Paul Simpson was left “raging” after his Carlisle side’s 1-0 defeat to Port Vale.

James Wilson’s penalty was all that separated the two sides, leaving Simpson’s side are still looking for their first league victory since promotion.

The manager was angered by the mix-up between Jokull Andresson and Jon Mellish which eventually led to his keeper conceding the match-winning penalty for a foul on Ethan Chislett.

“I’m absolutely raging to be honest,” said Simpson.

“We’ve gifted three points to Port Vale. Jokull just shouldn’t have been in that position.

“It’s been a frustrating day all round. We managed to get ourselves into some good positions in and around their box, but we’ve then not tested their keeper enough.

“Perhaps we’ve not been brave enough in certain situations. It’s something we’ll have to work on of course, but it’s difficult sometimes.

“I knew it wouldn’t be easy getting used to the higher level, and that’s how it’s proving.

“I can’t fault any of the players in terms of effort and endeavour, we’ve come to a tough place today and given it a real go. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with a really strong Port Vale team – it’s just not been our day unfortunately.”

Both sides created chances in an entertaining first half at Vale Park.

Wilson went closest for the hosts while Callum Guy threatened more than once for Carlisle.

Vale struck shortly after the restart when Andresson tugged back Chislett in the box, leaving Wilson to coolly slot home.

Carlisle pressed for a leveller late on, but Vale hung on and stretched their unbeaten run to four games to the delight of manager Andy Crosby.

“It was a really hard-earned victory for us,” said Crosby.

“We tried our hardest to control the game and that did prove difficult at times.

“What is disappointing is that we didn’t necessarily capitalise on the periods when we were dominant.

“When you allow a game like that to head into the latter stages and you’re still only 1-0 up, then you know you’re only an individual error away from potentially throwing away two points.

“We should really have finished the game off sooner but we ran around a lot, showed a real togetherness, and in the end that has got us the result.

“We need to find more of that ruthless nature that you need to be really successful at this level.

“You have to take the game away from teams earlier than we have done today, but it’s still a big three points and it keeps the positive momentum going.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted it was clear they need to bring in new signings to improve the team after a goalless home draw with St Johnstone.

The hosts failed to score in consecutive domestic games for the first time since May 2018, when they did so soon after winning the title for the second time under Rodgers.

Celtic delivered another flat display following their 1-0 defeat in the Viaplay Cup at Kilmarnock to allow Rangers to cut their deficit on the cinch Premiership champions to a point before next Sunday’s Ibrox derby.

Matt O’Riley forced a hat-trick of impressive stops from Dimitar Mitov, but Celtic largely struggled to test the Saints goalkeeper and Joe Hart pulled off excellent second-half saves from debutant Dara Costelloe and substitute Stevie May.

Rodgers pinpointed the performance of summer signing Yang Hyun-jun as one of the positives along the return of Alistair Johnston, but he admitted they deserved to be booed off.

Swedish centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke was the only other summer arrival to start and Rodgers is looking for new players ahead of Friday’s deadline that can hit the ground running after the club signed largely inexperienced players since his arrival.

When asked if he expected incomings, Rodgers said: “Hopefully. I think it’s clear… I have said before we have improved the squad with some of the players we have brought in, but we have lost starters. So we need to improve the team.

“And it’s always a challenge coming off the back of a season where you have won the treble.

“You have got to go again the following season where there is a greater expectation on you and more pressure.

“The fans will expect and rightly so. They were disappointed after the game and I am fully aware that if you draw at home to St Johnstone you deserve that bit of stick.

“There’s no numbers. I spoke with the club when I first came in and assessed the squad and we just need to improve that quality.

“It’s clear, if you see the team. When you look back at my first time here; the team was dynamic, it was fast, it was quick, got through the lines very quickly, created chances, scored goals.

“This is what we will eventually get to here, but we are missing certain profiles. Hopefully we can bring that into the squad and obviously be a lot cleaner and quicker in our play.”

The performance will further concern fans ahead of the meeting with Rangers, but Rodgers said: “Listen, when you are playing Rangers, whether you are home and away, it’s the easiest game ever as a manager in terms of motivation and commitment because it’s an obligation. You don’t have a choice in any game, and in particular in that game.

“It’s a disappointment, it feels like a loss when you don’t win, but the point might prove important for us at the end of the season.

