Soccer

Championship round-up: Roofe on fire as Leeds continue brilliant start

Rodriguez double helps West Brom to first win; Swansea make it two from two

Leeds United’s Kemar Roofe scores his side’s second goal of the game during the Championship match against Derby County at Pride Park. Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA Wire

Sat Aug 11 2018 - 20:52

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds laid another marker down at the start of the Championship season with an impressive victory over Derby.

After beating Stoke in their opening match, Leeds were 4-1 winners at Pride Park, with Kemar Roofe the star.

Mateusz Klich put Leeds ahead before Tom Lawrence levelled. Roofe then put the Whites ahead before half-time and scored a stunning third on the hour mark.

When Ezgjan Alioski added a fourth only four minutes later, all hopes of a comeback for Frank Lampard’s side were extinguished.

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West Brom claimed their first victory since relegation from the Premier League in entertaining fashion against Norwich.

Darren Moore’s side took only one point from their opening two games to dent optimism among Baggies’ fans but they held on for a 4-3 victory at Carrow Road.

Jay Rodriguez was strongly linked with a return to Burnley this summer but the Baggies refused to let the striker leave and he showed his worth with a brace after Jordan Rhodes had put Norwich ahead.

Harvey Barnes scored his second goal for his new side to make it 3-1 but Norwich kept within contact. First Teemu Pukki pulled one back then, after Hal Robson-Kanu had scored West Brom's fourth, Grant Hanley netted, but the hosts could not find a leveller.

Swansea were widely held to have had a poor transfer window but they have maximum points after two Championship games thanks to a 1-0 victory over Preston. Ollie McBurnie saw an early penalty saved by Declan Rudd but Jay Fulton netted the winner in the 32nd minute.

Middlesbrough have already played three games and are unbeaten, claiming their second win of the season 1-0 against Birmingham, who had Craig Gardner sent off, thanks to Britt Assombalonga's early goal.

Aston Villa are only a point behind after Birkir Bjarnason popped up to secure a 3-2 win over Wigan four minutes into stoppage time.

The Latics have carried their League One form into their return to the second tier and looked like they might win it when Callum Connolly marked his second debut on loan from Everton by making it 2-1 after Nick Powell had cancelled out James Chester's opener.

But a Chey Dunkley own goal soon had Villa back on level terms and, after chances for both sides, it was Villa who won it.

Sheffield United claimed their first points in their third game with a 2-1 win over QPR. Ebere Eze put the hosts ahead but Billy Sharp equalised just before half-time and Republic of ireland international David McGoldrick scored a controversial winner from the penalty spot.

Along with QPR, Reading are also searching for their first points after losing 1-0 to Hillal Soudani’s goal for Nottingham Forest.

Jamie Paterson scored nine minutes from time to earn a 2-2 draw for Bristol City against Bolton. Will Buckley and Josh Magennis scored within four minutes of each other for the Trotters but Andreas Weimann quickly pulled one back.

After their hammering by Brentford last weekend, things look a lot more positive for Rotherham thanks to Michael Smith’s late goal in a 1-0 win over Ipswich, while there were 1-1 stalemates between Sheffield Wednesday and Hull and Stoke and Brentford.

Stoke began the season as the title favourites but are still searching for their first win after Ollie Watkins cancelled out Benik Afobe's opener.

Hull took the lead at Hillsborough through Fraizer Campbell in the 36th minute but Fernando Forestieri equalised from the penalty spot six minutes after the break.

Blackburn and Millwall drew 0-0.

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