A “frustrated” Sean Dyche was left to rue a late lapse after seeing Everton slump to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth thanks to Seamus Coleman’s own goal.

The visitors looked set for a valuable point when Beto’s 87th-minute goal cancelled out Dominic Solanke’s opener but in the dying moments Adam’s Smith deep cross bounced up and hit Coleman on the chest before dropping agonisingly into the net.

Dyche said: “Obviously I’m frustrated and disappointed with the dying embers of the game.

“For such a simple moment we get confused and they get a goal out of nothing really.

“We find a goal and I’m pleased with that, because it’s an ugly goal and you can’t always score the perfect goal.

“We should go away with a point of course, but we can’t defend like that.”

Both sides were denied by the woodwork, with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo striking the base of a post in the first half and Dwight McNeil hitting the near post as he attempted a cross in the second.

The home side took the lead in the 64th minute when Solanke got between Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey to head home Lloyd Kelly’s cross.

Everton hit back when goalkeeper Neto dropped McNeil’s cross right at the feet of Beto who rolled the ball home from close range, but Dyche’s delight soon turned to despair.

This is a crunch time both on and off the pitch for Everton, with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri saying he remains confident the protracted takeover of the club by 777 Partners will be completed soon.

The club are also due to find out the verdict of a second charge of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, with a further points deduction a possibility before the end of the season in addition to the six they have already lost.

Next up for the Toffees is a trip to Newcastle followed by a clash with relegation rivals Burnley at Goodison Park but, even though his side are just three points above the bottom three, Dyche’s belief is not wavering.

“The question marks over this club have been here for two-and-a-half, three years,” he said.

“I believe in the players and I believe in myself.”

The win moved 13th-placed Bournemouth on to 38 points but manager Andoni Iraola is confident they can climb higher.

“Obviously it’s a very good amount of points but we still have nine more chances. We still want to win. Now we are going to take the games one by one,” he said.

“For us it was a very important win. Everton always put you under pressure with the long ball and the set-pieces.

“I think we dealt with it quite well against them and it’s not easy to score against them.”

Nuno Espirito Santo has told his Nottingham Forest players they must keep building after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace moved them out of the relegation zone.

Chris Wood’s 61st-minute equaliser cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal for Palace and saw Forest move level with Luton on goal difference.

It was Forest’s first match since the Premier League docked them four points for breaching financial rules, plunging them into the bottom three.

Forest were flat for much of the first half but Palace failed to build on Mateta’s early strike, much to the frustration of Oliver Glasner, and in the final 20 minutes both sides had chances to win it.

“I think we did enough in the game to achieve another result but the game was not easy and it started bad for us,” Nuno said.

“When you have the expectations of ‘let’s go’ and you concede first, the team shakes and it was not what we wanted.

“But, overall, I think we were dominant and were in control. We had good moments. We produced a better second half – more pace and we were more aggressive.

“It is not easy to play against Crystal Palace because of the shape they have – the spaces, the gaps and the pockets are not there.

“Once again the team showed character. We are out of the relegation zone and we want to capitalise on this for the next one because we definitely need to climb up the table.”

Forest have launched an appeal against their punishment and before the game fans in the Trent End unveiled a banner which read ‘We shall fight and we shall overcome’.

But tension grew in the stands after Forest fell behind and it was not until the second half that the home side found their rhythm.

“It is very tight,” Nuno said of the relegation fight. “There are some teams still involved in that fight. We have to focus on ourselves.

“This point is good as long as we do something against Fulham (at home on Tuesday) and it’s going to be tough.”

Palace had looked ready to capitalise on Forest’s predicament as Mateta scored with their first real opportunity and Eberechi Eze had opportunities to add to the lead before the break.

They also hit a post in the 87th minute when Eze’s corner deflected off Neco Williams but they could not secure three points that would have all-but assured them of safety.

“It feels like two lost points,” Glasner said. “We had enough chances and we created them brilliantly in different situations, compliments to my staff, the set=pieces were brilliant and always dangerous.

