Sharp puts Leeds to the sword (From Chard & Ilminster News)

Sharp puts Leeds to the sword

2:26pm Wednesday 26th December 2012 in National Sport © Press Association 2013

Billy Sharp struck twice as Nottingham Forest turned on the style either side of half-time to send in-form Leeds spiralling to a 4-2 defeat at the City Ground.

Forest, who had slipped to 11th place after taking only four points from their previous five matches, were the latest side to make a mockery of the form book in the npower Championship after Sharp converted a late first-half penalty to cancel out Paul Green's early opener for Leeds.

Sharp fired his second of the game soon after the restart and a three-goal blitz in nine minutes - Rodolph Austin scored a clumsy own goal and Dexter Blackstock headed home the fourth - stunned the visitors who responded with a late goal from Davide Somma.

In the other early Championship kick-off, loan stars DJ Campbell and Daryl Murphy fired Ipswich to a 2-1 victory at free-falling Charlton.

QPR loanee Campbell made amends for missing an early penalty by firing in his ninth goal of the season, and Celtic frontman Murphy doubled their lead before half-time.

Danny Haynes pulled one back from the spot for Charlton but they could not avoid crashing to a third straight defeat on manager Chris Powell's 100th game in charge of the club.