Managerless Plymouth claimed a much-needed 85th-minute leveller to earn a late 1-1 Championship draw at home to relegation-rivals QPR.

Following a goalmouth scramble in which Plymouth goalkeeper Michael Cooper twice brilliantly saved on his line, Sam Field hammered the ball home from close range after 73 minutes to give the visitors the lead.

But Albert Adomah put into his own net with five minutes remaining as Argyle claimed a share of the spoils.

Ilias Chair fired over from 20 yards out as the ball fell to him from QPR’s first corner of the game.

Adam Randall won and took a 13th-minute free-kick for the hosts which flew over from 20 yards out.

Top scorer Morgan Whittaker went the closest with his 25-yard shot on the run which went just wide of Asmir Bergovic’s goal in the 15th minute.

It was the closest either side went in a tentative getting-to-know-you start from both teams.

Callum Wright helped continue a flowing move with a cheeky acrobatic back heel which resulted in a shooting opportunity for the attacking midfielder just outside the QPR penalty area.

Wright’s thumping 26th-minute shot from 20 yards flew just over the crossbar, while Chair continued to be a thorn in Argyle’s side and when he cut inside from the left – three minutes later – his low goal-bound shot had to be blocked by a defender.

Minutes later Lucas Andersen beat two defenders as he cut inside from the right and let fly with a low angled drive that flew just wide of the diving Cooper’s far post.

Paul Smyth went even closer in the 36th minute, latching onto a Chair cross from the left at the far post. Smyth controlled the ball well and his first-time shot on the half volley rocketed into the side netting.

Ryan Hardie’s shot from centre of the penalty area eight minutes before the break was comfortably saved by Begovic.

A slip on the ball by Anthony Phillips allowed Chair a run-on goal from the halfway. The Morocco international homed in on goal before firing just wide from the edge of the box.

Cooper made a brilliant 56th-minute save to deny Smyth as he looked certain to score after being teed up inside the box by Lydon Dykes. Somehow the Argyle number one kept out Smyth’s measured shot.

A minute later, Begovic was forced to save low at the foot of his post to keep out a Bali Mumba shot.

Central defender Lewis Gibson looked set to score when a corner, flicked on, landed at his feet at the far post but his shot across goal curled away from the target and sailed inches wide.

Plymouth defender Dan Scarr did brilliantly to head off the goal line in the 68th minute as QPR upped the pressure and Smyth’s cross looked to be heading in.

Field finally broke the deadlock from close range after 73 minutes to give QPR the lead.

Begovic made a brilliant stop to deny Mumba – as Argyle piled on the pressure – but Adomah appeared to score an own goal, under pressure from substitute striker Mustapha Bundu, at the far post as QPR failed to clear the 85th-minute corner.

Leicester suffered a wobble in their bid for an instant return to the Premier League after a stunning Ryan Longman strike condemned them to a 1-0 defeat at struggling Millwall.

Back-to-back wins had reignited the Foxes’ promotion bid and lifted them back to the top of the Championship.

But they slipped up in south London as the Lions, in need of the points for different reasons, battled to a first win in five matches to go four points clear of the relegation zone.

In a huge match at both ends of the table, Leicester’s defeat will have been welcomed by Ipswich and Leeds as the three-horse race for automatic promotion enters the final straight.

Millwall had a chance to open the scoring in the first minute, George Honeyman floating in a free-kick which Longman headed too close to Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

Leicester quickly settled, though, and Stephy Mavididi – the late matchwinner against Birmingham on Saturday – should have done better when he was sent through by Yunus Akgun but his touch was too heavy.

Ricardo Pereira’s clever flick then found Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who slipped in Jamie Vardy.

But the 37-year-old former England striker was losing his balance as he got his shot away and Matija Sarkic made a comfortable save.

Dewsbury-Hall, playing as a number 10, took aim from 20 yards but his effort was deflected wide.

Millwall, happy to sit back and let Leicester have the ball, almost snatched the lead on the break before half-time.

Ryan Leonard whipped in a cross from the right and captain Jake Hooper got a firm head on the ball, but it was pushed away by Hermansen.

The goal arrived on the hour and, for Millwall fans at least, it was well worth the wait.

Wout Faes lost the ball in midfield and Billy Mitchell sent Longman scampering away down the left.

