Russell Martin believes Southampton’s togetherness and spirit will help in their push for an immediate Premier League return after they fought for a much-needed, last-gasp 4-3 win at 10-man Birmingham.

Having been relegated with a whimper last term before enduring a difficult start to life in the Sky Bet Championship, Saints then went on a club-record 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

That streak ended 18 days ago with the first of four defeats in five games, with three of those losses coming in the league as their hopes of automatic promotion began to fade.

Martin’s men desperately needed to return to winning ways to kick-start their promotion bid and substitute Joe Aribo’s stoppage-time strike completed a breathless victory at St Andrew’s.

“The identity of the team has changed and how it functions and how it plays, and what is important to the team,” the Saints boss said after catching his breath. “But the biggest change has been in that (spirit).

“I think how together they are, how much they believe in each other, how much they trust each other, how much they care for each other.

“And that just takes time and hopefully they see that the same thing from us as a group of coaching staff.

“It has been amazing and they are so together and they feel everything together.

“Football has a tendency to make you into a bit of a robot, really, emotionally, especially when you’ve been in the game for a long time.

“You have a bit of like scar tissue from previous battles but been amazing to see some of them open up and be a bit vulnerable.

“To play the way we play you have to be a bit vulnerable sometimes with the ball because it’s a bit scary. I have nothing but gratitude for that and I’ve loved watching it.

“That spirit will help us for sure in the last quarter of the season.

“I’d rather not win in the last minute, but I think it’s down to togetherness and spirit, and also the amount of work they put into opposition teams with the ball.

“They make teams have to run really, really hard and it tires people out.”

Saints were on top for large parts but twice came from behind in Birmingham, where Koji Miyoshi and Jay Stansfield efforts were cancelled out by Adam Armstrong and David Brooks respectively.

Che Adams went on to put the visitors ahead against his former club, who were reduced to 10 men when Blues skipper Dion Sanderson was sent off.

Birmingham dug deep in the absence of boss Tony Mowbray and Juninho Bacuna equalised, but Southampton were not to be denied as Aribo sparked stoppage-time celebrations.

Assistant Mark Venus, who felt Sanderson’s red card was undeserved, said: “It must have exciting for the fans. It was emotional sat there, to be honest.

“I think if you just look at the end of it, we got to 90-odd minutes with 3-3 with 10 men and just to concede the last goal is heartbreaking for everybody, really.

“I think they were dangerous every time they put the ball in the box and bottom line is we rode our luck.

“We played against a good team in the league and showed a lot of character.”

Nick Montgomery watched resurgent Hibernian defeat Ross County 2-0 to climb into the top six of the cinch Premiership and then challenged them to stay there for the rest of the season.

Hibs slipped into the bottom half of the table after eight league games in a row without a victory from early December.

They were recently five points outside the top six, but the win over County, achieved through second-half goals from Myziane Maolida and substitute Dylan Levitt, made it seven points from three games over the past week and took them above Dundee and into sixth place.

Hibs are now unbeaten in five matches in all competitions and appear to be back in contention for a European place.

“We’re happy to be back in the top six and definitely won’t be complacent,” said Montgomery.

“Momentum has been building for the last couple of weeks and we have to keep performing to the standards we’ve set over the past week. It’s been a big week, three games, and we’re unfortunate not to end it with nine points.”

Montgomery admitted Hibs looked “leggy” at the end of a week in which they had also defeated Dundee and drawn away to Hearts, but he felt they were “professional” overall and well worth their victory over County.

“I think it was a well-deserved win,” he said.

“We scored the first goal and, from that point, David Marshall had one big save (from Eamonn Brophy) to keep it at 1-0.

“Then the second goal killed the game and, from then on, we had three or four more chances to score.

“The performance was really professional. We could have made it easier for ourselves, because we had a lot of chances that went begging.

“But we take 2-0 and a clean sheet against a Ross County team who came to frustrate us, with a lot of time-wasting in the first half.

