Football League Review: Brighton extend unbeaten run, Ipswich condemn Leeds

Brighton and Hove Albion continued their unbeaten start to the Championship season with a routine 2-1 defeat of Rotherham on Tuesday, while Ipswich Town condemned Leeds United to their first loss of the campaign.

Chris Hughton’s Brighton went into the match having dropped only two points from their first six games and they never looked in danger of suffering their first reverse against rock-bottom Rotherham.

Tomer Hemed opened the scoring in the 27th minute, scoring for the third successive game after receiving Jamie Murphy’s cross, before Dale Stephens doubled their advantage past the hour-mark.

Substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris pulled one back with a header 19 minutes from time, but Brighton had little difficulty seeing out the win to extend their lead at the top to five points.

Ipswich bounced back from their 5-1 hammering by Reading on Friday with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Leeds, who tasted defeat for the first time of the season as a result.

Tommy Smith scored the game’s only goal, capitalising on some unconvincing goalkeeping by Marco Silvestri to nod in after 32 minutes, with Leeds ultimately failing to find a way through the visitors’ resolute backline.

Middlesbrough and Burnley continued their good starts and moved up to second and third, respectively, thanks victories of their own.

Burnley scraped past visitors Milton Keynes Dons 2-1 via goals from Sam Vokes and George Boyd, while Middlesbrough cruised past Brentford 3-1 – Uruguay international Cristhian Stuani netting twice.

Hull City’s bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking is not looking too much of a distance dream at the moment, as they left Cardiff City with a 2-0, and Huddersfield Town clinched their first victory, prevailing 2-1 at Charlton Athletic.

Nottingham Forest moved level on 11 points with Birmingham City thanks to a 1-0 win at St. Andrew’s, while Paul Clement got the better of another ex-Chelsea first-team coach in Steve Clarke, as Derby County beat Reading 1-0 – Orlando Sa seeing red for the latter.

Bolton held Sheffield Wednesday to 0-0 and Aaron Wilbraham clinched a 1-1 stalemate for Bristol City late on at Preston North End in the only two draws of the day.

In League One, Colchester United almost threw away a two-goal lead at Sheffield United, before ultimately sealing a 3-2 win courtesy of Marvin Sordell in the 82nd minute, despite George Elokobi’s late sending off, and Millwall won 2-0 at Port Vale.