RESULT! Hitman Bradley is Just the job
BRADLEY DACK helped Gillingham make an assault on the top of the League One table as Burton fell to a shock defeat.
Justin Edinburgh’s men had started the day down in third place but saw off Peterborough to leapfrog Burton after Shrewsbury sent Albion crashing to a 2-1 defeat.
And Walsall also dropped points after Danny Philliskirk’s stoppage time goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Blackpool.
Peterborough had taken an early lead at the Priestfield Stadium through midfielder Erhun Oztumer.
But Gills’ prolific strikers Luke Norris and Dack responded to send them to the top of the table on goal difference.
Second-half goals from Andy Mangan and Shaun Whalley stunned Burton after defender Damien McCrory’s early strike.
And Walsall also thought they were set for a comfortable afternoon when midfielder Jason Demetriou scored before Philliskirk’s late stunner.
Sam Winnall hit a hat-trick as Barnsley romped to a
THREE-SY: Sam Winnall 6-1 win over Rochdale and former boss Keith Hill.
Alfie Mawson’s header set the Tykes on their way before Winnall grabbed his treble and strikes from Marley Watkins and Kevin Long completed the rout.
Brad Inman earned struggling Crewe earned a battling 1-1 draw against promotion-chasing Wigan.
Colchester’s poor league form continued as they went down 3-0 at managerless Scunthorpe with Paddy Madden scoring twice.
Tyrone Barnett also hit a double as Southend ended a three-game losing streak in style by beating Coventry 3-0.
Millwall continued their play-off push with a 2-1 win at Chesterfield.
Struggling Fleetwood and Doncaster drew 0-0 while an early goal from striker Leon Clarke saw Bury take the bragging rights over local rivals Oldham 1-0.
Bradford battled to a 1-1 draw at Port Vale.
And Sheffield United were held to a 1-1 draw by Swindon after Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill pegged back the Blades.
The Leicester bubble is showing no signs of bursting as they overcame Midlands rivals Stoke with Danny Drinkwater and sub Leo Ulloa also scoring.
Stoke were well in the game before Drinkwater netted in the 42nd minute but after that they were blown away by an energetic and powerful Leicester display.
The Foxes also kept their fourth league clean sheet in five as they overtook Arsenal, who play Chelsea today.
Stoke dropped to ninth but are still well placed to fight for a top-six position.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri said: “To score three goals is very important but the clean sheet is also very good for us.
“It was very important to be top of the league at the end of January with games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City coming up.
“It will be tough but it’s good. We are ready to fight. The players will now have three days off and come back refreshed to start again.”
Drinkwater broke his Premier League duck to press his England claims and Ranieri added: “He is a very good midfielder, a good passer, and I tell him if you do not shoot you cannot score a goal so I was pleased he scored. Roy Hodgson is watching us and if he wants some of my English players I will be very, very pleased to give him them.”
Stoke boss Mark Hughes said: “It wasn’t a great day for us. We didn’t produce anything of note. It was a day to forget.
“We are a lot better than what we showed here but credit to Leicester – they put you under pressure and we couldn’t cope well enough with that on the day.
“Marko Arnautovic hasn’t trained all week but he should be fit to play against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.”
Vardy forced a save out of Jack Butland in the 18th minute and the resulting corner saw a spectacular Riyad Mahrez scissor-kick drift just wide.
Stoke lost influential skipper Ryan Shawcross on the half-hour and Hughes added: “His back and hip locked up. “Hopefully it’s just a muscular issue and he will be OK.”
Vardy ended his mini drought when a corner was headed out to Drinkwater whose first-time strike was cruelly deflected away from Butland by Marc Wilson.
Joselu wasted a good chance to equalise when he headed straight at Kasper Schmeichel from Glen Johnson’s cross. And Ranieri’s men were in cruise control in the 66th minute when Drinkwater found Vardy who held off Wilson, rounded Butland and scored from a narrow angle.
Ulloa made it three in the 87th minute after Riyad Mahrez had nutmegged Philipp Wollscheid and passed across the six-yard box.