The on-loan Hull winger cut inside Harry Winks before curling a spectacular 25-yard effort past Hermansen and in off the underside of the crossbar.

Millwall almost doubled their lead when Michael Obafemi bulldozed his way into a shooting position but Hermansen got down well to save.

Leicester pushed for an equaliser and Pereira got in behind only to see his angled drive blocked by the legs of Sarkic.

They came agonisngly close in stoppage time but were denied by a goal-line clearance from Mitchell to keep out substitute Kelechi Iheanacho’s header.

Che Adams inspired Southampton to a 2-1 victory over fellow Sky Bet Championship promotion chasers Coventry – who missed a penalty.

Striker Adams claimed Saints’ opener after he had deflected in Kyle Walker-Peters’ blast before more decisively bagging a second – both after Haji Wright had missed a spot-kick for the visitors.

Jake Bidwell ended his year-long run without a goal to pull one back, but the hosts held on.

Southampton boss Russell Martin has all but waved the white flag on automatic promotion after two draws and a defeat since the international break and his side currently sit nine points behind the top two with six matches to play.

Coventry fall five points outside of the play-off places as they attempt to make up for their Wembley heartbreak last season.

The Sky Blues had won their previous two away games and since December 23, they had the most wins on the road in the Championship.

It was no surprise then when they started quickly and won a penalty inside 10 minutes when Flynn Downes fouled the underlapping Joel Latibeaudiere.

Wright stepped up, aiming to bag his fifth goal in his last four away games, but slipped on approach. His shot came back off the crossbar but would have most likely been disallowed anyway for a double contact.

It woke Saints up and after having a penalty of their own turned down, they went ahead in the 18th minute. Walker-Peters struck from 25 yards before it bounced off Adams’ back to beat Bradley Collins, with both claiming the goal.

There was no debate over the scorer of the hosts’ second 20 minutes later as Adams bundled in from a corner.

After David Brooks had been denied one-on-one, James Bree had drifted his delivery from the resulting set-piece to find Taylor Harwood-Bellis at the back post. He nodded to Adams who beat his defender by dribbling the ball on his head before thumping home.

Adam Armstrong almost added a third 90 seconds into the second half but Collins pushed his rasping shot wide.

Coventry had to wait almost an hour between shots and Callum O’Hare’s attempt to place one in the top corner from the edge of a crowded box failed to halve the deficit.

Substitute Fabio Tavares went closer when his crashing strike was deflected onto the roof of the goal.

Their perseverance finally paid dividends as Tavares’ sumptuous delivery from the right was side-footed on the volley at the back post by Bidwell – his first goal since January 2023 – but there was not to be an equaliser.

Michael Carrick praised his Middlesbrough players for digging deep and finding a way to win, in what Swansea boss Luke Williams described as an “atrocious game of football” at the Riverside.

Williams was furious after his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat that leaves the Swans just five points above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.

But Carrick’s Boro are now unbeaten in their last seven matches and are just six points off the play-off places ahead of Wednesday’s crucial trip to Hull.

Emmanuel Latte Lath came up with two moments of quality to secure Boro’s second home win in a week, with the Ivorian striking either side of half-time to take his tally for the season to 10 in the league and 12 in all competitions.

Latte Lath opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time then wrapped up the points 11 minutes from time with a clinical right-footed finish.

Carrick said: “I’m delighted to be honest. It’s the type of game that can pass you by if you don’t do the right things.

“I thought the boys were disciplined and effective and efficient in the work we wanted to do.

“We knew they’re good in taking the ball in possession. We were patient and disciplined, defended the box well and defended in our half well.”

Latte Lath now has five goals in nine games since returning from injury.

Carrick said: “Manu is coming into form. He’s had a big impact, he’s had a good return and hopefully there’s a few more in him.

“Hopefully his form carries on. When you’re on that run you want to keep surfing it. He’s definitely doing that. We have two or three challenging games coming up, we’ll need that impact player around the box.”

Boro’s rivals for the play-off places – Norwich, Hull and Coventry – all won on Saturday but Carrick said his players just need to concentrate on themselves as they look to force their way into the top six.

He said: “We’re coming from behind. We’ve put a bit of a run together, we just have to try and extend that as long as we can.

“Wednesday is a new challenge and will have a bit of a say on what the picture looks like after that. We just have to keep chipping away and see how we end up.”

