Canaries fly over Terriers to top the Championship
LONDON: Norwich soared to the top of the English Championship table as they overcame 10-man Burton Albion 3-1 to leapfrog previous pacesetters Huddersfield.
Huddersfield, who had started the day two points clear, suffered a 1-0 defeat at Reading on Saturday to relinquish the leadership of England’s second-tier league.
Norwich, relegated from the Premier League last season, made hard work of subduing Burton at Carrow Road after Swedish international defender Martin Olsson had put them in front in the 29th minute.
Lucas Akins equalised for the visitors soon after the break only for Jacob Murphy to respond quickly with a deflected effort for the Canaries and Burton’s hopes were sunk when Tom Flanagan was sent off for a second booking after he handled in the area.
Robbie Brady’s penalty was saved by Jon McLaughlin but in the 88th minute Ivo Pinto hammered home a third to seal Norwich’s fourth straight league victory that puts them a point clear of Huddersfield on 20 after nine matches.
The Terriers were reduced to 10 men after Rajiv van La Parra was sent off for dissent in the 26th minute and paid the price just before half-time when a Roy Beerens strike gave Reading victory.
The win put Reading fourth, two points adrift of the secondTerriers, while Brighton moved into third place on goal difference with Glenn Murray’s double earning them a 2-0 win over Barnsley.
In the day’s biggest Championship match, Newcastle had looked poised to jump into third place when they led at Aston Villa through a first-half Tommy Elphick own goal.
Yet Aaron Tshibola headed home a well-deserved late equaliser for Villa to ensure the spoils were divided in the meeting of two of last season’s Premier League outfits.
Newcastle now lie fifth on 16 points.