Championship round-up

Burnley 1 Ipswich Town 0

Chris McCann headed the injury-time goal from Alan Mahon's inviting cross that saw Steve Cotterill's third-placed Clarets move to within two points of the leaders, Cardiff. "I thought McCann was immaculate," Cotterill said. "He saved me making lots of changes." Ipswich deserved better but manager Jim Magilton said, "It was a great cross, poor marking... and we go home with no points." The only blemish for Burnley was Micah Hyde's injury-time dismissal for a second yellow card.

Plymouth Argyle 0 Birmingham City 1

Radhi Jaidi rose to head in Gary McSheffrey's 75th-minute corner as Steve Bruce's Brum won for the fifth consecutive match and crept to within three points of the top. "We stood up to be counted and a little bit of quality in the end, a fantastic header, has won us the game," Bruce said. "But overall Plymouth can feel that they have been harshly done by that they have not got something out of the game." Argyle manager Ian Holloway was encouraged. "Birmingham are a big club aiming for the Premiership and I don't think we are far off them," he said.

Preston North End 3 Luton Town 0

Second-placed Preston moved to within a point of the summit after a comfortable win that stemmed from the 50th-minute dismissal of the Luton goalkeeper, Marlon Beresford, who brought down David Nugent as the Preston forward glided past him. "A stupid rule made by stupid people," Mike Newell, the Luton manager, said. Graham Alexander fired the penalty beyond the substitute keeper, Dean Brill. Goals by Patrick Agyemang, a side-foot finish, and Brett Ormerod, from six yards, completed the win.

Sheffield Wed 2 Leicester City 1

With a prospective new owner, the former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, waiting in the wings, Leicester found a Wednesday side prospering under their caretaker manager Sean McAuley and lost their eight-match unbeaten run as Marcus Tudgay scored twice, both goals set up by Deon Burton. Might McAuley fancy the job? "I have had too much to do to think about anything else other than the players and focusing on the performance ahead," he said. A mistake by Madjid Bougherra allowed Matt Fryatt to pull a goal back for Leicester.

Southampton 0 Hull City 0

The Saints found Hull hard to break down as the struggling Tigers ground out another point away from home. "We had seven or eight decent half-chances, hit the post and had one cleared off the line," the Saints manager, George Burley, lamented. "If we had got one goal, we would have got another four or five. It was a frustrating game because we had total domination." But after hauling themselves off the bottom of the table with a midweek win at Southend, Phil Parkinson's Hull again showed their mettle in a rearguard action.

Wolves 3 Southend Utd 1

Leon Clarke, criticised by manager Mick McCarthy recently, scored twice as Wolves moved into the top six. "If that is Leon saying, 'Stuff you, gaffer,' then long may it continue," McCarthy said. "It was not pretty, but a win is a win." Southend stay rooted to the bottom of the table without an away League win. After 10 minutes, Darryl Flahavan spilled a cross at the feet of Clarke, who accepted the gift. Two minutes later Jody Craddock fired in off the bar and Clarke's second was a free header. Matt Harrold headed in the Shrimpers' only goal.