Swansea mustered only one shot on target at the Riverside and have now won just one of their last six games.

Williams, who took over in January after leaving Notts County, said his players need to prove they should be part of his long-term plans at the club.

He fumed: “It was just an atrocious game of football, an absolutely diabolical example of the Championship.

“It would have been nicer if we’d won, at least we could have then pretended to be happy about something, but goodness me.

“There was nothing right about that. It was like going to a charity game in the summer, no atmosphere, a bit of talking in the crowd.

“The first goal was a comedy, the second one isn’t loads better. It’s hard to find anything good about today, especially when you don’t get any points.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl felt his “bold decision” to make major changes for the 2-0 win over fellow strugglers QPR paid off.

Goals from Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba gave the second-from-bottom Owls a vital victory at Loftus Road in their battle against relegation from the Sky Bet Championship.

Rohl made five changes to his side in the wake of Monday’s defeat at Middlesbrough.

He said: “We changed a lot. For me it was clear after the Middlesbrough game that we could not just continue and hope something changes.

“I think some people will be surprised to see all these changes. It was a bold decision from my side. I cannot just continue and hope. I want to see a reaction and I saw a reaction.”

Wednesday failed to win any of their first 13 league matches of the season but their improvement since Rohl took over in October has given them a fighting chance of staying up.

The German said: “We played very well and did well as a team. I’m very happy. There are five games to go and we have a chance.

“Everybody was ready for this fight and that is our job. Do it – and do it until the end.

“My job and the players’ job is that we have a big party at the end of the season. Keep going and we have a big party at the end.

“It is our job and this is what I demand. With the right mindset and attitude we can do it.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes blamed himself for his side’s defeat.

He said: “I’m very disappointed but especially with myself. When I look at the performance, I didn’t prepare the team well enough for the kind of game that I knew it would be.

“We were not good at all. It was a bad performance. I’m disappointed not only about the result but about the game and the (lack of) quality we showed. It’s a very disappointing day.

“I take responsibility for this defeat. One result will not change my confidence in the players.”

But Cifuentes also suggested Rangers had perhaps been guilty of some complacency after recent back-to-back wins took them six points clear of the relegation zone and seemingly close to safety.

The loss leaves them just four points clear of the bottom three and very much still in trouble.

Cifuentes added: “That’s always the danger – not only in football but as human beings. Sometimes we tend to relax and those moments are very dangerous.

“When you think you are doing so well, suddenly football always gives you the reality that if you are not at 110% it’s very difficult.

“We tried during the whole week to let them understand this was a very difficult game – probably the most difficult game of the season.

“It looked like Sheffield Wednesday were playing for their lives and unfortunately I was not good enough to convince my players we needed that kind of intensity.”

Russell Martin acknowledged automatic promotion is now likely beyond Southampton after his side’s toothless display at Blackburn saw them stumble to a scoreless draw.

Having fought for a top-two finish in the Championship for much of the season, Saints’ profligacy in front of goal proved costly in the last-gasp Good Friday draw with Middlesbrough and even later loss to Ipswich on Easter Monday.

Those frustrating results were compounded by a lack of attacking spark on Saturday at Ewood Park, where fourth-placed Southampton created little against well-drilled Blackburn in a forgettable 0-0 draw.

“I was positive about the way we defended, about the clean sheet,” Saints manager Martin said.

“We’ve looked so dangerous and creative going forward recently but conceded too many goals, so we did a lot of work on that side of game.

“(I’m) pleased with that side of the game, pleased with the aggression in the team on that side of the game because it was a tough game and big credit to Blackburn.

“They’re fighting with everything they have but I’m really disappointed with the side we have been so good at recently, the creativity, the attacking flow. It wasn’t there today at all.”

Southampton’s inability to win in Lancashire further dented their hopes of automatic promotion, leaving them 12 points behind second-placed Ipswich with seven league games to go.

That run includes trips to Leicester and Leeds, with Martin looking for Saints to build momentum and peak again for the play-offs as they seek an immediate Premier League return.

“The guys still have a brilliant chance to get as many points as possible, so we can all look at each other at the end of the season and go ‘well, we did our bit, it just wasn’t to be this season’,” he said.

“We don’t deserve, none of them deserve, for the season just to finish flatly ahead of what is looking likely to be the play-offs.

