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• Enzo Maresca hails Hamza Choudhury defensive heroics after vital win over WBA

  Leicester manager Enzo Maresca hailed Hamza Choudhury’s defensive heroics after his side beat West Brom 2-1 at the King Power Stadium to edge closer to promotion.

  Maresca’s side moved back to the top of the Championship with goals from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, who missed a penalty in the first half.

  Albion dominated the game but  midfielder Hamza Choudhury was the Foxes’ hero clearing off the line three times.

  The visitors could only find the net once when captain Jed Wallace reduced the two-goal deficit for Carlos Corberan’s side with 14 minutes left.

  Leicester were helped hugely by Choudhury’s inspired last-ditch defending and Maresca hailed his man-of-the-match performance.

  Maresca said: “I’ve never seen three goal-line clearances from one player. He played as a goalkeeper at times.

  “Hamza is probably the only guy whose contract we renewed this season. We made him one of the captains. With us, on the pitch and off the pitch, he has always been very good.

  Maresca celebrated with his players at the final whistle, but says he knows the job is far from done.

  The Italian coach said: “It was a crazy game. We need still two wins, now we have to look at the next game.

  “Every time you win, you see yourself closer and you celebrate. But it’s not over, we have to finish the job. It was only 12 months ago that we were relegated, it’s not easy to come back.

  “I just said to Carlos Corberan that we have been lucky in this game. And he said to me: ‘You have been lucky here, but in the last two games, you have been completely unlucky.’”

  Albion’s play-off hopes remain in the balance after two successive defeats but Corberan says he is ready for the challenge with two games left.

  The Spanish coach said: “It’s excellent! I love this pressure. I am preparing for this – I am ready to fight until the last minute of the last game. We’re in a good position to fight for that, I’m proud of what we’re doing.

  “The play off is a step to promotion. There are amazing teams here, who have made a big financial investment, but we have two games to achieve the play offs. I don’t care whether we’re fifth or sixth. I want the most points we can achieve. That’s all I’m thinking about.”

  Corberan admitted losing to Leicester, after having so much of the game, was hard to take, adding: “This was not a fair result, we did everything but put the ball in the net until late on.

  “We created more chances than the best team in the division, and I’m proud of that. But I’ve never seen one player make three goal-line clearances before, that was hard to accept.”

• Brian Graham double sees Partick Thistle to thumping win

  Brian Graham scored twice in seven second-half minutes to help ease Partick Thistle to a 4-0 cinch Championship victory over Airdrieonians as both sides made it to the play-offs.

  Airdrie keeper Robbie Hemfrey had to beat away Harry Milne’s early shot and then saw the defender head just over with 23 minutes gone at the Energy Check Stadium.

  However, Lewis McGregor had a chance to put the visitors ahead 12 minutes before the break when he was played in one-one-one with David Mitchell, but the keeper blocked with his legs.

  Thistle took the lead seven minutes after the restart when Kerr McInroy played in Aidan Fitzpatrick over the top and he evaded Hemfrey before firing home.

  It was 2-0 within nine minutes when Graham pounced after Hemfrey had parried Ben Stanway’s effort, and he added his second seven minutes later before substitute Ricco Diack made it 4-0 as time ran down.

• Crewe boss Lee Bell fuming as James McClean avoids seeing red in Wrexham’s win

  Crewe boss Lee Bell was livid that James McClean was allowed to stay on the pitch after the winger’s part in a first-half dust-up in Wrexham’s 3-0 win.

  Bell accused the officials of failing to take action against the Irishman, who reacted angrily after a late challenge by Aaron Rowe which ended with Red Dragons goalscorer Ollie Palmer acting as peacemaker.

  Referee Seb Stockbridge handed out yellow cards to both McClean and Rowe, but after the break pulled out a red to send off Alex defender Ryan Cooney, which killed off any hopes Crewe had of a fightback after they had fallen behind to first-half efforts from Palmer and Paul Mullin.

  “I’m bitterly disappointed to lose at home again as we had looked much better and with a lot more energy,” Bell said. “It was a very even game but then there was a flash-point in the first half which was absolutely ridiculous and I’m quite kind to referees.

  “I know James (McClean) but he should have been sent off – but Wrexham aren’t bothered and the referees aren’t bothered.

  “When I got sent-off recently I was told that I wasn’t being aggressive, but when you start putting fingers in mouth and putting your head towards people you should be sent off.”

  Crewe have lost their last three home games 3-0 and may still need a point from their final-day trip to Colchester to guarantee a play-off berth.

  Wrexham, meanwhile, were chalking up a sixth success in the last seven games.

  Palmer glanced home Mullin’s cross for the first in the 24th minute. The frontman reciprocated when he flicked on Tom O’Connor’s free-kick and Mullin lifted the ball over goalkeeper Max Stryjek in first-half stoppage time.

  Cooney was given a straight red card in the 54th minute for a handling offence which prevented Mullin from running in on goal.

  Andy Cannon drilled in Wrexham’s third in the 61st minute. Further goals could have followed with both substitutes Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher going close, while Crewe sub Charlie Finney was close to heading in a consolation at the far post.

  Bell added: “We will take the defeat but at 1-0 down Wrexham should have been down to 10 men. Straight from what went on with that we conceded and that made it a really difficult task against a really good team.

  “But we’ll go to Colchester and myself and the players will meet the challenge head-on and make sure we don’t come off the pitch with any regrets.”

  Phil Parkinson emphasised the importance of the size of Wrexham’s squad as club captain Luke Young returned to play a key part in the victory.

  “Luke came in and was outstanding and that has been our strength, that the group of lads out of the side have been so important to us when they have played,” said the Wrexham boss.

  “The last nine away games have seen us take 17 points, so we have been excellent on our travels which I am pleased about. Also for the integrity of the division it was important we performed as there will be teams looking at this game today needing us to come and play well.

  “Our mentality has got stronger and we have been very good.

  “After their lad got sent off – I was expecting a yellow card – we then went 3-0 up and it was just about controlling the game after that.

  “We are happy with the promotion and if we get second then that will be great, but it’s more about finishing the season and getting to the summer and regrouping.

  “There are some decisions to be made then and that will be about us sitting down as staff and making the right ones.”