Jamie Vardy fires Leicester’s promotion bid back on track with Norwich comeback

Leicester returned to the top of the Championship table ahead of Ipswich and Leeds

Pa Sports Staff
Monday 01 April 2024 19:00 BST
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Vardy capped Leicester’s 3-1 win over Norwich
Vardy capped Leicester’s 3-1 win over Norwich (Getty Images)

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Jamie Vardy sealed victory for Leicester as they got back on track in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League with a 3-1 win at home to Norwich.

Gabriel Sara put the Canaries ahead against the run of play when he stabbed Marcelino Nunez’s clever 20th-minute corner past goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall headed the Foxes level 12 minutes before the break.

Stephy Mavididi’s fine 61st-minute finish handed the home side a deserved lead, but it was not until the third minute of stoppage time that substitute Vardy struck to make it 3-1 and send his side back to the top of the table ahead of Ipswich’s clash with Southampton and Leeds’ home fixture against Hull.

Darnell Furlong’s stoppage-time piledriver extended West Brom’s unbeaten run to eight games as they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Watford.

The Baggies, who went into the game at the Hawthorns sitting fifth, trailed to goals from Edo Kayembe and substitute Mileta Rajovic, but Brandon Thomas-Asante dragged them back into it before Furlong snatched a point at the death.

Liam Kitching scored two own goals as Coventry lost ground in the race for a play-off place following a 2-1 home defeat by Cardiff.

Ellis Simms’ 17th goal of the season had given the Sky Blues a 22nd-minute lead but Kitching twice put through his own net, the first of them in emphatic style, to hand the visitors the points.

Jay Stansfield handed Birmingham’s new interim boss Gary Rowett the first win of his second spell in charge with the only goal against Preston.

Michael Ihiekwe’s own goal and a second from Isaiah Jones stretched Middlesbrough’s unbeaten run to six games despite Sam Greenwood’s penalty miss as struggling Sheffield Wednesday went down 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium.

Sammie Szmodics took his tally for the season to 23 with a brace as Blackburn secured a first league victory in 10 attempts with a crushing 5-1 win at Sunderland.

Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics scored his 23rd of the season
Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics scored his 23rd of the season (PA Wire)

The Republic of Ireland international’s first-half double and goals from Ryan Hedges, Tyrhys Dolan and Andrew Moran eased Rovers’ fears of being dragged into a relegation battle.

Nahki Wells’ header condemned Plymouth to a fifth successive home defeat without scoring as Bristol City left Home Park with a 1-0 win. The hosts had Alfie Devine sent off for a second bookable offence in the 78th minute.

Steve Cook’s sweet volley was enough to secure a 1-0 win for QPR at Swansea which moved them six points clear of the drop zone.

A late header from substitute Charlie Wyke preserved Rotherham’s Championship status for the time being.

The Millers, who last tasted victory in the league on Boxing Day, took a 71st-minute lead against Millwall through Sebastian Revan but needed Wyke’s 86th-minute intervention to win 2-1 after Ryan Longman had equalised.

They remain 18 points from safety with six games to play and have the worst goal difference in the division.

Huddersfield also remain in trouble after seeing Stoke’s Ki-Jana Hoever score for the second time in as many games to cancel out Bojan Radulovic’s first goal for the Terriers in a 1-1 draw.

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