Championship round-up: Rangers draw on true grit at Derby as Town please Keane

Having swept to the top of the Championship with three expansive wins, Queens Park Rangers revealed their grittier side at Pride Park when, 2-0 down going into time added on, Patrick Agyemang and James Mackie both scored to rescue a point from a 2-2 draw with Derby County. It had seemed an unlikely outcome on the hour when James Bailey added to Kris Commons' fine opener.

"It feels like a win when you score so late in the game," said the QPR manager Neil Warnock, praising his side's "Dunkirk spirit". "We have got seven or eight new players and it does take a while, so how we can be among the favourites [for promotion] I haven't got a clue."

Making a much better start to this season than last, Ipswich Town are level with Rangers on 10 points after Jason Scotland scored on his debut in the 2-0 defeat of Bristol City. Goalkeeper David James had earlier fumbled a high ball to present Tamas Priskin with a simple opener. Ipswich also hit City's woodwork three times. "That's what we needed to learn to do – win without being brilliant," the Town manager Roy Keane said.

Millwall's brisk adjustment to life after promotion continued at the New Den when, with the scores level at 1-1, Coventry City's Carl Baker was shown a second yellow card in the 72nd minute and seven minutes later the Lions led 3-1, Liam Trotter and Steve Morison, from a penalty, quickly wrapping up the win.

Nor have the two other promoted sides found the Championship too daunting. Richard Naylor scored the only goal of the game after six minutes at Vicarage Road as a resilient Leeds United won 1-0 at Watford, while at the City Ground Andy Crofts lifted the ball over Lee Camp to earn the Canaries a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. Dexter Blackstock had scored for the hosts from the penalty spot.

A feisty match at Swansea saw Scott Sinclair score the early winner against Burnley. After the break, City's Darren Pratley and the Clarets' Tyrone Mears were sent off, but it stayed 1-0.

Sheffield United won for the first time under their "delighted" new manager Gary Speed when full-back Jean Calve, on loan from Nancy, drove in a 35-yard shot to beat Preston North End 1-0 at Bramall Lane.

Edgar Davids' debut in the English league, for Crystal Palace, was one he will probably want to forget as it ended in as Jonathan Forte scored twice in a 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe, while Doncaster Rovers were 3-1 victors over Hull City, whose manager Nigel Pearson had been kept in hospital overnight after complaining of chest pains.

Elsewhere, Barnsley beat Middlesbrough 2-0 and Reading won 2-1 at Leicester City.

Other news

Liverpool have agreed terms with Porto for Raul Meireles to bolster their midfield after the departures of Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani.

Manchester City's new £25 million striker Mario Balotelli escaped unhurt when his Audi A8 was involved in a collision in Manchester, but he misses the trip to Sunderland because of an existing knee injury.

Milan have signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona on loan with the option to buy him for £20m.