“In some phases of the game we were under pressure and they have the quality to score a goal.

“We know Wood is a fantastic player in the box and in this situation we did not get enough pressure on the ball and we had some phases where we were not confident enough on the ball.

“The first (thing) is always to create chances. It’s not too easy here…they’re very good at home and creating so many chances gives me a lot of confidence for the next weeks and the players did fight until the end of the game.

“At the end what counts is the result. We have to accept it and respect it and I was told a point away from home in the Premier League is good so we have to accept it.”

Ange Postecoglou hailed the high standards of “tired” Tottenham captain Son Heung-min after his late goal earned a 2-1 home win over Luton.

Spurs were able to get their Champions League qualification hopes back on track with a comeback victory against Luton after the visitors took a third-minute lead through Tahith Chong.

Tottenham captain Son hit both posts during the first half before Brennan Johnson, a half-time introduction, created the leveller when his dangerous cross was smashed into his own net by Hatters defender Issa Kabore.

Johnson turned provider again in the 86th minute from Timo Werner’s cross when he teed up Son, who slotted home via a deflection off Daiki Hashioka to earn the hosts a vital three points.

It was Son’s 15th goal of the season but more crucially moved him above 1961 double-winner Cliff Jones into outright fifth in Tottenham’s all-time scoring list on 160 goals, a matter of days after he travelled halfway across the world to feature in South Korea’s World Cup qualifiers with Thailand.

Postecoglou said: “I am sure he feels tired. Yeah, absolutely. It’s tough. When I was national team coach of Australia, we had quite a few players playing this side of the world.

“They’re long trips, there is time difference but like I said before he never looks for those clutches, Sonny.

“For him when he is available, he wants to play to the highest possible level and he keeps doing it.

“Playing for his national team is hugely important to him. Playing for this football club is hugely important to him and he wouldn’t compromise either by letting his standards drop.

“Irrespective of opposition or whatever game it is, he has this really high level of expectation on himself to be the best he can be all the time. It’s very hard to be like that.

“But he wants to maintain the highest possible standards whenever he plays and you see that with his football, his efforts, his leadership now so it’s all encompassing.

“Look, he’s been a brilliant footballer for this club for a long time and hopefully for many years to come.”

Spurs had suffered a 3-0 humbling at Fulham ahead of the international break but the prospect of a fast start in north London evaporated when Luton took the lead after three minutes.

Andros Townsend burst down the right and crossed in for Ross Barkley, who teed up Chong for his fifth goal of the season.

Tottenham went close to equalising when Son rounded Thomas Kaminski in the 20th minute, but his low effort hit both posts before Pape Sarr’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Teden Mengi.

Postecoglou sent on Wales international Johnson and he made the difference with 51 minutes played with a superb cross to force Kabore’s own-goal before Spurs hit Luton with a slick counter-attack.

Werner broke from the visitors’ corner and found Johnson, who set up Son to inflict more late woe on Luton.

Rob Edwards’ side dropped back into the bottom three after Nottingham Forest claimed a point at home to Crystal Palace.

“Yeah, I feel sick right now,” Edwards admitted.

“Let’s have it right, Tottenham are a brilliant team, fantastic manager and really good players but to lose so late from our own attacking set-piece is difficult to take.

“For us to be pushing and to concede the way we did is difficult.”

Derek McInnes was proud of his Kilmarnock side for securing their place in the top six of the cinch Premiership with two games remaining before the split.

Killie finished 10th last year but are now guaranteed to be competing for a place in Europe in the closing weeks of the campaign after their 1-1 draw away to Hearts took them seven points clear of seventh-placed Hibernian.

The fourth-placed Ayrshire side claimed their point when Marley Watkins’ stunning second-half strike cancelled out Kenneth Vargas’ 10th-minute header for the Jambos.

“I’m very much a happy man, to do it with two games to spare is testament to so much good work within the club, particularly from the players, the staff, the board,” said manager McInnes.

“The club was in a poor place three years ago, we came in just over two years ago as a Championship team and managed to get out at the first attempt.

