Steve Bruce secured his first win as Aston Villa manager as Jordan Ayew's late penalty clinched a 2-1 victory at Reading.
Jonathan Kodjia fired Villa ahead late in the first half but Reading equalised nine minutes after the break when Pierluigi Gollini saved a Danny Williams penalty but Yann Kermorgant headed in the rebound.
Ayew was then fouled by Liam Moore in the 90th minute and slotted in the spot-kick to end Villa’s run of 10 Championship matches without a win.
Newcastle United took over at the top of the Championship with victory at Barnsley after Norwich City threw away a two-goal lead to drop points at Fulham.
Norwich looked set to stay on the summit following two first-half penalties from Graham Dorrans, with Scott Malone the culprit on both occasions.
They were denied a first win at Craven Cottage in 30 years, though, when their former striker Chris Martin’s shot went in off Stefan Johansen before Martin grabbed the equaliser.
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That allowed Newcastle to leapfrog Alex Neil’s men as Dwight Gayle took his tally to 11 goals this season, including seven in his last four games, with a second-half double in a 2-0 win at Oakwell.
Gayle broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half when he tapped in from close range and he latched on to Matt Ritchie’s through ball 19 minutes later to seal a fourth straight win.
Brighton are up to third after Sam Baldock’s 14th-minute header was enough to beat Wolves and Birmingham climbed to fifth with a 4-2 win at home to Rotherham.
Rotherham produced another defensive horror show and were behind to Michael Morrison’s header after 15 minutes, only for Danny Ward to equalise after a well-worked move.
Two goals in nine minutes from Lukas Jutkiewicz and Jacques Maghoma put Birmingham back in charge and although Jon Taylor gave the visitors hope, David Cotterill’s 84th-minute penalty completed another miserable night for Rotherham, who have now conceded 32 goals in 13 games.
Ipswich finally ended a goal drought which had lasted 502 minutes when Luke Chambers headed them in front at home to Burton.
Freddie Sears added another late on, ending a 38-match barren run of his own, to seal a 2-0 win and ease the pressure on under-fire manager Mick McCarthy.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also enjoyed a much-needed victory when Idrissa Sylla grabbed the only goal in the 75th minute against Bristol City to earn QPR a first home win since the opening day of the season.
Leeds were denied a fourth successive victory at Elland Road after Shaun MacDonald snatched an injury-time equaliser for Wigan, firing in off the crossbar to cancel out Chris Wood’s first-half volley.
The points were also shared at the iPro Stadium as Steve McClaren’s Derby were held to a goalless draw by Brentford.
Sam Gallagher’s first-half double lifted Blackburn out of the relegation zone. They held on for a 2-1 win at home to Nottingham Forest, who pulled one back through Damien Perquis in stoppage-time but then had Hildeberto Pereira sent off.
Tuesday’s Championship results
• Barnsley 0-2 Newcastle United
• Birmingham City 4-2 Rotherham United
• Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Nottingham Forest
• Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Derby County 0-0 Brentford
• Fulham 2-2 Norwich City
• Ipswich Town 2-0 Burton Albion
• Leeds Untied 1-1 Wigan Athletic
• Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Bristol City
• Reading 1-2 Aston Villa
*Press Association
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