“But the expectation when you are playing here is to win and we need to do more to do that.”

Saints moved off the bottom of the table with their first point after a difficult summer for Steven MacLean, which saw the new manager round off a disastrous Viaplay Cup campaign with a 4-0 home defeat by Stirling.

MacLean handed debuts to three new loan signings – Costelloe, Jay Turner-Cooke and Luke Robinson – and fielded eight summer arrivals in total, with skipper Liam Gordon starting on the bench.

His side were compact and organised, though, and the former Saints striker was delighted with the performance.

“All the new players we had, the way they worked, the togetherness of them, the work ethic, they did what we wanted them to do to the letter,” he said.

“You never know quite what you’re going to get. You see them doing good things in training but until you pitch them in, you never know.

“I’m delighted for them as well. They’re young, hungry players who want to kick on and play at a higher level. Hopefully we can help them to do that.”

Liam Manning says he will not be getting carried away after Oxford moved top of Sky Bet League One after beating Charlton 2-1.

It was a fourth straight win for the U’s and owed much to two-goal Tyler Goodrham, who opened the scoring in the 10th minute and struck the winner five minutes from time.

Charlton had bossed the start of the second half and equalised through Alfie May’s second goal of the season in the 63rd minute, but the Addicks have now lost five on the spin in all competitions.

Manning said: “I won’t be looking at the league table. For me it’s just about keeping on chipping away and picking up points.

“We will just reflect on what we did well, what we can do better and it’s all about building on this for the next game.

“It was a cliched game of two halves. We controlled the first half, with the ball and out of possession.

“We got in some really good areas and had some really good chances and I thought we could have been more clinical.

“I would have liked us, while we had the dominance there, to have made the most of it and try to put the game to bed.

“But you’re never going to dominate a game for 90 minutes and in the second half they came out a little more aggressive, on the front foot and pressed a bit more.

“They got the goal, but despite their possession they didn’t create too many chances and James Beadle didn’t have too many saves to make.

“What we showed was a good response and a willingness to bounce back.

“Yes, the performance we can dissect, but ultimately we did enough to get three points.”

Goodrham, 20, also scored in Oxford’s previous game, a 3-1 win at Barnsley.

“Tyler’s fearless, his energy and bravery are tremendous,” Manning said. “It’s now about the consistency, which he’s starting to show, and we’ll be pushing him to produce.

“Knowing him as well as I do now, he’ll keep demanding of himself.

“He’s in a terrific spot where he’s consistently playing games and is on form at the minute.

“It’s an exciting time for young players here, and we’ve shown we’re not afraid to throw in young players.”

Charlton manager Dean Holden admitted: “It’s a tough one to take.

“We started excellently and had the best chance of the game in the first few minutes for Alfie May.

“Then we conceded poorly on 10 minutes and started getting pulled around a lot and were ragged and that wasn’t acceptable.

“That’s why I made changes and changed the shape and we were much better in the second half.

“I was really pleased with the second half – we came out of the traps quickly and took the game to them and deservedly equalised.

“But we were caught by a sucker punch, trying to find the winner, they break from their box and seven seconds later we’re 2-1 down.

“My players gave everything they’ve got. We deserved more from the game but didn’t get it. It’s a similar story every week.

“We have to get back to work and turn results around. It’s about regrouping quickly.

“For me it’s about staying positive…the first half wasn’t acceptable but the second half is something to build on.

“I’m absolutely certain we’ll turn this around.”

Shrewsbury manager Matt Taylor highlighted Daniel Udoh as instrumental after his goal secured a 1-0 victory at Fleetwood.

The visitors fought hard to defeat nine-man Fleetwood, who fell to their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The Cod Army created more chances but they could not find the back of the net.

In contrast, Shrewsbury scored with their first shot providing the only goal of the game, after Udoh capitalised on a mistake from Scott Robertson.

“I think we did everything that to a man you would expect away from home,” Taylor said.

“I think it’s so vitally important that we focus on Daniel Udoh – for him to be able to score and celebrate in front of our fans having seen how hard he’s worked is pleasing.

“He’s got an infectious character and I’m really happy. The players showed courage and determination to apply themselves and win that game of football.

“He was composed, I think when you get into those positions as a striker and you see the opportunity you’ve got one versus one and to have the composure is great.