“This time last year we were still punching, fighting and scrapping to try and make sure we stayed in the league. A lot of changes in the summer and we’ve managed to deliver a top-six finish, which is terrific.”

McInnes was encouraged by the way his side came back strongly after the break at Tynecastle.

“A response was needed at half-time, we passed up a couple of really good chances in the first half,” said McInnes. “But I thought we were terrific in the second half.”

Hearts boss Steven Naismith felt his side lacked sharpness, with several players having been on international duty, but he was pleased that neither Killie nor St Mirren were able to eat into their 11-point advantage in third place.

“After the international break, another game has gone by and the teams below us haven’t gained any ground on us,” he said. “That’s a positive.

“On the back of a defeat (at Ross County last time out), the biggest thing is that you get some sort of points in the next game and we have done that.

“For me, the hardest games to deal with are the ones after the international breaks. It’s really difficult because four or five of our players didn’t get back into training until Friday.

“We started the game well, asked the question and got on the front foot, and then we get the goal at a good time. But then in those wee moments when we did break through, we just didn’t have that sharpness.

“We knew it was going to be a battle and a fight, Kilmarnock are really good at what they do. They are direct and the one time we don’t set up properly they get their goal. It’s a brilliant finish from Marley, who is having a really good season.”

Tony Docherty lavished praised the “bravery” of his Dundee players as they moved into the top six but he refused to get carried away after the 2-1 win over St Johnstone.

Amadou Bakayoko fired home a late winner for the visitors after Adama Sidibeh had equalised following Lyall Cameron’s breathtaking opener.

Docherty has repeatedly targeted securing 10 league wins on Dundee’s return to the top flight and that was achieved as the Dark Blues moved one point ahead of Hibs into sixth place.

Whilst accepting the magnitude of the victory, Docherty pointed to the teams below Dundee in the table, rather than those ahead, with three more games remaining for his side until the split.

“It was a massive win,” Docherty admitted. “More importantly, I couldn’t be more proud of the players.

“Over the season you look at games and we’ve had a 4-0 and 4-1 but that today is a different type of win and a display of mentality, resilience and togetherness.

“It shows how much we’re developing as a team. There was an accusation earlier in the season that when we dominate we don’t win. To grind that out and win and be brave and make a tactical change to win it, the players took that on board and their bravery merited the three points.

“We’re 12 ahead of Ross County, 11 ahead of St Johnstone. Our big objective was to get 10 wins on the board. To get 10 as a newly-promoted team with eight games left is a huge testament to the players. It’s a box ticked but we’ll keep going. We won’t get carried away.”

Meanwhile, Craig Levein was left frustrated by two refereeing decisions as his St Johnstone side were denied a late equaliser.

Ryan McGowan had the ball in the net but referee Iain Sneddon stood by his initial decision that the St Johnstone defender had fouled Aaron Donnelly in the build-up when asked to review the incident on the pitchside monitor by VAR official Greg Aitken.

Levein conceded he hadn’t reviewed the incident but was surprised that ref Sneddon didn’t reverse his decision and he felt St Johnstone should have had a penalty for a foul on Sidibeh by Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken.

“I haven’t had enough time to look properly,” Levein conceded. “It was one of those days for us. I don’t know what to say.

“Most times when the ref comes to look at the screen there’s an alteration in the result. I’ll have more chances to look later on.

“I don’t like going to ask (the referee) because I’ll say something I’ll regret. In the first half we should have had a pen I thought.

“Their goalie brought down Adama but for it not to be looked at puzzles me. The goalie took the ball. They protect themselves by raising their knees but he pushed his knee out to the right and caught Adama on the thigh and they haven’t looked at it. That I’d like an answer to.”

Ben Foakes will not lose sleep over whether he features in England’s Test plans for this summer.

The Surrey wicketkeeper was back in the England XI for the winter tour of India and once again impressed with his skills behind the stumps, but failed to register a fifty in 10 innings during the 4-1 loss.

Foakes has been in and out of the team since his 2018 Test debut and missed last year’s Ashes after Jonny Bairstow was given keeping duties.

