the championship
ASTON VILLA 2 Adomah (22, 36 pen) PRESTON NORTH END 2 Hugill (63, 76)
ASTON VILLA had mixed fortunes maintaining their unbeaten home record with a frustrating draw with Preston.
Two first-half goals, including a penalty, from Albert Adomah, seemingly put Villa on the winning track, but they went off the boil in the second half.
Preston struggled to get into their stride in the first half, but two second-half goals from Jordan Hugill changed the whole complexion of the match as Villa lost their earlier rhythm.
The hosts steamed ahead in the 22nd minute when, following a throw-in, Jack Grealish cleverly produced a short lob into the path of Gabby Agbonlahor.
The striker appeared to lose control, but became entangled with Preston goalkeeper Chris Maxwell. As a result the ball ran loose towards an open goal with the alert Adomah providing the finishing touch.
In the 35th minute, Adomah recorded his second goal when he fired home a penalty.
Surprisingly, Villa took their foot off the accelerator and allowed Preston back into the game in the 63rd minute when Hugill scored a 20-yard cracker and the same striker’s header 14 minutes later levelled for the visitors.
DERBY COUNTY 3 Bent (36), Ince (63), Hughes (74) READING 2 Swift (16), Meite (80)
DERBY bounced back from conceding at home for the first time in nearly 13 hours to beat promotion hopefuls Reading at Pride Park.
John Swift put Reading in front, but Darren Bent equalised before half-time and Tom Ince and Will Hughes turned the game around, before Yakou Meite set up a tense finish that saw Jordan Obita sent off deep in added time.
No visiting team had scored at Pride Park since September 24, but that run ended in the 16th minute when Liam Kelly burst into the box and crossed low for Swift to turn the ball in at the near post.
The goal reflected Reading’s superiority as they were given too much space in midfield to create openings, although Derby drew level through Bent when the visitors failed to clear a corner.
Ince then put them in front when he beat Ali Al Habsi from 10 yards and Hughes added a third.
Reading pulled one back when Meite headed in at the back post, but they could not muster an equaliser.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2 Brown (41), Schindler (52) IPSWICH TOWN 0
IZZY BROWN showed why he is one of the leading talents in the Championship as Huddersfield returned to winning ways against Ipswich.
Brown, signed on loan from Chelsea for the rest of the season, scored just before half-time to pile the pressure on underfire Tractor Boys boss Mick McCarthy.
Brown, recently recalled from a loan spell at Rotherham, struck a superb individual effort as Huddersfield bounced back from a defeat against play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Christopher Schindler scored in the second half, pouncing on the rebound after Dean Gerken kept out Philip Billing’s shot, to complete a miserable week for Ipswich after a shock FA Cup defeat to National League leaders Lincoln City.
Rajiv van La Parra, back in the home side after injury, had an early shot saved by Gerken.
Top scorer Elias Kachunga had two headers kept out by Gerken as the hosts dominated throughout.
Van La Parra missed the ball late on when a simple touch would have beaten Gerken again.
Ipswich’s best chance came via a Freddie Sears flick straight into Danny Ward’s arms.