“He is and he will be instrumental for the football club as we move forward.”

Despite the victory, Taylor still wants to see more from his side.

“There are areas which I hope we’re better next week but they fought and got the result. That’s two away performances and three points are huge for us today,” Taylor continued.

“Now there’s another extremely difficult trip away at Carlisle. I want the players to understand that their hard work, desire and determination have got us the result today.”

Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch was shown a red card for bringing down Ryan Bowman before half-time, while Josh Earl was dismissed in stoppage time.

Scott Brown remained positive and insisted his side were the better team.

“You lose a sloppy goal and then straight afterwards and Lynch has just got to let him go past,” he said.

“We can’t afford to go down to 10 men and then nine men later in the game as well, which is something we never want to see,” he said.

“Our performance levels were very good but the problem is we couldn’t score a goal.

“Even when we went down to 10 men we were the better team. Throughout the whole game, we were the better team.

“But you can’t make mistakes and that isn’t just one person, because mentally that’s when it becomes a hard thing to get out of and it turns into a losing streak.

“We have to understand where we are in the table is nowhere near good enough.

“The way we play, the performance levels are good, but there is a blatant difference between the performance levels and the score.

“Every team would much rather the score was in your favour.”

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson hailed Joachim Andersen’s “colossus” performance after the Dane’s late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Kevin Schade’s stunning opener was cancelled out by Andersen in the 76th minute as both Brentford and Palace shared the spoils for a fifth consecutive time in the Premier League.

Hodgson lauded the centre-back’s overall performance which nullified the threat of Brentford duo Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, who both fired blanks for the first time this season.

“I thought Joachim Andersen was the outstanding player today in our team and maybe the outstanding player on the field,” Hodgson said.

“I thought he was a colossus today, he won every header in both ends of the field and I thought he won every challenge he went into, he was a leader figure and he drove the team forward.

“He wasn’t afraid to come more than midway into the opponent’s half as we saw and he was playing balls and spraying it around from about 25 yards from goal and that was a great responsibility that he took there.

“I think it was very fitting that he got the goal even though it wasn’t a classic.”

For the first time this season Brentford appeared lost without focal point Ivan Toney, who is suspended, as they struggled to look threatening in the final third.

Frank highlighted his frustration at his side’s attacking performance and credited Hodgson’s Palace for their defensive efforts.

“No ( I wasn’t happy with the amount of Brentford chances) but I am not surprised,” Frank added.

“For whatever reason and I can’t figure it out, the two teams (Brentford and Palace) cancel each other out more or less in these games.

“In five games we’ve played them the amount of chances the two sides have created are very limited and I would have loved to have taken more.

“I think in the half opening transitions we lacked the final pass action to create more and we should’ve won 1-0 which is so frustrating.”

Schade’s 18th-minute goal was his first for Brentford since his switch in January and Frank talked up the winger’s qualities.

“I am so pleased for him, it’s so important for the confidence and what a goal it was,” Frank said.

“I loved his initiative to run at the opponent where he got all the way into the box and was composed before a fantastic finish so hopefully he can do more of those nice goals.”

Lincoln boss Mark Kennedy was cautious about looking at the Sky Bet League One table after his side cruised to a 3-0 victory over 10-man Blackpool.

The win moved the Imps up to fourth and extended their unbeaten run to four.

“Where we are in the league at the moment is not important,” Kennedy said. “We spoke to the group after the game and told them to not get carried away and stay grounded.

“We don’t want to be fooling ourselves. We’re not a top-four team.”

The Imps scored twice from the penalty spot and saw another strike deflected home, and Kennedy said: “With the goals, we had three big chances and took them.

“Blackpool are a really good side with a good coaching group, so that is a big win for us in a big test.

“I thought we were really good in and out of possession. We looked structured and hard to break down. We controlled the ball. I thought we did that very well today.

“Before we went to Shrewsbury, a couple of our players were practicing penalties. I told Danny Mandroui that he was on penalties today, but we have three or four players who are really capable.

“I’m a big believer of driving at defenders, so it was nice to see Ethan Erhahon drive forward and pulling the trigger. I’d like to see him do that more often.”

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley was honest about his side’s performance.