The wicketkeeper berth is seemingly up for grabs ahead of home series with the West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer, but Foakes, who scored 205 runs at an average of 20.5 in India, is relaxed about his position.

“I haven’t been told anything,” Foakes said.

“Obviously the more years I’ve got into my career, the more I’ve been in and out, I’ve almost come to an acceptance that it has been the case and not try to worry about it or stress too much about getting a long run or external stuff.

“India, first and foremost, I took as just trying to really enjoy it. I think the more times you get dropped, the more times you realise you don’t know how long you’ve got left or whatever it might be.

“So while you’re out there, rather than stress too much about the game or this might be my last chance, just enjoy the fact you are playing and you don’t know how long for essentially.”

The series started with a high for Foakes, who shared a crucial 112-run partnership with Ollie Pope in England’s remarkable first Test win in Hyderabad.

A number of other starts with the bat were made by the 31-year-old, but he often batted with the tail and expressed his disappointment after failing to “kick on” during his 47 in Ranchi.

Foakes added: “I felt like I kept pretty well, keeping felt good. To start off, I didn’t feel amazing with the bat and then, yeah, disappointed in a couple of innings that I didn’t kick on.

“Again, that role of batting lower down, batting with the tail, the more I do it, the more I look at it as how many times can I impact?

“Because some series you might not get an opportunity to go big, big for example, so it is very crucial when you do get a chance to try and really kick on, which I was disappointed in the fourth Test where I could have kicked on and didn’t.

“(I’m) still evolving and trying to learn with the tail and how to manage those sort of situations.”

While Foakes bats at seven for England, he has gained the majority of his success for Surrey as one of their top-five batters, which has contributed towards a first-class average of 38.52.

Foakes will aim to be back in the runs next week when Surrey begin their Vitality County Championship title defence with a trip to Lancashire, but he acknowledged the uncertainty over his England place provides one dilemma.

“Every summer in the past, I’ve not known whether I will play so I’ve played every (Surrey) game,” Foakes said.

“I did look at the Test schedule and there would be the chance to play 28 Tests and Champo (games) if I did play from the start of India until the end of New Zealand, obviously depending on selection.

“If that was the case and I did play, that is quite a lot of cricket so there would be potential to have a rest, but again it depends on what they’re looking at. Whether I am likely to play or not and then reassess.”

Mousey Brown caused her second big upset in the space of two weeks when winning the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final at Fairyhouse.

A winner at Down Royal at 25-1 last time out, she was sent off at 33-1 on this occasion for Dermot McLoughlin and Conor Maxwell.

The Gold Cup-winning team of owner Audrey Turley, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend looked sure to collect with Olympic Man when he took the final flight in front, but Mousey Brown stayed on strongly to get home by half a length.

“Everyone said she was lucky the last day in Down Royal but she was nearly knocked down and still won,” said McLoughlin.

“As Conor said, she’s very tough. She wasn’t enjoying the ground but from the back of the last she came home well. He said she started pricking her ears and looking around her.

“It was a good performance in a good race. I thought it might be a bit soon bringing her back after Down Royal, as it was only 13 days.

“She’s hardy, Conor said it’s hard work out there but she’s game.

“I like her, she had to do a lot of work from where she was there, but kept going. She’s a big, strong mare.”

Effernock Fizz was a game winner of the RYBO Handicap Hurdle, also at 33-1.

Having built up a big lead at one stage, she looked sure to be swallowed up at the second last but found plenty on the rail to fend off Conyers Hill for Cian Collins and jockey Carl Millar.

Collins said: “That’s unbelievable, she has the heart of a lion.

“She’s a mare that wants good to firm ground-wise. On the ground, I didn’t think it would happen today at all, I thought she might even pull up on heavy ground.

“She gave me my first two winners and that’s my 20th today. I thought she was gone turning in but she just doesn’t know when to quit. It’s crazy.