“They’re fighting for their lives, so they made it really difficult for us. We had to be patient and continue playing, so it was nice to get the goals.”

County manager Don Cowie lamented the error from George Wickens that allowed Hibs to break the deadlock in the 59th minute after the on-loan Fulham goalkeeper spilled a cross from Dylan Vente, with Maolida pouncing quickest to prod home the loose ball.

“I felt the game swung on an error from our goalkeeper, unfortunately,” he said.

“He’s been excellent for us since he came to the club. He has held his hands up, it’s a pretty basic error.

“I felt at that time, 60 minutes into the game, we were starting to quieten the crowd and I was happy with where we were at that moment in the game.

“We still had enough time to obviously try and rectify the error and Eamonn (Brophy) had a good chance which he didn’t take.

“I saw enough from my team in terms of the effort and work-rate and togetherness. It’s now about trying to add a bit of quality to that.”

Ryan Lowe felt his Preston side were denied a clear penalty as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by fellow play-off hopefuls Hull at Deepdale.

In a Sky Bet Championship game that did not help either side’s promotion ambitions, Lowe was adamant that his team should have been awarded a spot-kick early in the second half for a pull on Will Keane as he looked to pounce following Ryan Allsop’s save from Emil Riis.

It was not given, and while Preston had the better of the chances, they had to settle for just a point in their bid for a place in the top-six.

Lowe said: “I thought we deserved a penalty, a decision has gone against us that has probably not seen us take all three points. Unfortunately for us it hasn’t been given, but it’s a penalty.

“Will Keane has been pulled back and Keano’s been pulled right around, but maybe the referee is used to reffing in the Premier League…he’s used to someone speaking in his ear, stop and then decide what to do.

“I don’t know, but the fact of the matter is that 11 decisions have gone against us this season and three for us.

“It’s become a little bit of a concern, because if it goes into 14-15, then it’s costing us points.”

He added: “I thought we were excellent, with and without the ball. I think we kept their front three quiet, I thought our defenders were immense.

“There was only one team on the front foot trying to win the game of football and that was us.”

Ben Whiteman had a couple of early chances for Preston but did not overly trouble Allsop, while Freddie Woodman had to be alert in goal at the other end to deny Fabio Carvalho.

Preston threatened early in the second half, Andrew Hughes heading over and Whiteman seeing a shot deflected wide, before Riis’ attempt and the contentious follow-up.

At the other end, Jaden Philogene was somehow denied by Woodman while Allsop produced some late heroics to earn the visitors a point, to the delight of boss Liam Rosenior.

He said: “It was a hard-fought, physical, winter battle.

“I’m delighted with the players’ attitude, but I felt if we’d have had a little bit more calmness in our play, which is hard to do when you come away from home, then we would have come away with a win.

“I thought the players stood up really, really well to the challenge, but obviously I’m disappointed not to win the game.

“There’s a lot on the line, we have to remember Preston are in great form. You could sense in the stadium the energy of the team and what a big game it was for them to push up to us.

“I felt after the first 10 minutes we played our football and we controlled the game and looked like a real threat. But we just couldn’t get the goal and that’s a real shame.

“The game plan was to make it our game, we worked all week on trying to stop balls coming into our box, but then trying to control the game by making it our game.

“It’s a brave thing I’m asking the players to do. We made mistakes, but we just couldn’t get the goal our play deserved.”

Norwich head coach David Wagner singled out Kenny McLean for praise after watching his side continue their Championship play-off bid with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sunderland at Carrow Road.

Josh Sargent’s late goal earned the Canaries a narrow win and while Wagner was delighted with the American’s display, he felt it was McLean’s contribution that should be highlighted.

He said: “When Kenny woke up on Thursday he was struggling to walk and he was not able to train on Thursday or Friday.

“He had stiffness in the back and full credit to him and our medical staff that he was able to play. He is a top, top professional who does everything he can to be successful, a proper Scottish braveheart!

“Josh also turned in top performance, not just with the goal but the way he linked play and worked hard to close them down.”

