Japhet Tanganga and Zian Flemming gave Neil Harris the perfect start to his fourth spell at Millwall as they upset Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Harris returned to the Den for his second stint as manager, having become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer over two spells as a player, this week after Joe Edwards had been sacked.
And he began this tenure by stunting a run of just one point in seven games after Tanganga’s header and Flemming’s penalty kept the Lions out the relegation zone.
Southampton have now lost three of their last four matches to lose touching distance in the automatic promotion race – all seven of their league defeats this season have come in either September or February.
Harris’ newest era at the club began in perfect style. He had already received a homecoming reaction from the loud away fans, before celebrating an opener inside five minutes.
George Saville floated a tantalising free-kick into the heart of the penalty box, where Tanganga had freed himself from his marker to bravely head in before getting a blow in the back from goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
It was the Tottenham loanee centre-back’s first professional goal.
The goal was accompanied by a chant of “Super Neil Harris” as Millwall fans made it clear they supported their fourth boss of the campaign.
Southampton dominated possession and started to create chances. Tanganga continued his impressive streak by leaping back onto his own goal-line to thwart an Adams header, while David Brooks curled wide.
Adams converted a header in the 34th minute to level the game, the striker glancing Stuart Armstrong’s perfectly-weighted cross in for his 11th goal of the season.
Brooks had an effort cleared off the line, by Shaun Cooper, before the Lions regained the lead two minutes before the break when former Southampton striker Michael Obafemi’s shot cannoned into Jan Bednarek’s arm.
Dutchman Flemming converted the penalty, via the post, for his seventh goal of the season.
It meant Saints had conceded two goals for the third successive home match.
Southampton reorganised at the break and produced three chances within the first four minutes of the restart.
Kyle Walker-Peters and Stuart Armstrong tried their luck from outside the box, but fired over, before Adams flicked over from close range.
Joe Rothwell came off the bench and should have equalised when he met a loose ball on the penalty spot, but he tamely skidded a shot straight at goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
Sarkic was finally forced into a difficult save in the 89th minute when he swooped low to keep out Adam Armstrong’s header.
However, Millwall held on to provide Harris with the perfect start and give the manager a double over Southampton – having beaten them in the Carabao Cup when he was Gillingham boss in August.
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.
Al-Khaleej 0-1 Al-Nassr: Ronaldo misfires on return as Laporte nets winner
Cristiano Ronaldo returned from suspension but failed to find the net as Al-Nassr secured a 1-0 win over Al-Khaleej on Saturday, with Aymeric Laporte coming up with the decisive goal.
Ronaldo was in action for the first time since being sent off for an elbow in a 2-1 Saudi Super Cup loss to Al-Hilal earlier this month, with his initial two-match ban being reduced to one on appeal.
He missed three good chances as Al-Nassr threatened to fall further behind runaway Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, but former Manchester City defender Laporte spared his blushes by nodding Marcelo Brozovic's deep free-kick into the bottom-left corner with 68 minutes gone.
Al-Nassr remain nine points adrift of Al-Hilal at the summit in spite of their win, with Jorge Jesus' team unbeaten through 28 games this season as they close in on a record-extending 18th title.
Data Debrief: Ronaldo misfires on return
Ronaldo was presented with the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Month award for March ahead of kick-off, having scored four goals in three league appearances last month.
However, his sights were off on Saturday as he failed to net despite three of the visitors' four big chances, as defined by Opta, falling his way. He led all players on the pitch for expected goals (1.27 xG), shots (five), shots on target (three) and touches in the area (nine) without reward.
Huddersfield all but relegated from Championship while League Two play-off spots decided
Huddersfield Town saw their relegation from the Championship all but confirmed after a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Birmingham City on Saturday.
The Terriers avoided a defeat that would have seen them relegated on Saturday, but even a win on the final day over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town will not be enough unless they overcome a huge goal difference of 15 goals with Plymouth Argyle.
Birmingham remain in the other relegation place and now must beat Norwich City to stand a chance of staying up with Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers also still in danger.
At the other end of the table, the Canaries dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City, leaving the door open for Hull City, who face Ipswich Town later today.
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