“I was very lucky to get her. She just suits the way we train them, I keep her fresh. I actually ride her out every day myself, she’s always in great form and is a pleasure to have. She tries her heart out every day and just loves racing.

“I think we might go for the Scottish Champion Hurdle now. That’s the plan and we’ll probably go straight there, as it’s in a couple of weeks’ time. That’s her 96th run today and her 10th win.”

Mullins and Townend also had to settle for second best in the Listed-class BoyleSports Mares Handicap Chase with Instit after Ardera Ru finished well to prevail by three and threequarter lengths at 18-1 for trainer Eoin Doyle.

Winning rider Shane O’Callaghan said: “She was brilliant. The plan was to drop in, creep around and try to sneak a bit of black-type.

“It’s the best she’s ever jumped for me, she jumped fantastic everywhere and cruised into it very easily.”

Anthony McCann looks to have a hot prospect on his hands after Familiar Dreams galloped on strongly to complete a hat-trick in the closing Irish Stallion Farms EBF Total Enjoyment Mares’ INH Flat Race at 13-2 under Aine O’Connor.

The five-year-old was giving weight away all round due to a double penalty but put in a powerful effort from the front to pull five and a half lengths clear of the Mullins-trained favourite Magic McColgan.

Aberdeen caretaker boss Peter Leven hailed his side’s “character” but admitted their performance left plenty of room for improvement, despite a vital 2-1 cinch Premiership victory over relegation rivals Ross County.

The victory, secured thanks to goals from Bojan Miovski and Jamie McGrath, either side of Simon Murray’s header for County, moved the Dons six points clear of their opponents, who remain second bottom.

Leven said: “I’m delighted with the three points and the result, but the performance could have been better.

“I thought we started well and then County came into it a bit. I always knew we had the players who could get us the next goal.

“At half time I told them to relax on the ball. They looked nervous at times and they were trying the hard pass when the simple pass was on. They were better in the second half and I thought the subs really impacted the game.

“When Duk is like that, he’s a handful for anybody with his power and pace. He did really well for the second goal.

“The character the boys showed was brilliant. They were fighting for everything and the boys were focused.”

The Staggies are also under interim management and Don Cowie admitted this match was a missed opportunity for his side.

He said: “I thought it was a really good performance and the team responded really well to a poor start.

“The team were perhaps a little bit spooked for 10 minutes, but the response was excellent and we deserved to go in level.

“I felt that we could step on and win it after that, but if you can’t win it you have to make sure you don’t lose it and we have to learn from that.

“Every game you play is an opportunity and we’ve come away with nothing, so there’s a natural disappointment there, but I’m so proud of the team and the way we’ve played.

“It’s a team that’s working hard for each other and there’s real quality in there as well, but we have to build on that.

“We’ve shown over the last seven or eight games that we can be dangerous, but we need to start picking up points away from home and it’s about those fine lines.”

Rodrigo Muniz’s superb stoppage-time equaliser denied Sheffield United a rare Premier League win in a six-goal thriller against Fulham at Bramall Lane.

Brazilian striker Muniz volleyed home in the third minute of added time to make it 3-3 and cap a pulsating second half which followed a tame and goalless first period.

Ben Brereton Diaz put the Blades in front and after Joao Palhinha had headed Fulham level, the Chile striker set up Oli McBurnie for the home side’s second before heading the Blades into a 3-1 lead.

But substitute Bobby Cordova-Reid reduced the deficit for Fulham with his first touch in the 86th minute and Muniz acrobatically silenced the home fans with his eighth goal in as many top-flight appearances.

The Blades, who had shipped the most goals in Premier League history after 28 matches, defended doggedly to ensure the first 45 minutes ended 0-0.

They became the first English League club to concede at least five goals in four consecutive home games in all competitions when losing 6-0 to Arsenal earlier this month.

Muniz went close to breaking the deadlock for Fulham when his sliding 38th-minute effort was pushed on to a post by Blades goalkeeper Ivo Grbic.

The Brazilian hit the woodwork again at the start of the second period as his towering header from Andreas Pereira’s deep cross bounced off the far post.

