Championship roundup: Swansea fight back to beat Norwich; Middlesbrough go second

Vítor Matos praised his Swansea side for overcoming a lack of training as they strengthened their position at the top of the Championship with a 2-1 comeback win over Norwich. Second-half goals from Moussa Yeo and the Republic of Ireland striker Adam Idah wiped out Jacob Wright’s strike just before the half-hour mark.

It was the third time Swansea had come from behind this season to win, and, after West Ham’s draw the previous night, it gave them top spot in the table. Idah, though, limped out of the action and could be a doubt for Tuesday’s visit to Millwall.

“I’m really happy with the boys,” said Matos. “Players had been flying around because of the international break, joining on the last days of training as well before the game. It’s not the easiest way to prepare. It’s all about trying to reconnect everyone.”

It was a fourth defeat in a row in all competitions for Norwich, who have now conceded 19 goals in nine league matches.

Middlesbrough celebrated their 150th anniversary game in style as Will Lankshear’s second-half header secured a 1-0 victory over Wolves at the Riverside Stadium. A sold-out crowd helped mark the occasion, and Lankshear’s header from Tommy Conway’s cross ensured the home fans went home happy. The win enabled Middlesbrough to climb above West Ham into second spot. Wolves were second best as they suffered a second league defeat since their relegation last season.

West Brom’s head coach, James Morrison, defended Nat Phillips as a “strong character” after a second successive derby mistake led to the only goal in a 1-0 defeat to Birmingham at The Hawthorns. Phillips gave away the 41st-minute penalty when he fouled August Priske, who slotted home from the spot. The former Liverpool defender’s back pass let in Fer Lopez to win the Black Country derby for Wolves last time out, but Morrison said: “I understand he’s made two errors but it was just a misjudgement.”

Burnley’s first win of the season, and their first away from home since February, sent Watford fans into open revolt as the Clarets cruised home 4-0 at Vicarage Road. While Alessio Dionisi’s fifth defeat in six games increased the pressure on the Hornets head coach, counterpart Nicky Hayen’s first victory lifted Burnley off the bottom.

Three goals in the space of 12 first-half minutes put the visitors out of sight and extended the Hornets’ wretched defensive record to 29 weeks without a clean sheet. When Stoke won 2-1 at Vicarage Road last month, it ended 251 days without a win on the road for the Potters. Here, Watford extended more charity to the Clarets, who ended 241 days without an away win comfortably.

Bristol City’s manager, Michael Skubala, felt Charlton goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo should have been sent off in the 1-1 draw at The Valley. Referee Tom Reeves did not give a foul after the Wrexham loanee raced out of his box to halt Japanese winger Yu Hirakawa in the 15th minute. By that stage the Addicks already had a lead through Karlan Grant’s smart finish but Scott Twine’s penalty in the 27th minute put City back on level terms after Conor Coventry brought down Dom Ballard.

Patrick Bamford scored twice to help Sheffield United to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Lincoln. The result, with Tahith Chong also on the scoresheet, ended a three-match losing run for Chris Wilder’s men in all competitions against a side which had won three of their previous four away matches.

Lamine Cissé and Ben Wilmot were on target as 10-man Stoke extended their unbeaten league run to six games with a 2-1 win over Bolton. Mark Robins’ in-form side played for 70 minutes without Maksym Talovierov after the defender’s dismissal for bringing down Kyliane Dong. However, the Potters shrugged off the disadvantage to gain a first win in Bolton since October 1990. Their fifth win in six games lifted them up to fourth while Bolton dropped to 17th.

Blackburn made it back-to-back home wins with a battling 2-1 victory over Cardiff. Andri Gudjohnsen gave Rovers the lead with a composed finish just before the half hour and Todd Cantwell doubled the advantage 10 minutes later with a shot that Bluebirds goalkeeper Nathan Trott will be disappointed not to have saved. The visitors struck just after the break through Callum Robinson’s first of the campaign.

Derby are still without a home win after Ollie Rathbone scored late on to earn Wrexham a 1-1 draw at Pride Park. The Rams were on course for victory through Sam Szmodics’ superb early strike only for the Welsh side to rescue a point two minutes from the end.

Camiel Neghli ensured it was a baptism of fire for the new Preston manager, Graham Alexander, as his late strike sealed a 1-0 win for Millwall at Deepdale. It was coolness personified from the Dutch-born Algerian, who slotted Luke Cundle’s cut-back into the far corner for what turned out to be a 79th-minute winner.