Wolverhampton Wanderers, who last played in the Premier League in 2012, took a seven-point lead at the halfway stage of the Championship (second tier) on Saturday by beating Ipswich Town 1-0.

Soccer Football - Championship - Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Ipswich Town - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 23, 2017 Wolves' Helder Costa in action with Ipswich's Adam Webster Action Images/Alan Walter

LONDON: Wolverhampton Wanderers, who last played in the Premier League in 2012, opened up a seven-point lead at the halfway stage of the Championship (second tier) on Saturday by beating Ipswich Town 1-0.

Ivan Cavaleiro scored the only goal to extend their lead at the top after Cardiff City were surprisingly beaten 2-0 by lowly Bolton Wanderers.

Bristol City, League Cup giant-killers in midweek when they knocked out Manchester United, were held 1-1 away to Queens Park Rangers, allowing Derby County to move above them into third place by beating Millwall 3-0.

Leeds United moved into the playoff places by defeating Hull City 1-0, squeezing out Sheffield United, who drew 2-2 at sixth-placed Aston Villa.

(Reporting by Steve Tongue, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Ian Chadband)