“Horrible is the word that sums it up,” he said. “The initial start was good, we had two good chances before the first goal after seven minutes. That was a mistake from us.

“It was stupid of us to give away the penalty. We responded well, I thought. We still had chances to equalise before the second.

“Lincoln got a little bit of luck with the second goal. We didn’t get the press right and he shoots from outside the area. It takes a deflection and at half-time I’m scratching my head as to why we were 2-0 down.

“We changed our formation and players at half-time and we were threatening to get back into the game.”

Blackpool were down to 10 men with 17 minutes to play after Oliver Norburn brought down Ben House prior to Lincoln’s third, and Critchley believed it was the right decision.

“We didn’t defend well enough on the halfway line,” Critchley continued.

“The third goal and the sending-off kills the game. It looked horrible, it feels horrible, but it’s our first defeat of the season so I have to put it into perspective.”

John Mousinho slammed the decision to send off Portsmouth’s Joe Rafferty and Stevenage’s Jake Forster-Caskey after a feisty 0-0 draw at the Lamex Stadium.

The two players were shown red by referee Simon Mather when a 50-50 challenge seemed to spark a skirmish on the floor during the second half of the League One clash.

Jordan Roberts came closest to scoring when the Boro forward hit the post from outside the box late in the first period.

“I think it was bizarre,” said Mousinho.

“We have just watched it back there, there is nothing in it.

“Rafferty and the lad on the floor have a little coming together, the referee does not deal with it and decides to send both players off.

“I just thought, from what I could see, the Stevenage player did not do anything to Rafferty or vice versa.

“Honestly, I don’t know, I think both players were really shocked.

“I just spoke to Rafferty there, he said there was nothing in it, so a bit of a strange one.

“It was a tough game to assess I think, it was another bizarre afternoon of football ruined by things that happened off the pitch.

“We are disappointed to come away with another draw, this is a really tough place to come, Stevenage are very well organised and good at what they do.

“We really opened them up towards the end, it was a very strange last half-hour because of the sendings-off.”

However, Boro boss Steve Evans insists the sending-off swung the match in Pompey’s favour.

“That changed the momentum a little because we were so far on top at that stage,” said Evans.

“That probably helped the Pompey lads a little bit more than us.

“I 100 per cent did not see it, if I saw it and my player was out of order then I would say it.

“I think they are under huge pressure aren’t they, we are under our own pressure.

“This is Portsmouth Football Club, look at the support they bring and the press coverage they demand because they are such a great club.

“I think John is a good young manager but he will learn along the way, won’t he?

“We will take the point; we will regroup, and we will go again.

“I don’t think there was a lot to split the teams at the end if you take the whole 90 minutes in.

“I think everyone will go home and say they will take the point, a hard-earned point.

“I think if you listen to every pundit and press report coming into the game, you would have thought it was lambs to the slaughter today, but little lambs bite sometimes.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt felt his side should have been returning from Burton with a three-point haul rather than just one despite their slow start to the match and falling a goal behind.

Wanderers, looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 4-0 home mauling by Wigan, trailed to Mark Helm’s goal just after the break but drew level before the hour through Dion Charles.

However, Bolton could not go on to find a winner – and a first-ever victory at the home of the Brewers – as the match finished 1-1, much to Evatt’s frustration.

“It’s a game we should have won,” he said.

“First half we didn’t start great and for the first 20 minutes they put us under pressure, and we didn’t make the right decisions, which is understandable after last week, which really rocked us.”

Helm caught Bolton cold with Albion’s goal less than a minute into the second half which also irked the Bolton boss.

“We didn’t start the second half well either, making a critical error in the first minute,” Evatt said.

“To be fair, after that we rallied and took over the game, but we have missed some critical chances that should have put the game to bed.

“I think we can do better. We know we can do better. It would have been easy going behind again to feel sorry for ourselves and the only real frustration is that we should have gone on to win.”

Burton boss Dino Maamria was pleased with his team’s performance, but the former striker was also frustrated by their failure to kill off the game when Albion were on top.

“The performance is there to see. An excellent performance. I might have to put my boots on because we do everything apart from that last seven or eight yards,” he said.

Bobby Kamwa, making his first league start of the season, was guilty of an early miss having rounded Bolton keeper Nathan Baxter and hitting the post, a chance that would have capped a dominant opening to the game for Albion.

