Championship wrap: Palace boss sacked after loss

Crystal Palace manager George Burley was sacked after his side slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Millwall in the Championship on Saturday.

Burley, 54, was sacked by the club’s owners after they failed to win for the fifth time in succession, with the Scot leaving the club in second last on the Championship table.

The manager’s dismissal was confirmed after Jason Puncheon for scored a superb hat-trick for Millwall at the New Den in one of two early kick-offs on Saturday.

Puncheon, recently signed from League One outfit Southampton, has now scored five goals in seven matches.

The other early kick-off took place at Elland Road, where an injury-time Luciano Becchio goal secured Leeds United a point in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.

In a particularly unremarkable game of football, Boro defender David Wheater opened the scoring after 21 minutes, but Becchio’s late intervention ensured Leeds’ unbeaten run stretched to 12 matches.

Table-toppers QPR saw their lead at the top of the league cut to just four points after they were defeated 1-0 by Norwich at Carrow Road.

Russell Martin scored early for the Canaries and they held on against a QPR side who had Matthew Connolly sent off in the second half.

Cardiff started the day in second but slumped to their fifth defeat of the season after they were thumped 3-0 by Bristol City.

Goals to Brett Pitman, Lee Johnson and Jamal Campbell-Ryce extended Bristol’s unbeaten home record to eight matches.

Cardiff’s Welsh rivals Swansea City moved into third after they beat Reading 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium; Darren Pratley’s goal snapping a run of eight unbeaten for the visitors.

New Sheffield United manager Micky Adams saw his side defeated 4-2 by Burnley at Turf Moor, despite taking an early lead.

Elsewhere, goals in the last half hour to Lewis McGugan and Nathan Tyson extended Nottingham Forest’s incredible unbeaten home record to 33 matches as they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Barnsley.

Former England international Darius Vassell scored the sole goal in Leicester City’s 1-0 victory over Hull, while Coventry and Ipswich played out an entertaining 1-1 draw that saw Sky Blues striker Marlon King sent off.

Derby County broke a five-match losing streak at bottom club Preston North End, with a second-half double to Chris Porter instrumental in their 2-1 victory.

In other matches, Doncaster and Watford both recorded 3-0 home victories against Scunthorpe and Portsmouth respectively.

First-half goals to Billy Sharp, James Hayter and Joseph Mills gave Doncaster their win, while Watford climbed into the top six with Andrew Taylor, Marvin Sordell and Danny Graham all getting on the scoresheet.