Championship round-up: Grayson sees the Seasiders spoil Brum's day out

Birmingham City's 100 per cent home record, and unbeaten start in the Championship, was left in tatters by Blackpool, who thoroughly deserved their 1-0 win at St Andrews. Simon Grayson's side made the breakthrough two minutes into the second half. Ben Burgess had just missed a good chance for Pool when Keith Southern's pass picked out unmarked Chris Taylor-Fletcher who fired in from 10 yards. Brum rarely threatened, but remain second in the table.

Brum were booed off. "We never gave the supporters what they wanted and we deserved the criticism from them," their manager Alex McLeish said. "If I was a supporter I would have booed as well." And Grayson's secret? "Individually against Birmingham we will not be better than them but on our day if our players can play to their maximum you can get these results."

After their six-goal romp against Sheffield Wednesday in midweek the last thing Reading needed was the gift of a goal, but that is exactly what linesman Nigel Bannister gave them at Vicarage Road, adjudging John Eustace to have bundled the ball over his own line when in fact the ball went wide. "I've never seen anything like it," Watford's manager Adrian Boothroyd said. "It's like a UFO landing, a mistake like that."

The indignant Hornets were stung into action. Tommy Smith fired them level after 57 minutes, John-Joe O'Toole made it 2-1 just past the hour. But a foul on Shane Long saw Stephen Hunt make it 2-2 from the penalty spot. Reading are sixth.

Bristol City are fifth after a first home win. Michael McIndoe scored twice against his former club, Doncaster Rovers, but it was substitute Marvin Elliott who drove on City to a 4-1 win.

Fourth-placed Queens Park Rangers lost 1-0 at Coventry City. Elliott Ward scored a first-half penalty but Rangers pressed throughout the second. "The second half felt like 90 minutes," QPR's manager Chris Coleman said, "but it was just a case of getting the job done."

Unbeaten after seven games, Cardiff City drew for the fifth time yesterday, 1-1 at Derby County. The Rams manager Paul Jewell sees gradual imoprovement ahead. "It's going to be a long road and if we are going to get it right it's not going to happen overnight," he said.

At Carrow Road, Lee Croft's last-minute solo goal saw Norwich beat Sheffield United 1-0, while Paul Gallagher, on loan from Blackburn, scored twice as Plymouth Argyle won 2-1 at Crystal Palace. "If he carries on playing like that it won't be long before someone comes and has a peek at him," Argyle's manager Paul Sturrock admitted.

Joey Gudjonsson gave Burnley the lead at Swansea City, who had Freddie Bodde to thank for a late equaliser and a 1-1 draw.

There were goalless draws between Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic, who had Matt Thornhill sent off at the City Ground; Southampton and Barnsley on the South Coast; and Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich at Hillsborough