“A game like today should have been done and dusted in the first half but we just lack that quality in those final yards to score goals but everything else was excellent,” Maamria said.

“We played in their half and pressed them really well but couldn’t get the goal we deserved.”

He added: “Second half we got the goal and needed to kick on but the disappointment is that we conceded from a second ball from a long ball and it’s preventable.

“Is it a fair result?. I think if we had the killer instinct in those final 10 yards, we would have won the game.

“Their keeper denied Deji (Oshilaja) with his trailing leg at point-blank range and any other day that goes in, and we win the game. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney was reluctant to criticise his team or the match officials after a 2-0 defeat to Barnsley with 10 men.

The visitors started brightly and took advantage of Charlie Hughes’ 21st-minute red card, with Devante Cole firing his side in front five minutes later.

Wigan showed plenty of heart in the second half but Barnsley substitute John McAtee made the game safe in added time.

Maloney said of the red card: “It’s a difficult decision. I’ve seen one angle of it and I can’t decide whether he’s got the ball or the player, so it looked a little bit 50-50.

“I don’t want to complain too much about decisions, sometimes they go for you and this instance it’s gone against us. It had a big impact in terms of how the game went, but that’s football and sometimes these things go against you.

“The flow of the game changed immediately after the red card. I’m not overly positive generally after defeats, but for half an hour or so in the second half we had to play under big pressure.

“I let them know that I didn’t care if there was a mistake, we had to play under pressure to get back into it and for 30 minutes I think we did that.

“I can’t be critical of the second goal, we went all out to try and get a goal and physically the team was spent. The last five or six minutes were open and I can’t be critical.

“It’s a sore one and you don’t like to lose, but we’ll get back to work on Monday.”

Barnsley manager Neill Collins admitted his “relief” as his side got back to winning ways.

The Tykes had not tasted victory since dismantling Port Vale 7-0 on the opening day of the season and they faced a tough task at the DW Stadium – against a side who would have started the day top were it not for an eight-point deduction for financial reasons.

Collins said: “It’s always a relief to win when you’re coming on the back of a couple of defeats.

“The first day was just an excellent day all round, to get the three points was important but to win the way we did meant it was made a bit more of a deal than it was.

“I thought the cup game afterwards (against Tranmere) was positive from the perspective that we had a really young team and they played really well.

“Then at Bristol (Rovers) we got a point without playing great, before two home games against two really tough teams (Peterborough and Oxford).

“People ask questions after defeats but we knew the reasons why they happened and how we needed to improve.

“To come here and get a result considering where we’re at is really pleasing.”

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell hailed the resilience of his squad after they battled back from a goal behind to defeat Kilmarnock 2-1 in the cinch Premiership.

Marley Watkins broke the deadlock after 12 minutes and Killie could and should have added to their advantage in the first half.

Kettlewell’s side were much improved after the break, however, and Dan Casey levelled matters before Harry Paton netted in the seventh minute of stoppage time to take the Steelmen joint top of the table.

The Motherwell boss has faced an injury crisis at the club in recent weeks, with Conor Wilkinson the latest to face a spell on the sidelines.

Despite that, the Steelmen demonstrated all their fighting qualities after the break to claim an outstanding victory.

“We’re delighted. I think you are delighted with three points at any stage in this league, but especially after the first 45 minutes where I just didn’t feel we were at the races,” Kettlewell said.

“We had a few tweaks and changes to our set-up because of the tough week that we’ve had – we’ve had a really difficult spell trying to make sure we can put a team on the park.

“That’s why people pay their money, they want to see their team score a last-minute winner.

“Without getting too nostalgic about it, I think your team should be an identification as to what you are as a person.

“I always demand resilience and good reaction from us. Even if one or two were in the dressing room at half-time feeling a bit sorry for themselves with what we said or the changes we made – it is always with the right intention.”

Kettlewell also confirmed that defender Ricki Lamie is set to depart the club, with a move to Dundee on the horizon.

Lamie has yet to feature for Motherwell in the Premiership this season.

“There looks like a situation where Ricki could be on the move and, again, if I was sitting as a selfish guy I’d be saying I want to keep as many senior players as I can,” Kettlewell said.

“You can see we’ve got six teenagers in our squad today, two starting and four on the bench. I need as many senior players as I can get.

