublished at 22:30 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Kieran McKenna holds his fist in the air after full timeImage source, PA

    Twice Ipswich came from behind against Bristol City this evening and even bounced back from a missed penalty to score the winning goal two minutes later.

    Manager Kieran McKenna was full of praise for the spirit shown by his squad.

    "Nothing surprises me, that was the best bit of the comeback," he told Sky Sports of how his side kept coming back.

    "They missed the penalty and you think it's not going to be our night.

    "Our players don't think like that and drop their heads for a minute."

  9. Ipswich or Leeds to go up?published at 22:26 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

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    Quick thumbs poll while we wait for a bit more reaction from the other games.

    Who do you fancy to win automatic promotion? Ipswich or Leeds?

    Thumbs up for Ipswich, thumbs down for Leeds.

  10. 'It doesn't matter by how much, we had to win'published at 22:24 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Leeds 1-0 Stoke

    Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev speaking to BBC Radio Leeds:

    "It was a very difficult game, we started very well and in the first half we had to score a few more goals,

    "The second half was a wild game, from left to right, left to right. We have to keep the ball better and be better in possession, not let the opponent have so many chances or be in our half.

    "It's a difficult game, we only had a one-nil lead and we have to be there, quick in the head because one action and it could be a draw.

    "In the last minute we had a great save from Ilian [Meslier], we need him in those situations. It's important, we drew the last game so today it was important to win. Doesn't matter by how much, we had to win."

  11. 'We won ugly' - Marescapublished at 22:19 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Sunderland 0-1 Leicester

    Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca, talking to BBC Radio Leicester:

    "A very important victory, especially after three defeats. We won the game in an ugly way tonight.

    "It is important also, winning games in this way, it is part of the process to improve as a team.

    "In the second half, we were a little bit tired. Day by day, I am more in love with the team, because they [put in] unbelievable effort."

    "Now it's important we recover in energy and go again on Saturday [against Hull City]."

  12. 'We've got the fight' - Davispublished at 22:15 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Leif Davis scoresImage source, Getty Images

    Not for the first time we're saying it this season but that was a match to remember at Portman Road this evening.

    Twice Ipswich went behind and they even missed a penalty but that still didn't stop them taking another victory and keeping up their charge towards promotion.

    Leif Davis, who got the winning goal in the 89th minute, summed up the spirit in the squad while speaking to Sky Sports after the whistle:

    "You see that tonight you show how strong we are as a team, we've got the fight to come back, we've done it many times this season. It's special."

  13. Who's going down?published at 22:10 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    #bbcefl

    I mean, the bottom of the Championship is just madness....

    Championship bottom 10Image source, .
  14. As you were at the toppublished at 22:07 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Leeds 1-0 Stoke; Sunderland 0-1 Leicester; Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Well then, nothing's changed at the top of the Championship!

    But that's only half the story of a crazy night...

    Championship top 10Image source, .
  15. 'Not a great performance but a great night'published at 22:05 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    FT: Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Mick Mills
    Former Ipswich and England captain on BBC Radio Suffolk

    An absolutely staggering two halves of a football match. It's been such an open game - a real test of character for both teams.

    Bristol seemed a really ordinary team in the first half; Ipswich seemed subdued. Then the second half, Bristol seemed like the more impressive team. They will feel that they could have gone further and their play deserved that.

    Kieran McKenna had to make loads of changes to get it going for Ipswich and eventually it did - mainly from Wes Burns. He took the left-back to the cleaners and got Ipswich to look dangerous. Credit to him and credit to everyone to keep going.

    It was not a great performance but they've made it into a great night.

  16. FULL-TIMEpublished at 22:01 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Leif Davis celebrates scoringImage source, Getty Images

    A massive fist shake from Kieran McKenna as his Ipswich side twice come from behind to beat Bristol City 3-2 and stretch their winning run to six games.

    It means they stay in that all-important second place in the Championship.

    Anis Mehmeti and Tommy Conway twice put Bristol City ahead but Ali Al-Hamadi and Conor Chaplin pegged them back before Leif Davis struck the winner in the 89th minute, seconds after Ipswich had missed a penalty.

    I'm going to catch my breath for a second after that, while we bring you some reaction from this evening's action.

  17. Postpublished at 22:01 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    It's been so open the last few minutes.

    Ipswich win a corner as we approach 98 on the clock and this might be the final play of the game...

  18. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:01 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

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    Antony Short: Forget the champions league this Ipswich Bristol City game has been a belter.

  19. HITS THE WOODWORKpublished at 21:58 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Ipswich a whisker from putting this game to bed.

    Wes Burns is showing no signs of taking things easy against his former side and has been at the centre of the Ipswich turnaround since he came on the pitch.

    He gets in down the wing again and crosses in to Jack Taylor who curls a shot at goal that bounces off the post.

  20. 'Loads of excitement but no quality'published at 21:56 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

    Ipswich 3-2 Bristol City

    Mick Mills
    Former Ipswich and England captain on BBC Radio Suffolk

    This has been an incredible game. It had nothing in the first half and no quality in this second half either. There's been five goals, cross bars hit, penalties missed. There's been loads to excite people but the quality hasn't been there.