Wagner added: “We were up against a good, well-organised team and had to work hard to break them down.

“But I thought it was a deserved win, we created a lot of good chances and also defended really well, restricting them to very few box entries. I was very pleased with the performance and now we have to keep it going.”

The game was settled by an 81st-minute goal from Sargent, who scored for the seventh successive home game and took his tally to 11 in an injury-hit campaign overall.

The USA international shrugged off the attentions of two Sunderland defenders when a Ben Gibson cross came over and when they ball bounced kindly for him swivelled and fired home from close range.

It was a deserved goal for the Canaries who had carved out the better chances.

Visiting substitute Abdoullah Ba hit the woodwork just before the Norwich winner but the hosts were on the front foot for most of the game and goalkeeper Anthony Patterson made a number of good saves to keep them out until nine minutes from time.

The defeat left Sunderland nine points adrift of the top six but interim head coach Mike Dodds isn’t giving up on the play-offs just yet.

He said: “I look back to this time last season when I think we were in a very similar position to where we find ourselves now.

“Then we went on an unbelievable run to take it to the final game of the season and there’s no reason why we can’t do that again.

“I look at the players and I don’t see a group that are giving up on it. They are a group who are really close to turning it around and sooner or later I believe the tide will turn.

“We have now got two matches coming up against two of the best teams in the league and we are really looking forward to it.”

As for the game itself, he added: “Norwich are a really good side, especially at home, and I thought for long spells we nullified their threat, even though we have to do better with their goal.

“Going forward we got into some good positions but we have a lot better quality in the final third than we showed.

“I have got faith in the players but when we got in their area we were a bit tense and erratic.”

Craig Levein believes Nicky Clark’s late equaliser against Livingston could be looked back on as a crucial moment in St Johnstone’s season.

Saints jumped to ninth in the cinch Premiership after Clark nodded home with three minutes remaining to cancel out Andrew Shinnie’s opener.

The McDiarmid Park boss admitted it was a game that was unlikely to live long in the memory but insisted the end result could be significant in his side’s quest to avoid the drop.

“I think in the end it will be a good point,” Levein said.

“Two teams sitting at the bottom of the table who are obviously concerned about their league positions and who realise if it comes down to a scrap then they have to roll their sleeves up and really have a go.

“I think what you saw was the outcome of that pressure, there wasn’t much good football or calm thinking going on and it was a real fight.”

Levein was delighted for Clark, who came up with his sixth goal of the season to drag St Johnstone level.

It was the striker’s third game in the space of a week – his most consistent run of matches in what has been an injury-plagued season.

“Playing Nicky was a big one for me because I was really concerned about him breaking down,” Levein added.

“But if we can get quality balls into the box he’ll score goals.

“We had a lot of crosses but they were poor until Graham Carey put a great one in and then you wouldn’t want anyone else on the end of it other than Nicky.

“That’s what he does, he scores goals, he’s done it his whole career.”

David Martindale is adamant his Livingston team has what it takes to survive the drop, despite being denied the chance to move within four points of nearest rivals Ross County.

It was a familiar tale for Livi, who have now conceded important goals in each of their last three away league fixtures.

“It’s difficult, the players are fighting tooth-and-nail and anyone can see how much the players are putting into the games,” Martindale said.

“I’d never question their heart and their spirit, from matchday one to where we are just now, I think that has been there in abundance.

“The players are gutted in there, they’ve been gutted most games when they don’t pick three points up.

“But I’m trying to explain – and I’m not trying to come over delusional – if you’re 1-0 down and you score the late goal then it changes the narrative to a great point.”

Marco Silva believes Rodrigo Muniz is getting “better and better” after the Fulham forward inspired the Cottagers to a 3-0 win over Brighton.

Muniz claimed his fifth Premier League goal in five games with a clinical header which came after his assist for Harry Wilson’s earlier long-range strike at Craven Cottage.

Adama Traore opened his account for the season during four added minutes in the second half.