“Though to alter and readdress the balance, it’s a situation that probably will happen and whether that’s the opportunity to free up some up funds for us to see if we can bring in another attack-minded player.

“That’s certainly something we are looking at. There’s nothing concrete in terms of an incoming but it’s looking likely there will be an outgoing.”

Derek McInnes was left frustrated as his Kilmarnock side fell to defeat from a commanding position.

Killie suffered their first loss of the new campaign after conceding with the final kick of the ball at Fir Park and McInnes is keen to ensure that his players bounce back quickly

“It’s a really disappointing end up for us. It’s important when you can’t win a game that you make sure you don’t lose it,” he said.

“There’s a lot of optimism, the way the players have been of late and the results recently. I think you see we bounced into Fir Park today ready to take them on.

“It’s not going to affect what we do this season. I’m pretty sure this is a different looking Kilmarnock, it’s important we remember that. We take the belt and are ready to win a home game next week.

“Hopefully we can come through this first round of games with a lot of positivity.”

Opera Singer looks a filly destined to compete at the highest level after blitzing her rivals in the Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh.

The winner of a Leopardstown maiden on her second career start last month, the daughter of Justify was then narrowly denied by Paddy Twomey’s unbeaten juvenile A Lilac Rolla in a Curragh conditions race.

Stepping up to Group Three level, Opera Singer was the even-money favourite in the hands of Seamie Heffernan and rocketed six and a half lengths clear of stablemate Brilliant in scintillating style.

“She’s a lovely filly and she’s had a few lovely runs,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“She had a lovely run the first day and then the second day she ran a stormer as well. Ryan (Moore) thought he was going to beat the winner the last day, the line just came a little bit soon but she’s come forward lovely.

“These Justifys improve, the minute they go up in distance they take off.”

When asked if Newmarket’s Fillies’ Mile could be a target, he added: “I’d say she’s that kind of filly, straightforward and goes forward.”

O’Brien and Heffernan completed a Group Three double on the card with the tough-as-teak Red Riding Hood in the Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes.

After cutting out much of the running, the 14-1 shot looked beaten after being given a reminder early in the straight and then being passed by 9-4 favourite American Sonja – but she battled back bravely against the rail to get back up and secure victory by a neck.

O’Brien’s representative Chris Armstrong said: “In fairness to Seamus he gave her a powerful ride, she’s not a straightforward filly.

“She has stacks of ability but though probably weakness and immaturity it’s only starting to come to the fore now.

“She’ll probably come back here on Champions Weekend for the Blandford Stakes and see how we go. Hopefully that will be a good confidence-booster for her and it’s onwards and upwards.”

The Twomey-trained Letsbefrankaboutit also justified favouritism in the the Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes.

The Sioux Nation colt was well touted ahead of his introduction over the course and distance a fortnight ago and while he had to make do with minor honours in third, he offered plenty of hope for the future.

He was a 2-1 market leader in this six-furlong Group Three and proved half a length too strong for Mansa Musa, with Billy Lee the winning pilot.

“He learned a lot the last day when he had to race on his own, he won his race,” said Twomey.

“He was a bit babyish before the race the last day but he was very good today, didn’t put a foot wrong, and did what I hoped he’d do.

“It takes a lot for me to run a maiden in a Group Three but I just thought he might be fit for it.

“He’s entered in everything and we’ll see how he is, I think he’ll be a nice horse in time.”

Head coach Enzo Maresca believes Kasey McAteer could become a key player for Leicester as his brace secured a 2-1 victory at Rotherham.

McAteer netted either side of a leveller from Fred Onyedinma to maintain the Foxes’ 100 per cent record this campaign and leave them out in front at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.

The 21-year-old homegrown talent is establishing himself in the Italian’s side after enjoying loan spells at Forest Green and AFC Wimbledon in the past.

Maresca said: “I was very happy with him, for the two goals but also the way he works off the ball. He helps a lot.

“He is working the right way and he helps us out. I’m happy for him and the academy.

“I really like him, not just because he scored. I like the way he works and he sacrifices. He helps a lot without the ball. He is an important player.

“It was a very good performance. They score many goals from set-pieces, the delivery from Cafu is unbelievable. I think we were very good defensively. We fought in the right way.”

