English Championship: Bright Osayi-Samuel On Song As Mikel Returns In Stoke's Draw

  English Championship: Bright Osayi-Samuel On Song As Mikel Returns In Stoke's Draw By Omolagba Oluwayemi Birmingham City suffered a defensive nightmare at St. Andrew as grateful Derby County romped to their best win under Wayne Rooney, BSNsports.com.ng reports. Blues shipped three goals inside the first 25 minutes as Rooney's Rams bounced back from losing at home to Preston on Saturday - their first defeat since the Derby caretaker boss took sole charge. Former Blues defender, Krystian Bielik cashed in on home keeper, Neil Etheridge's dropped clanger in the 15th minute to volley in from close range. Inside two minutes, home captain, Harlee Dean, gave away a needless penalty, which was clinically tucked away by Graeme Shinnie. Blues then let in a third when they made a shambles of clearing Shinnie's corner, allowing Colin Kazim-Richards to net from close range. Youngster Jason Knight completed the scoring after 77 minutes when he neatly tucked away Kamil Jozwiak's right-wing cross. Stoke City and Nottingham Forest both drew for the second game running on a night of two freak goals in the Potteries fog. Conditions were cold but clear at the Bet 365 Stadium when Stoke took the lead with a comical opening goal after Jordan Thompson's inswinging left-foot corner from the right was somehow left on the line by Lewis Grabban. The Forest striker, covering the near post, got his bearings all wrong as he dipped his head thinking that keeper Brice Samba would claim it, only to look horrified when the ball ended up in the back of the net. But, in worsening conditions as the mist descended badly after the break, Forest's leveller was to prove equally bizarre. Anthony Knockaert swung over a dangerous left-wing cross and Stoke skipper James Chester, hassled from behind by Joe Worrall, succeeded only in diverting a powerful header past his own keeper. It flew past the helpless Josef Bursik's top-right corner - the first goal Michael O'Neill's parsimonious Potters had leaked in five games. It was also only the fifth away goal Forest have netted this season - and two of them have been own goals. Wasteful Norwich City threw away the chance to go seven points clear at the top of the Championship as they drew with Queens Park Rangers. After an entertaining but goalless first half, Todd Cantwell had a goal ruled out for offside as the Canaries spurned chance after chance during a dominant second period. Norwich finally found the net with their 20th attempt, as Teemu Pukki converted a penalty after Cantwell went down under a challenge by Dominic Ball. But Rangers salvaged a point they did not deserve when Bright Osayi-Samuel scored a penalty of his own following Christoph Zimmermann's challenge on him. The visitors could even have won it in stoppage time when Osayi-Samuel managed to miss an open goal from two yards out. The Canaries are five points clear of second-placed Bournemouth, who have a game in hand, while Rangers remain in 19th place. Championship bottom side, Wycombe Wanderers earned just a third win of the season as they dealt Cardiff City's play-off hopes another blow. Ryan Tafazolli headed the hosts in front from a first-half corner by their captain and ex-Bluebird Joe Jacobson. David Wheeler doubled their lead with a thumping header after the break, only Wycombe's seventh home goal this term. Cardiff barely threatened in a limp display, save for Junior Hoilett nodding in deep into added time. The substitute's goal did little to improve a dire night for the Welsh club, compounded when their manager Neil Harris was sent off for dissent. Wycombe remain at the foot of the table but they have closed the gap on second-from-bottom Rotherham United to one point, while they are a further three points from safety. Cardiff, meanwhile, slip further away from the play-offs, seven points adrift having fallen to 15th place in the Championship table. Other results: Sheffield Wednesday 2:1 Middlesbrough Huddersfield Town 2:1 Blackburn Rovers Luton Town 2:1 Bristol City Preston North End 2:0 Coventry City Rotherham United 1:2 Barnsley