Silva lauded the Brazilian forward’s impact in recent weeks which has kept loan signing Armando Broja out of the starting XI.

“They were great performances. Rodrigo is getting better and better,” Silva said.

“He’s getting stronger which is really difficult for the defenders to deal with. We know that if we provide for him inside the box then he’s really dangerous as well.

“We expected Brighton to play man on man across the pitch and to press us and we knew we had to play behind that pressure. To have a player like Rodrigo to link up our game and build our attack is really important.

“The way he’s improving in all aspects of the game is really good for us and for him he’s a happy boy as you’d expect and I think there’s even more to come from him.”

The victory marked Fulham’s first back-to-back wins since December after last week’s late 2-1 victory over Manchester United.

Silva believes his side’s triumph was fully deserved, crediting his players’ desire.

“I’m really happy because we deserved the three points at home with a clean sheet,” Silva added.

“To have back-to-back wins in the Premier League is really tough and we wanted to get back to winning ways after the Aston Villa match (2-1 defeat).

“We showed quality, commitment and desire to do the right things and that’s positive.

“The first half was almost perfect I must say. They didn’t create one chance and we were clinical of course with the goals that we scored.

“The second goal is almost the perfect team goal. The way we built from the goalkeeper to the last moment and myself as a manager that is something I’m proud of.”

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi believes his side played without the right energy during the defeat.

He said: “I think we played without the energy. In the Premier League you need to push 100 per cent and you can’t play with 50 or 60 per cent.

“I think we didn’t play well and that we didn’t deserve to win the game. Fulham played a good game but they were not incredible. For us it’s a tough moment.”

Boss Matt Taylor revealed he was left out of pocket after watching his Bristol Rovers side collect all three points with a 1-0 victory at play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient.

Chris Martin recorded his 15th goal of the season when a first-half set-piece from skipper Antony Evans eluded the home defence and the unmarked Martin claimed the faintest of touches before the ball nestled in the far corner of the net.

Rovers found themselves reduced to 10-men after 82 minutes when James Wilson was dismissed for an off-the-ball incident with Brandon Cooper, but they emerged with their goal intact after soaking up relentless second-half pressure.

“This game has cost me five hundred quid for the clean sheet and five hundred for the set-piece goal,” Taylor said.

“I’m having to bribe players as we’re going to Cheltenham races in a few weeks, so £1000 is a lot of money and you can buy a lot of nappies for that but it was more than worth it!

“I thought it was a high-quality game of football in the first half. Orient are a really strong team and we know they have a fluid rhythm about them but I liked our structure.

“They started the second half really brightly and we changed our shape and got more of a foothold in the game, and I didn’t think our goalkeeper was overworked. But the unexpected happened and we lost a player for the last 15 minutes of the game.

“We then had to withstand the pressure with backs against the wall defending and we rode our luck at times, but again Jed (Ward) has only really had to make a couple of saves.”

Orient boss Richie Wellens felt his side deserved more from the match.

“It was a smash and grab,” he said.

“We conceded three shots on our goal and they scored from one of them. It was a poor goal from us to give away. A sloppy free-kick and a cheap set play but the delivery was very good and (Chris) Martin does what he does best, which is to get across people in the box.

“Second half, I can’t even remember them being in our box or in our half at times. We had 18 corners and started the game OK with opportunities to take people on but just looked just a bit leggy.

“It was a disappointing day in terms of results this afternoon but another really solid performance. We’ve lost two games when we’ve played midweek and the opposition haven’t. It’s not an excuse but we did look tired and hence why I need to make changes.”

Cheltenham boss Darrell Clarke praised defender Tom Bradbury for another fine performance after his late goal-line clearance preserved a valuable point against Burton.

It was an uninspiring contest between the relegation rivals, with Cheltenham controlling much of the first half without seriously testing visiting goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

However, Burton nearly snatched the points deep into added time at the end of the game, when Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill reached a ball over the top ahead of advancing Cheltenham keeper Luke Southwood.

