Sheffield Wednesday secured a valuable 1-0 win in their bid to beat the drop in the Championship by seeing off neighbours Rotherham.

Ike Ugbo’s sixth goal in five games proved to be the difference between the two sides, leaving the Owls three points from safety.

Defeat casts Rotherham a whopping 19 points adrift of safety at the bottom.

Wednesday had more than enough chances to put the game to bed in a dominant first half but did not take the lead until past the hour mark and then had to defend sternly to keep hold of the three points.

Viktor Johansson had an early save to make after Ian Poveda had skipped by Shane Ferguson and rolled the ball into Liam Palmer whose effort was palmed out.

It took a tremendous block from Cameron Humphreys to deny Ugbo the opener after Anthony Musaba had cut in from the left flank menacingly.

Will Vaulks then almost caught out Johansson with a free-kick he shaped to cross before shooting low. The Sweden international was able to just get across to tip it wide.

Wednesday thought they had gone in front but Akin Famewo’s header from Vaulks’ free-kick was ruled out for offside.

Poveda then cut in from the right wing and flashed a powerful effort just wide of the far post.

Wednesday continued to be on top in the run-up to the break and Musaba’s effort was deflected onto the roof of the net after he had been slipped in by Poveda.

Rotherham started the second half brighter and had Wednesday keeper James Beadle worried for the first time when Sam Nombe took aim from distance and saw his effort go just over the bar.

Wednesday finally took the lead in the 66th minute with a well-worked move.

Barry Bannan and Ugbo were involved with neat passes in the box and the latter was then on hand to stroke home from Dominic Iorfa’s cross.

A dangerous free-kick saw Rotherham threaten with Jordan Hugill getting a touch onto fellow substitute Cafu’s powerful effort to divert the ball just off target.

Wednesday then had talisman Bannan to thank for preserving their lead as he somehow outstretched a leg to deny Andy Rinomhota’s goal-bound effort.

Marvin Johnson lashed at a big chance to double the advantage in the closing stages and his shot was well off target.

Mallik Wilks could have also put the game to bed in stoppage time but his diving header from Johnson’s cross cannoned off the post.

Liam Rosenior believes Jaden Philogene deserves to be credited with Hull’s “ridiculous” opening goal in their 2-1 win at Rotherham.

Philogene pulled off a fine bit of skill to beat Ollie Rathbone twice and then produce a rabona that nicked off Cameron Humphreys and into the net.

It was officially given as a Humphreys own-goal and then four minutes later Noah Ohio swept home for Hull as they overturned Christ Tiehi’s early opener for Rotherham.

Tigers head coach Rosenior joked that the dubious goal panel should award Philogene the goal.

“We should give him the goal, we need to appeal to the FA for the outrageous piece of skill,” he said.

“He is trying to beg it in the dressing room that it’s his goal. I said to him that at least it’s an assist. That is Jaden’s goal, it’s what we pay money for.

“Ridiculous, it’s ridiculous, his ability is something we have missed for a long time. He is only going to get better the more games he plays.

“It is not just his goal or the showreel moments, it is his energy levels for the team, he has a real belief, he can be a top player but the reason he can be a top player is because he works so hard on his game.

“We have to get him off the training pitch because he wants to do extra.”

Hull moved up to seventh and on the cusp of the play-off picture with the win, while Rotherham moved closer to a return to League One.

They are 12 points adrift of safety and without a win since Boxing Day.

Boss Leam Richardson, who is trying to remain upbeat, said: “Congratulations to Hull, they are having a good season and invested really well in the summer and the January window.

“We wanted to start with a real strong intent, to be in the ascendency and we did that.

“We had a mad five or 10 minutes, I thought we missed a big chance with 1-0 with Sam (Nombe) and they went down the other end and scored.

“Disappointed to concede the way we did. I will never criticise lads for honest mistakes on the pitch but obviously we have to stop making them.

“The Championship is as strong as it has been for 20 years and walking into this situation and this football club I was very aware of it, I could have shied away from it. It’s not in my make up.

“I know where this club wants to be and at the end of the season and next season, what we want to sustain.

“Things have got to be put into place to do that moving forward and certainly leaders of the club are aware of it and we will try our best to make positive decisions.”

Hull scored twice in four second-half minutes to boost their Championship play-off hopes with a 2-1 win at rock-bottom Rotherham.

The Millers had taken a surprise lead when Christ Tiehi opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but that proved to be far too early for them.

Their goal had taken a battering, with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson staging a one-man defiance with a string of saves to keep the Tigers at bay.

It needed an own-goal from Cameron Humphreys to draw Hull level in the 71st minute and then Noah Ohio completed the turnaround four minutes later.

They moved into seventh position ahead of another batch of games on Wednesday and are firmly in the play-off picture with 15 games to go.

Rotherham look certain to be exiting the division at the other end, sitting 12 points adrift of safety and without a win since Boxing Day.

The hosts made a perfect start and went ahead in the fourth minute as Tiehi latched on to Seb Revan’s cross and saw his side-footed effort deflected into the corner.

The Millers should have doubled their lead three minutes later as Peter Kioso’s header from Sam Clucas’ cross was brilliantly clawed away by Ryan Allsop.

They could have done with that going in as the visitors launched an assault on the Rotherham goal for the remainder of the match.

Goalkeeper Johansson was in inspired form and kept his side in front.

The Sweden international palmed away Billy Sharp’s header and then produced a miraculous stop to shovel away another from Jacob Greaves before getting down well to save Anass Zaroury’s low effort at the near post.

The second half also saw Johansson in early action as he kept out Fabio Carvalho’s header with a flying save.

Rotherham needed to stem the tide and had a rare sighting of goal when Sam Nombe was left free from Kioso’s cross but he could not make sufficient contact with his header.

Hull’s attacking onslaught eventually paid dividends as they equalised in the 71st minute.

Former Millers loanee Ryan Giles thundered a shot off the underside of the crossbar and home midfielder Ollie Rathbone played a pass straight to Jaden Philogene, who twisted and turned and then sent in a rabona cross that flicked off Humphreys and into the far corner.

Four minutes later Hull took the lead as Giles fired in a low cross for Ohio to sweep into the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.

Rotherham have not come from behind to win since last April so that was game over, with Hull returning up the M18 with three points.

Ipswich assistant manager Martyn Pert praised his side for “doing the simple things” as they overcame League One Reading on penalties after a 2-2 draw to progress to the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Reading went ahead in the second minute courtesy of a Brandon Williams own-goal but Cameron Humphreys levelled in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage-time.

Freddie Ladapo gave Town the lead near the hour mark but Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan equalised in the 87th minute.

Reading missed three of their spot-kicks in the shootout to help ease Ipswich’s passage.

“I’m really happy and delighted to get through,” Pert said. “It was exciting in the end and, with Reading scoring early, they made it a real challenge for us.

“They were really well organised and didn’t give us much opportunity. It was so difficult for us to create any chances that were open.

“We were wondering where we were going to get a goal from but we just kept doing the simple things and then eventually we got the equaliser.”

Reading’s Charlie Savage, Caylan Vickers and Ben Elliott all failed from the penalty spot.

“It was a very tough game but we made it a tough game,” Reading manager Ruben Selles said. “But the boys did an exceptional job and they showed what they can do.

“In the end, unfortunately, we didn’t get it in the penalties. For some of our players, it was the first time in professional football that they were in front of that situation.

“We have to take that as a learning process and next time will be more ready for those situations.

“Yes we always practise penalties but it is very difficult to replicate the stress under pressure in those moments.

“We didn’t make it but hopefully next time we will be better.”