The Championship: Kuqi the late inspiration for Ipswich

On a day when Stoke City and Queen's Park Rangers both staged strong comebacks from 2-0 down, the recovery of the day in the Coca-Cola Championship came at Portman Road as Ipswich Town kept their 100 per cent home record despite Plymouth Argyle racing into an early lead.

On a day when Stoke City and Queen's Park Rangers both staged strong comebacks from 2-0 down, the recovery of the day in the Coca-Cola Championship came at Portman Road as Ipswich Town kept their 100 per cent home record despite Plymouth Argyle racing into an early lead.

Steve Adams and Steve Crawford put Argyle 2-0 up by the 13th minute, but Jason De Vos pulled a goal back with a 24th-minute header. Ipswich were reduced to 10 men two minutes later when Fabian Wilnis was dismissed for a bad tackle. Enter Shefki Kuqi. The substitute scored twice in the last eight minutes as Argyle squandered their two-goal and one-man advantages.

"We could have been out of the game soon after half-time had they taken their chances," Joe Royle, the Ipswich manager, admitted. "But we kept going and if you score three goals you are likely to win the match."

The 3-2 win lifted Ipswich to third, above Stoke, who also fell two goals behind, at Burnley, before recovering to draw 2-2. The Clarets built an early two-goal lead through Ian Moore and Robbie Blake, but just after the half hour the Potters gave themselves a lifeline when Ade Akinbiyi touched in from a yard after his header had been parried. On the stroke of half-time the Burnley full-back, Michael Duff, was sent off for a second yellow card. And five minutes into the second half Stoke exacted further punishment when Gifton Noel-Williams set up Akinbiyi's second goal.

QPR also had to recover from a two-goal deficit and, like Stoke, were encouraged by a sending-off and had a two-goal striker to inflict the damage. Jamie Scowcroft and David Connolly gave visitors Leicester City a 2-0 first-half lead, but eight minutes into the second period Connolly was sent off, Leicester's fourth red card of the season. It sparked Rangers' revival, Lee Cook heading in and Paul Furlong scoring twice, six goals in five games for the striker, as Rangers won 3-2.

"I told David Connolly that he has cost us the game," the disgruntled Leicester manager, Micky Adams, said. Ian Holloway, his opposite number, was a little more upbeat. "To come back from two goals down against a quality team is probably one of the best feelings I have ever had."

At the bottom, Rotherham United drew 1-1 with Millwall, Chris Sedgwick's equaliser for the Millers was their first goal in over 11 hours of football. Cardiff City's poor start may be over after a 3-2 win at Wolves to move out of the bottom three. "We haven't turned it around yet but we've started the process," their manager, Lennie Lawrence, thought. "We were worth the win and if we play like that, we need fear nobody."

Elsewhere, Sheffield United's Tommy Black, on loan from Crystal Palace, scored on his debut as the Blades drew 1-1 at Coventry City. Brighton won 1-0 at Gillingham and Preston North End were also 1-0 winners, over Crewe, who slip into the bottom three.

In League One, Paul Sturrock, Sheffield Wednesday's ninth manager in as many years of mostly steady decline, gave the incumbent Owls a month to impress him. Yesterday's chosen 11 yesterday must made a powerful impression when they won 3-0 at Wrexham.

With tributes to Brian Clough focusing attention on the East Midlands it was easy to forget that he cut his managerial teeth at Hartlepool United. The current Pool did his memory scant justice at Milton Keynes Dons, losing 4-2 in a match which saw both sides end with 10 men.

At the top, Luton Town's lead grew to nine points after they kept their perfect home record intact with a 2-1 defeat of Peterborough United. At the bottom, Blackpool won at last. Scott Vernon scored twice in the 3-0 success at Port Vale to give Colin Hendry a first win as manager.