The Blades then scored the opening goal out of nowhere. Ben Osborn set McBurnie free down the left and the latter’s superb ball in across the face of goal was swept home by Brereton Diaz in the 58th minute.

The Blades’ lead lasted only four minutes as the unmarked Palhinha’s looping header from Pereira’s near-post corner drew Fulham level.

But the Blades then struck twice in as many minutes to open up a two-goal lead.

Brereton Diaz laid one on a plate for McBurnie to side-foot home from close range and the Bramall Lane roof was raised when the Chile striker headed home Gustavo Hamer’s curling cross at the far post.

A confusing VAR check immediately after the goal ruled Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno had not struck Brereton Diaz after the striker had fallen over the goal-line.

It appeared to get even better for the Blades before VAR ruled out McBurnie’s effort after Fulham had failed to clear their area as Vini Souza was ruled offside.

The Cottagers then set up a grandstand finish after Cordova-Reid fired home a low shot from the edge of the box after replacing Pereira with four minutes left.

And in the third of 14 minutes of stoppage time, Muniz launched himself at Adama Traore’s cross to smash home Fulham’s equaliser.

Seamus Coleman’s stoppage-time own goal condemned Everton to a bruising 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth as they equalled their worst Premier League run of 12 games without a win.

Beto’s 87th-minute equaliser to cancel out Dominic Solanke’s opener looked set to earn Sean Dyche’s side a valuable point, but Coleman’s late intervention left them empty-handed.

This is a crunch time for Everton both on and off the pitch. Their majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri said ahead of the game he remained confident the protracted takeover of the club by 777 Partners would be completed soon and herald a brighter future.

The club are also due to find out the verdict of a second charge of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, with a further points deduction a possibility before the end of the season in addition to the six they have already lost.

The omens coming to Bournemouth were not positive for Dyche’s side. The Cherries had never lost at home to Everton in the Premier League and the visitors came into the match without a win in 2024.

Next up for the Toffees is a trip to Newcastle followed by a relegation clash against Burnley at Goodison Park.

On Saturday Bournemouth made the early running in the spring sunshine and Antoine Semenyo hit a fierce shot at Jordan Pickford before Lewis Cook blasted the rebound over.

Slowly Everton began to grow into the game and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, without a goal since October, saw an early effort blocked by Chris Mepham.

Everton were gradually becoming a little bolder and Calvert-Lewin had their best chance when the ball fell to him off James Tarkowski’s heel, but he could not generate the required power and Neto pushed the ball to safety.

With the half drawing to a close, Bournemouth re-exerted themselves and Semenyo struck the base of a post as he seized on a loose ball after Jarrad Branthwaite had got caught up with Tyler Adams.

The home side subsequently appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty, with Dyche and opposite number Andoni Iraola becoming tetchy in the dugouts.

The pace of the game increased after the break and Dwight McNeil struck the near post as he attempted a cross, with Bournemouth’s defenders relieved to see the loose ball go wide after it deflected off Mepham.

Then Bournemouth struck as Solanke got between Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey to head in Lloyd Kelly’s cross, taking his tally to 16 for the season.

Everton looked to have claimed an unlikely point when Neto dropped McNeil’s cross right at the feet of Beto, who rolled the ball home from close range to leave Dyche punching the air in the dugout.

But, in a final twist, Adam’s Smith deep cross bounced up and hit Coleman on the chest before dropping agonisingly into the net.

Numitor stayed on strongly to record a decisive success in the valuable Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase Finale at Haydock.

Sean Bowen was always travelling strongly on Heather Main’s 10-year-old in the £100,000 contest and sent him on past long-time front-runner Riders Onthe Storm entering the home straight.

A couple of sketchy jumps at the next two fences allowed the chasing pack to close in, but the 100-30 favourite got his act together over the last couple of obstacles and galloped clear to beat Dubai Days by five lengths.

Numitor only recently returned to action after a 340-day lay-off, when finishing fourth at Exeter under Bowen’s brother James.

