Championship promotion race heats up as top three win
Jamie Vardy has scored the only goal of the game as Championship-leading Leicester beat Sunderland. (AP PHOTO)
Leicester City remain three points clear at the top of the Championship as they ended a three-game losing run with a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on a night that saw wins for the top three sides.
The Foxes retained their advantage over Ipswich Town who needed a late Leif Davis goal to come from behind and beat Bristol City 3-2, while third-placed Leeds United kept pace with a 1-0 win over Stoke City.
Jamie Vardy's 13th goal of the season came in the 13th minute and did the trick for Leicester, with goalkeeper Mads Hermansen making a fine save to deny Trai Hume an equaliser as the Black Cats fell to a fifth straight defeat.
Ipswich, for whom Socceroos Massimo Luongo and Cameron Burgess both started, stayed in touch but only after a frantic second half at Portman Road.
Anis Mehmeti put the Robins in front, and although Ali Al-Hamadi equalised, City were back in front through Tommy Conway's header in the 77th minute. Conor Chaplin headed the Tractor Boys level with 10 minutes to go before Al-Hamadi had a penalty saved and Davis got the winner.
Dan James' first-half strike ensured Leeds stayed only two points off second place.
James had already missed a couple of decent chances when his 11th goal of the season in the 33rd minute broke the deadlock.
Stoke's defeat saw Sheffield Wednesday move level on points with them near the foot of the table, with the Owls now in the relegation zone only on goal difference after a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle made it four wins in a row.
Wednesday's win saw the gap to rock-bottom Rotherham United grow to 19 points as they were thrashed 5-0 by Coventry City, who sit three points off the play-off places.
Birmingham City secured an important point in their fight against the drop with a 1-1 draw at play-off contenders Hull City, leaving the Blues one point clear of the bottom three.
Blackburn Rovers sit two points clear of the drop zone after Sammie Szmodics salvaged a point from a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Millwall at Ewood Park.
Australian Associated Press
