Championship wrap: Southampton, West Ham post wins

West Ham United ended Middlesbrough’s unbeaten home record in the Championship on Tuesday, while Southampton returned to winning ways.

Goals from Frenchman Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole ensured Sam Allardyce’s West Ham remained two points behind league leaders Southampton with a 2-0 win at Riverside Stadium.

Fourth-placed Middlesbrough suffered their first home defeat since February after Piquionne thumped in a header following a fine move in the ninth minute and Cole sealed the points in stoppage time.

West Ham are now six points clear of third-placed Cardiff City.

Meanwhile, Southampton bounced back from their loss to Bristol City with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at home to Hull City.

Brazilian Guilherme do Prado’s close-range finish and Adam Lallana’s header completed the second-half comeback after Slovenia midfielder Robert Koren had put the visitors ahead two minutes before the break.

Hull finished the encounter with 10 men when substitute Robbie Brady – on the pitch for 13 minutes – was red-carded for a late challenge, leaving Southampton to register a 21st consecutive home win.

Leeds United paid tribute to Gary Speed, who died on Sunday, with a thumping 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Robert Snodgrass, Jonathan Howson, Luciano Becchio and Adam Clayton condemned Forest, who had Andy Reid sent off, to a third defeat in four matches and into the relegation zone.

The travelling supporters started chanting the name of their former midfielder Speed in the 11th minute.

What was supposed to be 11 minutes of uninterrupted chanting was briefly stopped when Snodgrass opened the scoring with his left-footed effort in the 20th minute, setting Leeds on the way to a convincing win.

Leicester City moved into sixth place after goals from Andy King and Neil Danns saw them to a 2-0 win over Blackpool.

Derby Country slipped to a fifth straight loss as Craig Mackail-Smith netted a 13th-minute winner in Brighton and Hove Albion’s 1-0 victory.

Elsewhere, Bristol City moved out of the drop zone after coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Watford.

In other matches, Ipswich Town suffered a fifth straight defeat after falling 4-0 to Burnley, who had Chris McCann hit a brace.

Doncaster Rovers remain bottom after a 3-2 loss at Millwall, while Reading moved into ninth on the back of a 3-2 win over Peterborough United.