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Ross McCormack © Gallo Images
A wonder goal by New Zealand striker Chris Wood with the last kick of the game secured ailing English football giants Leeds their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old’s overhead kick also denied Fulham making it three wins from three games in the second-tier Championship so far this season.
Wood’s goal cancelled out former Leeds youth player Tom Cairney’s equally brilliant curling effort earlier in the second half, gaining manager Garry Monk a little breathing space after a dismal start to the campaign.
Fulham, who were so short of resources they had to field 16-year-old defender Ryan Sessegnon, missed a chance to go two points clear at the top and instead joined a group of four teams on seven points.
Brighton top the table by virtue of the best goal difference — helped by a 3-0 win over Rotherham.
Norwich are second after they edged Bristol City 1-0 with Jonny Howson knocking home in the first half after being set up by Republic of Ireland international Wes Hoolahan.
The Canaries enjoyed better fortune than Aston Villa, like them relegated last season from the Premier League, who looked on course for their first back-to-back wins since May 2015 only for a late blunder to let Huddersfield grab an equaliser for a 1-1 draw.
It had looked to be going Villa’s way — and a suitable result to honour the memory of their former striker Dalian Atkinson who died after being Tasered by British police on Monday — when Ross McCormack gave them the lead in the first half.
It was the Scot’s first goal for Villa since his £12 million move from Fulham.
Villa went close to doubling their lead, Ghanaian international Jordan Ayew’s goalbound effort cleared off the line.
However, Villa saw the three points taken away as the game neared its end as goalkeeper Pierluigi Gorlini’s clearance rebounded off Huddersfield’s Michael Hefele and bounced into the net.
Villa sit in 11th position three points off the top quartet, which includes Huddersfield.
There was joy too at tiny Burton as they recorded their first victory of the campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over last season’s playoff finalists Sheffield Wednesday.
Wednesday, who have garnered four points from their three games, will seek to bounce back when they play Yorkshire rivals Leeds on Saturday — a typically fiery fixture with plenty of importance for Monk despite his late escape on Tuesday.
Rafael Benitez’s future is not yet in doubt but he will be looking for Newcastle to get their first points of the campaign on Wednesday as the pre-season title favourites host Reading.