“I think it’s really important we build some momentum and we go into it feeling good about ourselves, with a spring in our step and energy, and then the rest will take care of itself I’m sure.”

Saturday’s point was important for Blackburn, who dug deep having started the week with a fantastic 5-1 win at Sunderland.

The result edges John Eustace’s outfit closer to Championship survival, with Callum Brittain producing a key block to deny Kyle Walker-Peters with 10 minutes remaining.

“I thought it was an excellent game, really exciting game, good Championship game,” the Rovers boss said. “Two good teams going at it.

“I was really proud of the boys’ efforts. I thought we were outstanding with and without the ball, just disappointed that we couldn’t be a little bit more clinical in the final third.

“I think that’s the first time Southampton haven’t scored for 30 odd games, so that’s something very pleasing. It’s all the work that the boys are putting in on the training field.

“We were disappointed not to get a clean sheet on Monday but the boys have thrown their bodies on the line.

“Today, you could see that, you could see the commitment of the whole squad, the togetherness of the whole squad, which is vital at this stage of the season.”

Stoke boss Steven Schumacher felt his side got what they deserved as they recovered from 2-0 down to get a point against West Brom.

Second-half goals from Million Manhoef and Andre Vidigal, a rebound after his penalty was saved, secured the battling Potters a vital point in their survival bid at the bet365 Stadium.

The visitors had led through goals from Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston and Jed Wallace, but they had to settle for a point in the play-off race.

Schumacher said: “I thought we played really well. On the balance of the game we definitely deserved something.

“I thought we were the better team. The only negative from the performance was we didn’t take the chances that we created in the big moments, especially to go ahead in the game.

“West Brom were more clinical than us with their two chances but again we’ve shown plenty of character, we didn’t lose our composure or our faith. We kept going for it and got our rewards in the end.

“I told the boys I felt we were the better team and I asked them if they sensed that and they said they did.

“I told them to stick to the plan then because they agreed. And we wanted to keep playing the same tempo and keep going forward.

“We knew if we kept running forward it would tire West Brom out and with our energy at the end of the game we might get something out of it and that’s what happened.

“They got their second with their first attack in the second half. It was almost a smash and grab from an away team.

“Our players didn’t deviate from what we wanted to do and we got what we deserved in the end.”

The Baggies stretched their unbeaten run to nine but it is now three draws in a row, with seventh-placed Coventry just six points behind in the play-off race.

Boss Carlos Corberan praised his side’s clinical nature but was left wanting more after dropping two points from a commanding position.

He said: “They had more chances than us. We should have managed the game better. We were more accurate with our chances.

“Unfortunately, in attack we couldn’t dominate the game more. They started to create more problems as the game went on. That made them think they could achieve something.

“We tried until the end to go for three points and unfortunately we couldn’t score with two very good cutbacks Tom Fellows put in at the end.

“We missed the finishing in front of the goal at the end.

“We didn’t create enough in attack. We didn’t show enough personality in the first minutes of the game. The weather conditions affected us more than we expected.

“We need to compete better than we did early. The level we showed wasn’t enough to win three points.

“As a coach you want to create more chances because the more you create, the more chance you have to win the game.”

Ryan Lowe believes the point his Preston side gained in a 0-0 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road could still be a valuable one in securing a Sky Bet Championship play-off spot.

Lowe said: “We got a valuable point which hopefully will help us but I thought we did enough to win the game.

“At this stage of the season you need three points. We came here to win and had some great chances but we just didn’t have that clinical edge at the top edge of the pitch today.

“We had to make it a bit dogged because Watford have got some Premier League quality players. We had a goal threat, but just couldn’t put it in the back of the net.

“It’s been difficult all season, it’s not just now. All we have tried to do is stay in the top half of the division as long as we can.”

Lowe had a word of sympathy for central defender Richard Hughes, who missed Preston’s most glaring opportunity just before half-time when he skewed his shot so badly it almost went out for a throw-in.

Lowe added: “I’ve seen him score them in training, but in fairness he’s the left-sided centre-half and we have players who are more capable of putting the ball in the back of the net than he is. He was in the right area and on another day he would put it in.

“We had a discussion about it as we were coming off the pitch. He said: ‘I’ll be thinking about that chance.’ I don’t want that, though, because you can’t turn the clock back, can you?”

