Championship round-up: Leicester pull away but Leeds slump again

Leicester City edged closer to automatic promotion (Getty Images)

Leicester City moved eight points clear at the top of the Championship with a 3-0 win at Barnsley, but the crisis at Leeds United grew deeper as they lost 4-2 at home to Reading, their second heavy defeat at Elland Road in four days.

Leicester pushed Barnsley closer to League One with a comfortable victory at Oakwell, Jamie Vardy scoring twice and setting up the other for Danny Drinkwater.

Leeds were 4-0 down to Reading after 54 minutes, with Brian McDermott's side still smarting from losing 5-1 to Bolton on Saturday. Goals from Matt Smith and Rodolph Austin gave some respectability to the scoreline.

Queen's Park Rangers slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Brighton, a further blow to their fading hopes of automatic promotion, Jose Ulloa from close range and a Stephen Ward flick getting the goals in the last 13 minutes.

Nottingham Forest halted their run of three successive defeat as Darius Henderson's 80th-minute finishfrom Andy Reid's cross earned a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. Blackpool recorded their first win in 19 games, thanks to Ricardo Fuller's goal and Matthew Gilks' penalty save.