Championship round-up: Charlie Austin lifts QPR to second as Leicester run for promotion continues

David Nugent struck late to keep Leicester top of the Championship with QPR and Burnley in hot pursuit

Charlie Austin scored twice to give QPR a 2-1 win over Huddersfield (GETTY IMAGES)

On-song striker David Nugent ensured Leicester stretched their advantage at the top of the Sky Bet Championship to five points.

City's only shot on target from Nugent in the 88th minute was enough to beat Leeds 1-0 at Elland Road, with the 28-year-old taking his tally to 17 for the season, with five in his last five matches.

QPR are back up to second place after a 2-1 win over Huddersfield at Loftus Road, leapfrogging Burnley who could only manage a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Turf Moor.

Charlie Austin was again Rangers' hero, scoring a brace to make it 14 for the season, with his second-half goals coming either side of a 68th-minute equaliser from Nakhi Wells.

Faltering Burnley are now six points behind Leicester as their form has seen them win just four of their last 14 league games following their astonishing seven-match winning run in September and October.

Sam Vokes made it four goals in his last four matches in the 43rd minute, but the Owls gleaned a point with Chris Maguire's strike on the stroke of half-time.

Behind the leading trio, Derby and Nottingham Forest remain in the hunt for promotion after the East Midlands duo enjoyed home wins over Brighton and Blackburn respectively.

Patrick Bamford, on loan for the Rams from Chelsea, came off the bench to score the only goal of the game - his first for the club but 18th for the season after netting 17 for the MK Dons in another loan spell - to beat Brighton 1-0.

At the City Ground, Forest crushed Blackburn 4-1. Henri Lansbury scored two first-half penalties and although Ben Marshall pulled one back for Rovers in the 37th minute, Jamie Paterson and Andy Reid sealed it in the second half for the hosts.

The day's big winners were Reading, who hammered Bolton 7-1 at the Madejski Stadium to move into the last of the play-off places.

Adam Le Fondre set Reading on their way with a first-half hat-trick inside 21 minutes before Pavel Pogrebnyak struck a penalty, followed by second-half goals from Kaspasr Gorkss, Hope Akpan and Nick Blackman, with David Ngog netting a late consolation.

Remarkably, the bottom four all won - and without conceding a goal - to give themselves hope of beating the drop.

Rock-bottom Barnsley ended a six-match winless run with a 2-0 success over Blackpool at Oakwell courtesy of two goals from Chris O'Grady, the first from the penalty spot.

A first-half brace from James Hayter enabled Yeovil to spring a surprise with their own 2-0 triumph at Birmingham.

After a run of eight games without a win, Doncaster's Chris Brown netted his own double, with his second from the spot, either side of a James Coppinger effort as Rovers beat Wigan 3-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium.

For Millwall, debutant Tottenham loanee Ryan Fredericks was on target as the Lions defeated Ipswich 1-0 at the New Den to stop the rot at six winless games.

It means Charlton are only above the bottom three on goal difference from Doncaster after their 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough, for whom Emmanuel Ledesma was on target whilst the Addicks had Rhoys Wiggins sent off late on.

The only other game of the day failed to produce a winner as Bournemouth and Watford finished 1-1 at The Fitness First Stadium.

Gabriele Angella gave Watford the lead on the stroke of half-time, only to be sent off as Lewis Grabban won and converted a 59th-minute penalty.

PA