While Lowe and Preston continue to eye the play-offs with home fixtures to come this week against Huddersfield and Norwich – the club currently occupying the final play-off position – he is aware that other, larger Championship clubs are still involved in the relegation battle.

He explained: “It says a lot about where the club is that we are still looking up. For us, Preston North End, to still be in the mix with six games to try and get in the play-offs is a massive achievement.

“We’ve got two massive games coming up this week. And we’ve got an opportunity to get six points because we’re playing at home.”

For Watford, whose four-match unbeaten run under interim manager Tom Cleverley now appears to have secured their Championship status, it is all about next season.

He has impressed since taking over from Valerien Ismael but is mindful that Watford’s winless run at Vicarage Road now stretches to 11 league games.

Cleverley said: “No, I don’t take the result in the end. It’s not where I want us to be. That’s the honest answer.

“I would much rather three wins and one defeat than what we’ve got in these four games.

“We have to try and find the balance of going for the winner and not risking the loss.

“Maybe we were a bit conservative today. It’s about finding that balance in the team.

“I was a bit concerned thought we lacked that little bit of killer edge around the box. But the game just never really got any rhythm and we just could not sustain the pressure on them.

“We just didn’t have the answers to break them down so we will analyse that. It’s not a question of quality if you look at the players we had out there.

“It’s a question of mentality to keep banging on that door and having that ruthless edge. We have to make it happen because we still didn’t get that first home win of the year.

“The one thing I have felt is that the belief (is) coming back. We’re fearless now.”

Cleverley admitted that, although he feels comfortable in the dugout, becoming a manager was not in his thoughts when he first arrived at Watford as a teenager on loan from Manchester United.

He added: “Yes, I feel comfortable. I’ve got a lot of belief in myself.

“It’s not something that was on the horizon until I came back to the club as a 27-year-old, when I thought I had a role to play in developing and helping players.”

Mark Robins was full of praise for his Coventry side after they ended Leeds’ 15-game unbeaten run thanks to goals from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.

Joel Piroe pulled a goal back for Daniel Farke’s automatic-promotion chasers but the visitors could not salvage a point as they missed the chance to go top after Ipswich’s 1-0 defeat to Norwich.

It was also an important win for the Sky Blues, who kept pace with the Canaries in the race for the top six.

“I thought they were brilliant really,” said Robins. “We’re coming up against a top team with top players, with pace, with power, with quality.

“The two goals were absolutely brilliant, one from a set play, Ellis is on his toes to finish that one off and the second one is a fantastic ball.

“It’s Josh Eccles’ birthday today, brilliant ball in, great shape on it and Haji (Wright)’s put it in with the outside of his foot and that gave us a bit of a cushion.

“I thought we defended pretty well where you have to, I think we slashed at one or two things during the game but mostly we were pretty good and calm and when we were calm we got a bit more control and had a little bit more of the ball.

“Second half we were without it a lot more than in the first half when we started to tire and then they made changes and brought full international players onto the field, every one of them, to a man, some of them were asked to play in different roles, they’ve done really well.

“They deserve it for their work rate but some of the quality that we showed is really pleasing. The noise was incredible, my ears are ringing and I thought they were outstanding.”

Leeds manager Daniel Farke said his side lacked aggression as they dropped out of the top two with a first defeat since late December.

Farke said: “We started really well into this game, dominated possession, had many good scenes in their box.

“But when you have such a comfortable start you sometimes lose a bit of aggressiveness and greediness and I got the feeling this was the case especially in the first half.

“We dominated against a normally good possession side with 70 per cent possession, had more chances, more shots on target.

“From the statistics, a really good away game but we didn’t win the decisive duels and this was crucial today.

“The first goal we conceded out of our corner kick on the counter-attack, literally the first time they were in our half if I’m honest. Then with their first corner kick they scored out of it.

“We could have been a little bit more smarter and if you give away two goals relatively cheaply then it is always tricky against a really good home side.

“We had a good reaction, scored the first goal, calm finish and would have been happy had he (Piroe) taken his big chance.

“I have to be careful because if you lose the first game of the calendar year in April it is difficult to be over critical after such an outstanding run.

“But I still feel we had a bit more to give, especially in the first half and for that I want them to be a bit disappointed.”

Huddersfield boss Andre Breitenreiter was delighted to have secured a “dirty” win after his side sealed a dramatic 1-0 success against fellow strugglers Millwall.

