Cardiff go top of Championship table

Goals from Joe Ledley and Paul Parry put Cardiff three points clear at the Coca-Cola Championship summit in their top-of-the-table clash with Birmingham.

Highly-rated winger Ledley netted with a clinical 12th-minute strike before midfielder Parry sealed the 2-0 victory with 15 minutes remaining at a packed Ninian Park.

Bluebirds manager Dave Jones assembled a fine squad during the summer and the club’s position at the top of the table is their highest since 1970.

Norwich stormed into second place thanks to a 5-1 demolition of 10-man Barnsley.

The Canaries opened the scoring when last man Anthony Kay was sent off for bringing down Robert Earnshaw and the Welshman picked himself up to tuck away the penalty.

Carl Robinson’s superb strike from the edge of the box made it 2-0 but Paul Hayes pulled one back before three second-half goals from Lee Croft, Darren Huckerby and Earnshaw completed the win.

Third-placed Crystal Palace twice came from behind against Burnley to avoid a third straight defeat, Leon Cort and James Scowcroft cancelling out strikes from Alan Mahon and Kyle Lafferty to earn a 2-2 draw.

A hat-trick by Jamie Cureton fired Colchester to their first ever win in the second tier of English football as they survived a late fightback by Derby to edge it 4-3.

The striker started Monday’s 31st birthday celebrations early with two goals in two first-half minutes.

Arturo Lupoli pulled a goal back but Chris Iwelumo’s penalty and Cureton’s third looked to have sealed the points until Lupoli’s second and Paul Peschisolido set up a frantic finish.

Hull replaced Colchester as the division’s second bottom club after Kevin Thornton struck the only goal of the game six minutes from time to hand Coventry a 1-0 victory at the KC Stadium.

Jemal Johnson scored immediately after half-time as Wolves beat Luton 1-0 to climb to fifth.

Kelvin Davies’ howler consigned Southampton to a fourth draw in their five games as Preston took a point at St Mary’s.

Grzegorz Rasiak’s diving header put Saints in front put Davies’ blunder allowed Simon Whalley to equalise.

Leicester eased away from the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Southend thanks to Patrick Kisnorbo’s header while Barry Hayles’ equaliser secured Plymouth a point at Stoke.