Championship chaser Bowen told Racing TV: “One thing he did benefit from is that James didn’t knock him around once he was beaten (first time out), he didn’t use his whip once and I think that’s probably been a massive contribution towards winning here.

“James said to keep sending him, but every time I sent him, he put down. But he was a good old spin.

“He’s actually not in love with that ground now and I think that on better ground, you probably can send him from anywhere – he’ll keep coming for you.

“But today, on that ground, he’s probably not in love with it – but he’s a tough horse and keeps going through anything.”

Bowen was also in the saddle as Secret Trix plugged on to get the better of Doughmore Bay in an attritional finish to the New Racing TV App Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle.

It was a fourth win of the season for Olly Murphy’s gelding, all gained under the title-chasing jockey, as he prevailed by a length and a quarter at 11-1 following a winter lay-off since the end of October.

Bowen said: “He felt a lot better horse today, he obviously benefited from the break massively. At every point today, I thought I was going to win, apart from when he started pulling up half a furlong from home.

“I was going well turning in and I didn’t really want him to wing three out and two out, as he doesn’t do a whole pile in front, although he was a bit slower than I thought he might be at them. But he went round like the best horse in the race, to be fair.”

Brentford Hope defied top weight in the My Pension Expert Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle, holding off the late challenge of Holly, who could never quite recover from a mistake at the final flight.

Harry Derham’s seven-year-old had won well in a qualifier at Newcastle earlier this month and was sent off the 5-2 market leader under Paul O’Brien, despite carrying 12st.

Chris Wood scored his seventh goal in eight league games as Nottingham Forest moved back out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

In their first match since being docked four points by the Premier League for breaching profit and sustainability rules, Forest needed a 61st-minute equaliser from their in-form forward to cancel out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early strike for the visitors.

Having been plunged into the bottom three following the points deduction, Forest climbed to 17th place on goal difference after Luton fell to defeat at Tottenham.

Forest have this week launched an appeal against their punishment but there was little by way of a rousing response from the players until the second half and they still have only one win from their last 10 league matches.

Before kick-off fans in the Trent End unveiled a large banner which read ‘We shall fight and we shall overcome’ but the spirit in the stands was not matched by the performance on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes and Palace scored with their first real attack just 11 minutes in.

Jefferson Lerma intercepted a loose ball and then played a slide-rule pass to Eberechi Eze, who laid the ball off for Mateta to power in his third goal in his last four appearances, leaving Matz Sels with no chance as he found the top corner.

Three minutes later the lively Eze tried his luck with a free-kick from deep on the left, with Sels taking no chances as he tipped it over at the far post.

Forest had plenty of the ball but no final delivery as Palace, seeking a win which would edge them towards safety, were happy to drop deep, getting all 11 players behind the ball.

There was no service for the returning Wood as Forest failed to test their former goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who replaced the injured Sam Johnstone for Palace.

Seven minutes before half-time Oliver Glasner’s side should have doubled their lead when Adam Wharton’s threaded pass from deep sent Eze through on goal but Sels was out quickly to smother the shot.

Nuno Espirito Santo sent on Anthony Elanga for Ibrahim Sangare at the break but again it was Palace who were quick to threaten, with Eze bending an effort wide after being played in by Wharton following a short corner.

When Callum Hudson-Odoi cut in from the left in the 52nd minute his shot was easy enough for Henderson to punch clear but Forest were starting to find some encouragement and drew level just after the hour.

Morgan Gibbs-White floated a ball in from the left and Wood, with his back to goal, did well to twist and flick a header over Henderson and into the far corner of the net.

Having sat deep for so long Palace tried to up the intensity and Wharton shot wastefully over before Eze brought a good save out of Sels after beating several defenders in a run across the box.

The game went from end to end and in the 74th minute Hudson-Odoi picked out substitute Gio Reyna, who made space for himself before hitting a powerful shot that Henderson parried and Gibbs-White then sent a shot over the bar.

Palace were inches away from a late winner when Neco Williams turned Eze’s corner against his own post in the 87th minute but a draw felt like a fair result in the end.