Substitute Rhys Healey pounced for the Terriers’ late, late winner in added time, one which handed his side a first win in seven games and lifted them out of the Championship drop zone.

A clearly relieved Breitenreiter said: “It’s an absolutely massive win for us, of course.

“It was not easy for us, especially in the first half, after the first 25 minutes or so we created a number of chances, but we just didn’t score.

“When it got so late into the game we still had the team’s belief and that of the supporters, and in the end we got the goal right at the end.

“We said in the pre-match press conference that sometimes you need that dirty win, and we’ve got a dirty win today.

“Now we need some more wins in these last few games.

“I definitely wasn’t satisfied with the first-half performance, and so I spoke to the players at half-time about being brave and maintaining that belief.”

Both teams created decent opportunities in what proved to be an entertaining goalless opening 45 minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Delano Burgzorg and Josh Koroma went closest for the Terriers, while Jake Cooper somehow headed over the top from close range for Millwall.

As the second half progressed and further chances were missed at both ends, it was looking odds-on this one was going to end goalless, until sub Healey finally broke Millwall’s resistance in such dramatic fashion.

It was a cruel blow for Lions boss Neil Harris, whose side have now lost three of their last four games.

They are now just two points clear of the Championship relegation zone and are clearly being dragged into the scrap.

Harris said: “Obviously to lose a game like that so late is a huge disappointment for everyone.

“I thought the players responded quite well to the late defeat at Rotherham the other night.

“There was no lack of application or desire out there I thought.

“But having said that, I do expect to see much more quality from a team at Championship level.

“We know where we are, both on and off the pitch, but overall we need a stronger mentality, particularly late in games like we saw today.

“We had chances, but we can’t just keep giving them up.

“We need to make improvements to the team in the transfer window, clearly.

“Too many times we missed those chances I mention, some of them nigh-on open goals.

“We can control things like that away from a match day, but again today we just didn’t show enough quality and in the end it’s proved costly for us.”

Hull head coach Liam Rosenior admitted his side’s 3-1 success at Cardiff was a “massive win” at a crucial stage of the Sky Bet Championship season.

The Tigers returned to winning ways after going six games without a victory thanks to two goals by on-loan Liverpool striker Fabio Carvalho and Jaden Philogene’s second-half strike against his former team.

Victory saw Hull climb one place to ninth and they remain six points off the play-off places.

Rosenior said: “At this stage of the season this is a massive win. The pressure was on after recent results and we’ve been written off by some but we dominated this game.

“It was a really professional performance with the way we managed the game and took our goals but what was really pleasing was the way the players responded to them scoring.

“The goal came out of the blue but the effort, spirit and quality the players showed was excellent.

“We could have probably scored more. The pleasing thing is that we’re always creating chances but I told the players at half-time that we’ve been in that position before and this time we needed to see it out.

“I felt that we were coming into a good period after the performance at Leeds and we did that against a good side that just won at Coventry and were a big and physical team. When the teams came out onto the pitch it looked like lads against dads but our players have big hearts and work for each other.

“We’ve got a game in hand and if we win that then we’re only three points off the play-offs and there nothing in it. There are going to be plenty of twists and turns along the way because this league is so tough but we’re still in there.”

Cardiff briefly rallied when Karlan Grant pulled a goal out of the blue in the 57th minute only for Philogene to strike two minutes later.

The Bluebirds kicked off just one place behind Hull in the standings but are now treading water in 11th place having lost three of their last four games.

Manager Erol Bulut said: “We wasted the first half. This is not how we trained. When you don’t press well and the opponent is a good passing team, they can come out of this pressure.

“From the corner they scored the first goal, which can happen, but how we conceded the second goal was not good. We were too far away from the opponent, not aggressive enough.

“The second half was much better. We came back with the goal but then there was a misunderstanding between (Joe) Ralls and Nat (Phillips) while I was speaking to Nat and they scored.”

Bristol City’s post-match plans were blown off course as their flight home was cancelled in the wake of their goalless draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Having claimed a creditable draw on Wearside thanks mainly to the excellence of their goalkeeper Max O’Leary, who made a string of important saves, City’s players and staff had been due to fly home from Newcastle Airport.

However, high winds resulted in their flight being cancelled, meaning they had to hastily draw up new plans that now involves a 300-mile coach trip back to the south west.