Rotherham thought they had gone ahead when Jordan Hugill touched in Cafu’s corner but referee Simon Hooper ruled the goal out after a long consultation with his assistant.

Leicester did take the lead after 12 minutes through McAteer, who was perfectly positioned to guide in Kelechi Iheanacho’s back-post cross.

Onyedinma levelled for Rotherham early in the second period as he managed to get enough of a touch on Andre Green’s cross to beat Hermansen.

Leicester snatched the three points clinically with seven minutes left to play when McAteer bent home after being found by Callum Doyle’s diagonal pass.

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor said: “We’re in a little bit of pain right now. Bar the first 45 minutes at Stoke we have competed and showed signs of being a really good team, but not picked up the points we deserved.

“We more than matched one of the best teams in the league. They just had a little bit more on the pitch and the bench.

“People spoke about what it was in terms of the levels of the opposition but it’s irrelevant – we have to be where we need to be and that is a front foot team.

“The players put everything into it, I just wish I could help them a little bit more.”

Taylor also explained the disallowed goal.

“I spoke to the officials and it was disallowed for two reasons. A foul on the goalkeeper and offside. Both were marginal,” added Taylor. “If that is a foul then a lot is going to get given from set-pieces.

“What happened in that moment does not excuse the lack of concentration for their goal.

“It was a well-worked goal from their point of view but poor from ourselves. The second goal was a mirror image. We just switched off.

“Little moments have let us down and gone against us.”

Max Verstappen has revealed Sebastian Vettel told him he will break his record of nine consecutive victories after the home favourite put his Red Bull on pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.

The unstoppable Verstappen will equal four-time world champion Vettel’s streak from 2013 if he takes the chequered flag in front of 105,000 expectant fans.

Verstappen starts his quest from the front after he topped a chaotic wet-dry qualifying session in Zandvoort. Verstappen finished nearly six tenths clear of second-placed Lando Norris with a mighty final lap.

George Russell qualified third for Mercedes, one place ahead of Alex Albon – the London-born driver continuing his impressive campaign with Williams. Lewis Hamilton lines up only 13th after he was surprisingly eliminated in Q2.

Verstappen dominated the opening half of the season, taking 10 victories from the 12 rounds so far, and he has emerged from the sport’s summer break still as the man to beat.

He last failed to win in Azerbaijan on April 30, and it will be a major surprise if his crushing run comes to a halt in front of his orange-clad army.

“After five wins in a row, Seb texted me to say, ‘well done with what you are doing at the moment, keep it up, you are going to get the record’,” said Verstappen following his eighth pole of the campaign.

“I was like, ‘that’s nine wins in a row, and that is something very impressive’. I never thought I would be able to get to eight. If it is possible tomorrow of course I go for it.

“But it is not something that is in the back of my head. I am not in this sport to try and break records. I am just here to win in the moment.”

Verstappen is in a league of his own as he closes in on a hat-trick of titles.

But it has been suggested that his reign – akin to Michael Schumacher’s emphatic dominance for Ferrari at the turn of the century – has been a turn-off for the sport’s booming fanbase.

“It is clear that unpredictability is what makes the sport exciting,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

“You want to look at the television on Sunday and see a fight. That is not the case at the moment.

“But that is because one team and one driver are doing a much better job than anybody else, and we need to acknowledge that.”

While Verstappen has been aided by his all-conquering Red Bull machine, it is worth noting that his team-mate Sergio Perez – the only other driver to win a race this year – qualified seventh here, 1.3 seconds behind in the same car.

Qualifying started on a wet track before a dry line emerged for Q3. Two red flags followed as Logan Sargeant and Charles Leclerc crashed out.

By this stage, Hamilton was back in the Mercedes garage. The seven-time world champion appeared to be impeded by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and he failed to post a time fast enough to progress to Q3.

The incident was noted by the stewards, but Hamilton did not feel he lost time. However, Wolff added: “Tsunoda is a nice guy but he clearly impeded Lewis.

“The answer is to penalise. If you know you don’t go to prison for cheating tax, you cheat the tax. I don’t understand why these things are not penalised.

“You could say Lewis dived on the inside and it didn’t cost him much. But going from a dry line, to a wet line, and back to a dry line costs time and a tenth of a second would have put him into Q3.

“We need to be harsh on penalties and then people will start looking in their mirrors.”