Leicester close in as Burnley held

Football | English Championship

Leicester © Gallo Images

 

Burnley's advantage at the top of the Championship was cut to one point on Saturday as the leaders were held to a 2-2 draw at Millwall, while second placed Leicester won 3-0 at Watford.
Sean Dyche's team trailed 2-0 at The Den as first half goals from Australia striker Scott McDonald and Nigerian defender Danny Shittu put the hosts in control.
But Burnley forward Sam Vokes reduced the deficit before the break and an own goal from Millwall's Australian defender Shane Lowry in the 55th minute rescued a point for the Clarets.
Burnley's unbeaten run has now extended to 10 league games, but the visitors were unable to make it eight consecutive league wins, failing to keep up with their best ever start to a season back in 1897.
With Burnley forced to settle for a point, Leicester closed the gap at the top with an emphatic victory over promotion rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.
Goals from Chris Wood, Anthony Knockaert and Lloyd Dyer secured Leicester's best ever start to a Football League season as they avenged their defeat against the Hornets in last season's Championship play-off semifinals.


Third placed QPR are only two points off the top after handing Derby manager Steve McClaren an unhappy return to Loftus Road.
McClaren, who recently left his coaching role at QPR to take over as Rams boss, saw his side level through Simon Dawkins after Jermaine Jenas's early tap-in.
But QPR sealed a 2-1 win in the 63rd minute when the ball ended up in the back of the net as Clint Hill, Jenas and visiting defender Jake Buxton challenged for Alejandro Faurlin's free-kick at the far post.
That condemned Derby to their first defeat since former England coach McClaren's appointment, while it was also QPR's first win in four matches.
Blackpool striker Stephen Dobbie scored in stoppage-time to clinch a 1-0 win over 10-man Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

It seemed the heroics of Forest goalkeeper Karl Darlow would help Forest to a point after midfielder Djamel Abdoun was sent off in the 34th minute for conceding a penalty with a clumsy foul on Neal Bishop.
Darlow pushed away Tom Ince's penalty and looked to be on course for a clean sheet, before Dobbie popped up in the 91st minute to snatch a big win for fourth placed Blackpool over their fellow promotion contenders.
Fifth placed Reading slumped to a humiliating 5-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, who had started the day bottom of the table and without a league win this season.
Elsewhere, Charlton won 1-0 at Birmingham and Blackburn beat Middlesbrough 1-0.
Leeds were 2-0 winners at home to Yeovil, who slipped to the bottom of the table.
Bolton won 2-0 at Bournemouth, Brighton defeated Doncaster 3-1 and Wigan beat Huddersfield 2-1.