Bristol City boss Liam Manning said: “Our flight home has been cancelled. It’s the wind apparently – it’s bad up here and apparently it’s quite bad in Bristol as well. We found out, as a club, at half-time, but I only found out after the final whistle.

“We’ll have to go by coach now so that’ll add about five hours to the journey home. I guess I’ll spend the time watching the game back. That’s how sad I am. I’ll stick it on the laptop, watch it back, and then use some of that in training next week.”

Manning was pleased with his side’s defensive resilience as they repelled a series of Sunderland attacks to claim a third successive clean sheet, although he admitted he was less satisfied with other aspects of his team’s display.

He said: “The result was more pleasing than the performance. It’s about getting the balance right. In the last two games, the performance and the result were exactly as we would have wanted them. Today, in terms of the performance, we know we can play a lot better.

“I thought there were little mistakes and little things not quite right. We showed a different side to ourselves though. We showed a resilience, a grit and a togetherness. People stepped up, like Max who was outstanding.

“Max made some excellent saves, especially in the first half. He was excellent, but then he has been so often for us. He’s made so many big saves for us.”

Sunderland were thrashed 5-1 by Blackburn on Bank Holiday Monday, so while he was frustrated that his side failed to take all three points, with Adil Aouchiche and Bradley Dack both hitting the crossbar, Mike Dodds was nevertheless delighted with his players’ response to their home humiliation at the start of the week.

Sunderland’s interim head coach said: “I think we had 20 shots on goal. If their goalkeeper isn’t man of the match I’ll be amazed. It was a positive reaction to the previous game, which psychologically is big for the players.

“The last performance was completely unacceptable. I’m disappointed we haven’t won because that should have been three points, and I think their goalkeeper has earned a point for them today.

“I was hoping to see a significant reaction from the players. I thought we got that and it could have been out of sight in the first half. It should have been a lot more comfortable.”

Leicester manager Enzo Maresca paid tribute to his team’s character after seeing them regain control of the race for automatic promotion from the Championship.

Stephy Mavididi’s 87th-minute header, after Jay Stansfield had earlier cancelled out Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opener, saw the Foxes beat Birmingham 2-1 and take full advantage of defeats for Ipswich and Leeds to regain first place.

Despite dominating for long periods, against opponents who now find themselves inside the relegation zone with only five matches remaining, Maresca’s men struggled to translate their superiority into a commanding lead following Dewsbury-Hall’s clinical 28th-minute finish from Patson Daka’s assist.

Indeed, when Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen gifted Blues a route back into the game, it appeared as if the visitors would claim an unlikely point in their battle for survival.

But after seeing Stansfield charge down the Dane’s attempted clearance on the stroke of half-time, Maresca’s men held their nerve with Mavididi guiding substitute Yunus Akgun’s centre past John Ruddy and into the back of the net.

“I just told the players I’m very happy, especially for the way we came through,” Maresca said.

“We performed well throughout the whole of the game. Unfortunately we conceded right at the end of the first half but carried on in exactly the same way in the second.

“There can be a temptation to try and go long ball but we resisted that temptation.

“The big thing for us is to manage the emotions. That is the most important thing at this stage of the season.

“When we come to this point, things can move around a lot. Positions can change a lot. So it is important just to keep that focus, dominate the transitions, and keep doing the same thing. Show belief in what you are doing. We did that out there.”

With the Foxes returning to action at Millwall on Tuesday, Maresca added: “We just need to go game by game now. That has to be the mentality. We are not looking beyond that.

“We simply focus on the next one and go from there. Then, when the season is over, that is when we look at our position.”

Rowett, overseeing Blues for the third time since being placed in interim charge, cut a frustrated but defiant figure afterwards.

“It was tough to take, especially when you get to that time,” he said.

“But Leicester are an incredible side and they make the pitch so wide. There was some last-ditch defending and yes, there were times when we were thinking we’d done well to keep them at bay. But we just could not hold on and that is disappointing.

“There were periods when we did put them under pressure. That was when the stadium felt like a different place. But when you press them, they find those spaces and can play through you. That’s what really good sides do, they find ways and solutions.”

Despite their perilous predicament, Rowett is still backing Blues to haul themselves out of trouble.

“Our season is not going to be defined by taking points at Leicester away,” he added.

