Michael Carrick admitted he had not planned Middlesbrough’s winner at Swansea after home goalkeeper Carl Rushworth was punished for picking up Harry Darling’s back pass.
Substitute Samuel Silvera smashed home a 77th-minute free-kick from just a few yards out, breaching Swansea’s wall of defenders on the goal-line.
“It’s a strange one. I’ve not seen it for a long time,” said Middlesbrough manager Carrick, who recalled his former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo once scoring in similar circumstances at Old Trafford.
“It certainly doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed goal because it’s not easy to find a way through.
“It was quite interesting to what the lads came up with because it’s not something you see often and therefore we haven’t planned for it. I’ll hold my hands up to that.
“But two of the younger boys (Silvera and Morgan Rogers) have been smart enough and said, ‘This is my moment, I know what I’m going to do’. That pleases me even more.”
Carrick insisted it was “definitely a back pass” and said he appealed for the free-kick on the touchline, adding that Boro deserved to end their three-game losing streak.
Sam Greenwood, on loan from Leeds, fired the visitors in front two minutes before the break, with Jamal Lowe heading Swansea level near the hour mark.
Carrick said: “I’m delighted with the boys for their effort and the spirit to get through a game like that where it didn’t come easily for us.
“It wasn’t a naturally free-flowing performance. We’ve had them recently and not won, so to do so this time feels good.
“There was a feeling before the game actually with the boys about finding a way to win and having that winning feeling. Sometimes you have those games where you have to find a way.”
Swansea caretaker manager Alan Sheehan felt it was a “brave call” by referee Matthew Donohue to punish Rushworth 13 minutes from time.
“It was a crazy decision, whether it’s right or wrong it’s a big call,” Sheehan said.
“Is it an interception or a back pass? Carl Rushworth is one of the best keepers in the league with the ball at his feet, so for him to think he can pick it up tells me enough.”
This was Sheehan’s third game in charge and Swansea hope to appoint a permanent successor to Michael Duff before Friday’s home game against Preston, with Tottenham coach Chris Davies their preferred candidate.
“I’m more proud now than I was against Stoke (1-1 draw on Tuesday),” Sheehan said. “This was a step in the right direction, maybe two steps.”
Vardy eyes 100-point season after Leicester's title win
Jamie Vardy has challenged his Leicester City team-mates to reach 100 points after sealing the Championship title with one game to spare.
The Foxes were promoted back to the Premier League without kicking a ball after Leeds United’s 4-0 defeat to QPR on Friday, but they needed to win on Monday to earn top spot.
Enzo Maresca’s side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Preston through Vardy’s brace and Kasey McAteer’s header, moving them to 97 points.
With one last milestone in their reach, Vardy wants to make sure they end an already successful season on a high.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We can celebrate it tonight, but now we have another target which is 100 points.
“We are over the moon. It has gone by quick but it's a graft. Not many days off, I'll tell you that.
“The lads - they've given it all. Thoroughly deserved, and I'm glad we've had 5000 to come and celebrate with us. It's not like it's 20 minutes up the road."
After a run of just three victories from nine games in the league between mid-February and April, Leicester have now won each of their last three outings.
Maresca has praised his players for their hard work in what he labelled a “tough season”.
“Fantastic, it's been a fantastic season. The Championship is a tough season and very intense, but I'm very happy," said Maresca.
"Now it's time to enjoy the work of the season to bring this special club back to the Premier League. We deserve it.
“The last two days they have been fantastic. We got promoted, but it was difficult in game preparation. But we used all of today to prepare for the game, the morning and afternoon. It was good.”
Preston 0-3 Leicester City: Foxes seal Championship title in style
Leicester City cruised to a 3-0 win over Preston in the Championship on Monday to clinch the title with a game to spare.
Jamie Vardy was the star for the Foxes as he scored in both halves before Kasey McAteer made sure of the points with an unmarked header.
Abdul Fatawu had the chance to cap an already memorable night for the travelling fans but hit the post with his curler.
Preston slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, while Leicester go into their final game against Blackburn Rovers with the knowledge that they will lift the trophy after the final whistle.
Data Debrief
Jamie Vardy has scored 18 goals this season (two in this game), more than any other Leicester player in the competition. He has also netted in his last three games, scoring four goals in total.
It was a dominant performance from the Foxes, who had 19 shots with 11 of those on target. At the other end, Preston only managed to test Jakub Stolarczyk once from their five attempts.
Hull City 3-3 Ipswich Town: Tigers fight back three times to deny Tractor Boys
Ipswich Town missed the chance to move into an automatic promotion spot as play-off-chasing Hull City came from behind three times in a thrilling 3-3 Championship draw at The MKM Stadium.
Ipswich knew a victory would take them second after Leeds United were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers on Friday, and they led on three separate occasions, George Hirst opening the scoring before Omari Hutchinson produced two brilliant strikes from the edge of the area.
However, buoyed by slip-ups from rivals Norwich City and West Brom earlier on Saturday, Hull dug deep to fight back on each occasion, Ozan Tufan and Liam Delap scoring their first two equalisers.
With Liam Rosenior's men 3-2 down with just four minutes to play, substitute Noah Ohio blasted his shot in off the crossbar to punish an error from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
The result keeps Ipswich behind second-placed Leeds on goal difference, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand to come at Coventry City on Tuesday.
Hull, meanwhile, are two points adrift of the top six, with Norwich's goal difference advantage meaning their top-six spot is all but assured. The Tigers will, however, leapfrog West Brom if they beat Plymouth Argyle on the final day and Albion lose to Preston North End.
Data Debrief: Hutchinson's best not enough
Hutchinson was a man who deserved to be on the winning side on Saturday, giving Ryan Allsop no chance with two near-identical left-footed strikes from the right corner of the penalty area.
His goals came from an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.6, and he led all players on the pitch for shots (eight) and passes in the final third (21), also laying on three chances for his team-mates.
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