The Championship roundup and a report on Southampton stopping Sheffield Wednesday’s revival in its tracks. Lots to get your eyes around.

Time for me to clock off, though a Championship roundup will appear on this very website soon. Thank you for your emails, messages and views: you made my first live blog go like a dream. If you want more live football updates, the imperious Scott Murray is doing minute-by-minute updates for Newcastle v Manchester City. Who could resist?

Well, that was an eventful day of Football League action. After Leicester’s 3-1 defeat by Coventry early in the day, Southampton flexed their muscle by pummelling Sheffield Wednesday 4-0. Birmingham only drew 2-2 with Swansea but it might feel like a positive to Tony Mowbray, seeing as his side fought back from a goal down twice – Jordan James equalising five mins into injury time. Leeds crushed Cardiff 3-0, too.

The standout result in League One is leaders Portsmouth, who’ve been on a poor run, collapsing 3-0 to Leyton Orient. Peterborough won 2-1 at Charlton – Ephron Mason-Clark with a double – and are now just a point behind Pompey with a game in hand.

In League Two, Grimsby and Notts County stole the show with a 5-5 draw. Wrexham are up to second after seeing off AFC Wimbledon 2-0.

Will Unwin was at Bolton v Port Vale today, where unfortunately the game was halted in the 29th minute due to a medical emergency in the stands, then eventually abandoned. Thoughts are with the supporter involved and everyone else who was there.

So two late goals in the day’s delayed kick-offs. Middlesbrough seal the deal at Millwall, Marcus Forss rifling home it 3-1 in stoppage time, completing their comeback from a goal down. More importantly in terms of the result, Cambridge’s Sullay Kaikai puts his side 2-1 up ahead of Fleetwood in injury time.

Grimsby 5-5 Notts County, naturally. Why not? This is the football equivalent of a Rocky fight. Except both teams are Rocky. Harry Wood equalises for the home side, five minutes into injury time.

Grimsby 4-5 Notts County. The visitors take the lead for the first time! David McGoldrick scores in stoppage time, which must be a blow to the guts for Grimsby who have contributed so much to what sounds a sensational game.

Grimsby 4-4 Notts County. Of course it is. The visitors – who have been behind three times in the match – are like Jason Voorhees: you think you’ve shaken them off but they just keep coming back. Aaron Nemane’s second goal is County’s latest equaliser.

More info from Cardiff where Leeds have missed a penalty (but still lead 2-0) and our reporter on the ground, Dominic Booth.

It’s a miracle for Cardiff that it’s not 3-0, as they now launch some kind of effort to salvage something in the final 10 minutes. Crysencio Summerville’s performance for Leeds has deserved a goal but he’s just squandered a golden opportunity from 12 yards, his penalty kept out by a combination of Cardiff keeper Jak Alnwick and the woodwork. Leeds have been in cruise mode for the most of this second half and barring something very strange, they’ll see this out.

The match between promotion-chasers in League Two sees Wrexham 2-0 ahead of AFC Wimbledon – strikers Steven Fletcher and Paul Mullin have scored the goals. The Green Lantern will be delighted.

The game you wish you were at today is definitely Grimsby 4-3 Notts County. The hosts were 2-0 up, 3-2 up, and are now 4-3 up – but the visitors keep fighting back. There’s still 20 minutes to go.

Paul Tucker has emailed with some context for the delays at Reading, it’s now a lot longer than 30 minutes but was accurate when Paul sent his missive.

I just thought I’d draw your attention to the Reading v Port Vale match, where play has been suspended for over half an hour now, due to an on-pitch protest by Reading fans against the owner Dai Yongge.

The club has been severely mismanaged under Dai’s ownership, to the extent that its ongoing existence is severely threatened.

Charlton’s freescoring Alfie May has equalised against Peterborough, a header. In League Two, more bad news for Forest Green Rovers: they are down to 10 men (Alex Rodríguez with two yellow cards) and Harrogate have taken the lead. Ouch.

With the half-time rush, I did not properly note that Stoke’s lead at bottom side Rotherham came via Lewis Baker – the former Chelsea player scored four minutes into first-half injury time.

Leeds-based correction. Martin Sadofski’s sage email, simply saying “Gary Speed!” has caused me to reassess my Ampadu-first-Leeds-Welsh-captain-since-John-Charles hokum. He is in fact the first Leeds skipper for a match in Wales since Charles. That is a rather crucial detail isn’t it? My apologies.

Leyton Orient with a statement half: they are 3-0 ahead against the League One leaders Portsmouth. Pompey were struggling a bit, but that is some scoreline,

We have some expert eyewitness reporting from Dominic Booth, who’s at Cardiff, where Leeds lead 2-0 after the first half.

