Championship Round-Up: Huddersfield top after Barnsley win, Nottingham Forest edge seven-goal thriller

Huddersfield Town moved two points clear at the top of the Championship table after narrowly defeating newly promoted Barnsley 2-1 at home.

The Terriers took the lead when full-back Chris Lowe fired in a magnificent effort, only for fellow defender Alfie Mawson to equalise for the Tykes shortly after half-time. However Huddersfield’s Jonathan Hogg had the last laugh with a well taken injury-time strike to give head coach David Wagner’s side a profitable 10 points from a possible 12.

Two points behind the new league leaders are Brighton and Hove Albion, despite being pinned back to a 2-2 draw at ten-man Reading.

John Swift’s second minute free-kick gave the Royals an instant lead at the Madejski Stadium, before teammate Joey van den Berg headed a corner into his own net to gift the visitors an equaliser. Anthony Knockaert’s low drive then put the Seagulls ahead after the interval, only for Paul McShane to help Reading take a share of the spoils come the final whistle on the hour-mark – despite Van den Berg being dismissed late on for a second bookable offence.

Nottingham Forest claimed their second league win of the 2016/17 season after a thrilling 4-3 victory over newly promoted Wigan Athletic at the City Ground.

Britt Assombalonga slotted the home side in front after six minutes, before Michael Jacobs equalised, only for man of the match Oliver Burke to restore Forest’s advantage eight minutes into the second-half.

After seeing Apostolos Vellios have a penalty saved by Latics shot stopper Adam Bogdan, Northern Ireland international Will Grigg scored twice, either side of another strike from the ever-present Burke, to draw the game level at 3-3 with only four minutes of normal time remaining.

However summer signing Thomas Lam popped up in the third minute of extra-time to send the home crowd into raptures as Philippe Montanier’s men climb to 11th in the table.

Elsewhere; Wolverhampton Wanderers are level on points with runners-up Brighton after preserving their unbeaten league record this term under new head coach Walter Zenga, defeating 10-man Midland rivals Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.

However Wolves had to do it the hard way after new signing Che Adams, from Sheffield United, fired the Blues in front after converting Stephen Gleeson’s cross.

But after the half-time break; Zenga’s side romped the second period as Joe Mason brilliantly curled home their leveller, before Danny Bath bundled home their second and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson added a third late on after Birmingham substitute Jack Storer was sent off for a headbutt on Kortney Hause.

Antonsson fired Leeds in front at Hillsborough – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

In Saturday’s early kick-off; Leeds United served up their first league win of the new campaign as Garry Monk’s Whites impressively saw off Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Hillsborough.

Second-half strikes from Marcus Antonsson and Chris Wood helped the former Swansea City boss taste triumph for the first time as Leeds manager, reportedly dodging the sack from controversial chairman Massimo Cellino after only four league games.

In other results; Norwich City and Ipswich Town couldn’t be separated in Sunday’s East Anglian derby as Jonas Knudsen’s equaliser in first-half stoppage time cancelled out Cameron Jerome’s opener to secure a 1-1 stalemate, whilst Dwight Gayle scored the only goal of the game to give Newcastle United all three points at Bristol City.

Jermaine Beckford’s opener and an own goal from Nedum Onuoha was enough to give Preston North End a surprise 2-0 victory at Queens Park Rangers, Danny Ward was the man of the moment after scoring Rotherham United’s winner (1-0) at home to Brentford and Tom Naylor’s 88th minute header salvaged a point for newly promoted Burton Albion after their entertaining 2-2 draw at Blackburn Rovers.

There was also a decisively late strike at Craven Cottage, as Kevin McDonald’s 86th minute effort denied Cardiff City all three points in London after their 2-2 encounter, meanwhile promotion hopefuls Derby County and Aston Villa couldn’t be separated after their goalless stalemate at the iPro Stadium.

Player of the Weekend: Oliver Burke (Nottingham Forest)
Team of the Weekend: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Goal of the Weekend: Craig Conway (BLACKBURN ROVERS vs Burton Albion)