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Championship Team of the Week

Sports Mole picks out its best XI, biggest numpty and best goal in week three of the Championship.

The third round of fixtures in the Championship are all over and done with so it's time for our roundup of the best performers in the second tier.

Sitting top of the bunch is Nottingham Forest, who are the only side to win all three games. They annihilated Bolton at the City Ground to give themselves daylight at the summit.

Five sides - Watford, Blackpool, Burnley, QPR and Leicester - sit below Billy Davies's men on seven points while at the bottom, Millwall are the only team to lose all three matches. Click here to see all of yesterday's results.

Below, Sports Mole picks out its best XI as well as highlighting this week's numpty and best goal.

Tom Heaton (Burnley)
A first clean sheet for the Clarets new stopper as Burnley maintained their unbeaten run. The departure of Lee Grant to Derby this summer would have felt like a big loss, but Heaton's performances between the sticks are making it a distant memory.

Greg Halford (Forest)
Although taken off with 10 minutes to go, Halford put in a man-of-the-match performance with an assist from the right against Bolton. He almost got on the scoresheet but hit the woodwork.
Wes Morgan (Leicester)
A clean sheet away from home is a defender's dream and that's exactly what Morgan achieved as Leicester ended Derby's unbeaten start to the campaign.
Anthony Gerrard (Huddersfield)
Another stingy name in our backline is the imposing presence of Gerrard in the Terriers backline. A trip to Millwall is always a tough ask but Huddersfield picked up the victory and clean sheet to continue the Lions' miserable start.
James Husband (Doncaster)
A goal, assist and a clean sheet from a left-back. A near-perfect performance from Husband against Blackburn on Friday.

Andrew Crofts (Brighton)
Crofts's drilled finish into the corner of the net gave Oscar Garcia his first win as Brighton manager and relieved some of the pressure on the Spaniard.
Henri Lansbury (Forest)
The former Arsenal midfielder bagged his second goal of the season and set up another as Forest destroyed a good Bolton side.
Jem Karacan (Reading)
A brace from the centre of midfield for Reading's dogged number four. Karacan will be gutted that his side couldn't edge out Watford for a second home win.
Andy Reid (Forest)
A third Forest player makes it into our lineup this week. Reid got himself on the scoresheet, playing with plenty of experience on the left of Forest's firing midfield.

Chris O'Grady (Barnsley)
Two goals from O'Grady put Barnsley in the driving seat but it wasn't enough for a first win as Charlton came from behind to snatch a point at Oakwell.
James Vaughan (Huddersfield)
Vaughan rose highest to head home from a corner and net his second of the campaign, earning Huddersfield a hard-fought victory at The Den.

Numpty of the Week

James Perch: Wigan's summer signing from Newcastle gifted Lewis Grabban the winner and his fourth goal of the season at Dean Court by under-hitting a backpass to Scott Carson.

Goal of the Week

Adam Le Fondre (Reading) vs. Watford: Known for his poaching in and around the six-yard box, Le Fondre showed that he can score beauties as well by crashing a left-foot volley high into the net to open the scoring at The Madejski.

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Written by
Pascal Lemesre
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Forest's Henri Lansbury celebrates moments after scoring the opening goal against Huddersfield on August 3, 2013
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Forest flying after Bolton win
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds29179353193460
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd29186540211958
3Burnley29151223692757
4Sunderland291510442241855
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom291014538251344
6Middlesbrough29128947361144
7Blackburn RoversBlackburn29126113228442
8Bristol City29101183734341
9Watford29125124041-141
10Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds29118104245-341
11Norwich CityNorwich29109104842639
12Coventry CityCoventry29108113938138
13Queens Park RangersQPR2991193237-538
14Millwall29910102826237
15Preston North EndPreston2981383236-437
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2999113343-1036
17Swansea CitySwansea2997133240-834
18Cardiff CityCardiff29710123344-1131
19Hull City2978143038-829
20Stoke CityStoke29611122636-1029
21Portsmouth2978143652-1629
22Derby CountyDerby2976163240-827
23Luton TownLuton2975172948-1926
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth29410152762-3522


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