“It is going to be defined by our home games. It’s up to us and I think we’ve got enough quality in the group.

“What you have to do, at this stage of the season, is perform under pressure. For me that pressure is a privilege.”

Goals from Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba handed Sheffield Wednesday a vital 2-0 victory at fellow strugglers QPR to boost their chances of staying in the Sky Bet Championship.

The win leaves second-from-bottom Wednesday just a point from Huddersfield in 21st.

QPR’s own relegation fears were eased by recent back-to-back wins but this result leaves them just four points ahead of Wednesday – a victory would have put them 10 clear of the Yorkshire side.

Wednesday would have gone ahead in the first half had Josh Windass not missed a sitter. The forward contrived to nudge the ball past the far post from a yard out after being set up by Ian Poveda.

The Owls suffered another setback when the lively Poveda, who had been causing Rangers problems, was taken off just before the half-hour mark after picking up what looked like a hamstring injury.

But Gassama, his replacement, was also a thorn in QPR’s side and scored the opening goal on 59 minutes.

Gassama weaved his way into the box, going past Sam Field with ease, and then had a touch of good fortune when Isaac Hayden’s attempted clearance cannoned off the Frenchman and into the net.

Lucas Andersen almost equalised when his fierce strike hit the bar but otherwise Rangers struggled to create clear-cut chances.

That prompted boss Marti Cifuentes to make a triple substitution, sending on Morgan Fox along with forwards Lyndon Dykes and Paul Smyth.

QPR still struggled to create opportunities but one did fall to Jimmy Dunne, who headed over from Chris Willock’s cross.

Dunne headed over again late on, this time at the far post from a cross by Ilias Chair, but Wednesday were generally comfortable and scored again in the final seconds to seal their win.

Gassama was again involved, this time darting down the left and finding Musaba, who blasted past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Cifuentes and his Wednesday counterpart Danny Rohl have radically improved results since taking over this season at clubs heading towards relegation.

But the defeat leaves Rangers still looking anxiously over their shoulders and Wednesday very much in with a fighting chance of staying up.

Substitute Rhys Healey was the Huddersfield hero as his stoppage-time goal was enough to secure a dramatic and potentially priceless 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Millwall.

Healey pounced to head home from close range after Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic could only parry Matty Pearson’s effort into his path.

The three points lift the Terriers out of the Championship drop zone.

Millwall, meanwhile, are now just two points clear of the relegation places, and will still be looking over their shoulders after a fourth match without a win.

The Terriers almost struck inside two minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Some excellent work from Sorba Thomas paved the way through for Delano Burgzorg, but the Dutchman’s firm strike was excellently saved by Sarkic.

There was a swift response from Millwall, however.

Billy Mitchell pounced on a loose ball before seeing his shot saved confidently by Lee Nicholls.

The Lions threatened again when George Honeyman rose well to meet Ryan Longman’s cross, only to then direct a header off-target.

There was plenty of enterprise and endeavour in what proved to be an entertaining opening spell, and that despite a swirling wind.

Huddersfield were next to go close when Thomas’ delivery was flicked wide at the near post by Bojan Radulovic.

With Millwall now pressing for an opener, Michael Obafemi almost struck when his acrobatic effort was deflected behind for a corner by midfielder Alex Matos.

Jake Cooper then ought to have registered for the visitors, but he planted a golden headed chance over the crossbar from close range.

As half-time approached the pendulum was beginning to swing back Huddersfield’s way.

Thomas’ 25-yard blockbuster was saved by Sarkic, while Josh Koroma also fired inches over the top with his effort from the edge of the box.

There was a frantic start to the second period.

After a Millwall attack at one end, the Terriers broke quickly.

Radulovic found space and pulled the ball back into the path of Koroma, but he could not find the target from a great position.

David Kasumu then missed another decent opportunity as he fired wide following a tidy one-two with the impressive Koroma.

Back came Neil Harris’ Millwall in this end-to-end clash, with Ryan Leonard lashing over the top when he ought to have done better with options around him.

As the 70-minute mark passed, both sides then appeared to run out of steam, with tired bodies and heavy legs clearly evident.

Huddersfield’s Polish defender Michal Helik threw himself at a cross from Brodie Spencer, but he was thwarted by a last-ditch block.

After that, Huddersfield sub Healey went close to notching a winner, before then pouncing to finally do the business in predatory style right at the death.