Leeds have delivered an absolute statement of a first half performance at Cardiff, dashing the pre-match optimism of locals in the Welsh capital. The Bluebirds were just three points off the top six before kick-off but they’ve been second best by a distance. Patrick Bamford might have had a hat-trick, Crysencio Summerville has been electric on the Leeds left and the 2-0 scoreline, after Dan James rounded off another flowing move, actually flatters Cardiff. The hosts have also lost captain Joe Ralls to injury in a listless first half. Leeds have looked every inch a team gunning for promotion, motivated further perhaps by Leicester’s defeat in the lunchtime game.

Thanks DB (albeit not fun reading for the home fans)

Tennis balls! By the way, there has been no play at Reading v Port Vale since the 16th minute. The home fans have invaded the pitch, after pelting it with tennis balls, in protest against the club’s owners.

At Bolton v Cheltenham, we have some worrying news from the Guardian’s Will Unwin, who tells me that:

Play has stopped a Bolton because of a medical emergency in the stands. Players are taking instructions, the length of the delay is unknown.

Players have now left the pitch, apparently. That’s never, every nice to hear. Thoughts with the fan, let’s hope it’s not as serious as it sounds.

The only goals in League One after 30 minutes: Northampton are 1-0 up against Wigan, Wycombe lead Lincoln by the same score. Quiet.

A self-proclaimed nasty Leeds fan, Jeremy Boyce, sends me an email re. Ampadu being the first Wales international to captain the side since John Charles in the 1950s.

Are you seriously telling me that not even Sprake or Yorath ever got to wear the armband (obviously Sprake would have dropped it as it was handed to him)? Nasties will do well to come away with something today …

I’ll be honest Jeremy, that info was taken brazenly from Leeds themselves. Terry Yorath though! You would indeed have thought he skippered Leeds once or twice.

First goal in the opening 10 mins of the 3pms: League Two Grimsby take the lead against Notts County, Danny Rose with a penalty. It’s swiftly followed by a goal in League One: MK Dons going ahead at Tranmere.

A report from the early Championship kick-off and it was a doozy. Leaders Leicester went a goal up, had a player sent off in first-half-stoppage time, then in the second half Coventry … well, why am I telling you all this when you can read all about it here?

Starting refs’ whistles sound around this sceptred isle. Eight games get under way in the Championship (OK, Millwall v Middlesbrough will be a bit late), 11 in League One, and another 12 in League Two.

Middlesbrough are stuck in that dastardly London traffic so kick-off for their game at Millwall will be delayed by 15 minutes. A chilly day for the fans to be stuck outside; that extra quarter of an hour might feel longer than a hoofed pass to the big man.

Southampton can go second with a win this afternoon, even if just for a few hours (Ipswich v Sunderland is the 5.30pm kick-off). Although Sheffield Wednesday are not the hapless pushovers they were for much of 2023 – Danny Röhl’s steely side have won five of their past eight league games and they are now just three points from safety. These are the XIs that will duke it out at St Mary’s.

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Smallbone, Downes, S Armstrong; A Armstrong, Adams, Fraser

Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, B. Diaby, Ihiekwe, Bernard, Johnson, Bannan, Musaba, Gassama, Windass, Cadamarteri

The Leeds starting XI features Ethan Ampadu as skipper and he is the first Wales international to captain the club since the great John Charles back in 1956. Those are some whopping, gigantic shoes to fill, Ethan: no pressure. Cardiff, the Welsh side, are captained as usual by Joe Ralls, an English player. So it’s all topsy-turvy at the Cardiff City Stadium (sort of).

One additional note: Enzo Maresca picked up a yellow card in the second half for one too many words to the officials. That’s his third booking of the season, so he won’t be on the touchline for Leicester’s next match … which just happens to be against promotion rivals Ipswich.

Mowbray has said he will be subtle in his adjustments at Birmingham rather than demanding a whole new style of play from the off. Though he’ll know results need to improve ASAP – and these are the bold believers he has picked for his first XI. The Swansea team – announced on X in a fetching Bret Hart-style ‘hot pink’ – is also below.

Leicester containing and controlling things at Coventry with 70 minutes gone. The Sky Blues have been in rich form of late but they need to find a spark if they’re to make the most of their man advantage here.

Grim news: West Midlands Police had to remove offensive banners aimed at Leicester’s late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, placed on the motorway before the match. Coventry City have condemned the people involved and said they will work with the police to find those responsible.

Alongside the 3pm thrills, Championship leaders Leicester are currently 1-0 up – yet down to 10 men – at Coventry in the 12.30pm game. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s penalty put Leicester ahead before half-time, but Abdul Fatawu was shown a red card minutes later for a rash challenge on Jake Bidwell. So it’s tightly poised in the second half.