His shot rolled towards an empty net, but Bradbury chased it and timed his lunge to perfection, clearing just as the ball was about to cross the line.

“It was great defending,” Clarke said. “Tom has been great since I’ve been in the building.

“He’s had to wait for his chance and he’s taken it because he is defending superbly at the minute.

“He has to keep that focus and concentration levels to try and turn him into a decent League One player and that’s what we are trying to do with Tom and numerous players we have in the squad, trying to get them to hit the levels.

“With recent performances and not just today, Tom is doing that because he’s been very strong.”

Clarke was disappointed to see his side lose their impetus in the second half and he felt a draw was the fair result.

“It was a frustrating second-half performance from ourselves,” he said.

“In the first half, we had a lot of control, got into some dangerous areas and I was hoping for us to kick on second half, but we didn’t do that.

“We didn’t create the opportunities I like to create and we didn’t get our forward play going.”

Despite having most of the possession during the first half, they could not muster a shot on target.

Burton’s Ademola Ola-Adebomi saw an effort comfortably saved by Southwood in the 13th minute, but defences were very much on top, with several important blocks in both boxes.

Cheltenham felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 28th minute when George Lloyd went down under a challenge from Steve Seddon, but referee Thomas Parsons waved away their appeals.

Tom Hamer made an excellent challenge on the line to deny Matty Taylor in the 32nd minute before Seddon fired one high over the bar.

Ola-Adebomi also shot over in the 58th minute and Cheltenham threatened late on when Josh Harrop’s cross was met by Taylor, but it was blocked in the box, before Bradbury’s stoppage-time intervention saved a point for the hosts.

Burton boss Martin Paterson admitted he thought Hugill’s shot was going to trickle in.

“As I was watching it roll, I was right behind it and I was trying everything, I even tried to let a little blow out,” he said.

“I don’t know what was going on and whether it got stuck in the mud, but I was trying to get that ball over the line, even though it’s impossible!

“Joe came on and looked sharp and again, had a chance on goal, so that is food for thought.

“Cheltenham are fourth in the form table so I knew it was going to be a hard combative game.

“I thought we defended really well and we were better in the second half. We showed promise in front of goal, but we’ll respect the point and ultimately it’s a good point.”

Luke Williams has challenged Swansea to build on their 2-1 victory over Blackburn.

Williams finally earned his first home league victory at the fifth attempt thanks to first-half goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson.

The Sky Bet Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back for Blackburn just past the hour mark, but Rovers were unable to make their second-half dominance pay.

It meant back-to-back Championship wins for the Swans for the first time since October and Williams wants more.

“We started on the front foot and were very strong,” said Williams. “Back-to-back wins are brilliant because they start to build belief.

“I am really proud of how we withstood that comeback from them in the latter stages of the game because the opposition had nothing to lose, threw everything forward at us and we stood up to a lot.

“But we need to improve how we attack a lead, rather than defend a lead. That’s the bit we need to improve – to see a game out more comfortably. It was more anxious than I would have liked.

“But I felt something from the connection between the players and the fans that I hadn’t felt before. We have to build on it.

“It was a really good feeling. The fans have been great. After we have lost, they have shown us some love, but it always feels much better when you win.”

Blackburn are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and although they are 17th in the table, they are only a point above the drop zone.

Rovers manager John Eustace said: “I’m disappointed to have lost the game because I felt in the first half we started slowly and conceded two really poor goals.

“That hasn’t been like these boys since I’ve come in, but I thought we grew into the game and we still had three or four really good chances where we should have scored. We need to be more clinical.

“The character in the group is fantastic. We kept going and we scored a good goal to get back into it. But, unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get the equaliser.

“I thought we deserved a point at the end of the day. The way we started we were a bit sluggish. It could possibly have been because of the midweek game (against Newcastle in the FA Cup), but we have to be more clinical.

“We don’t give up and the fight is there for all to see. We have 11 big games coming up.”

Ruben Selles hailed his goalscorers after Reading beat basement boys Carlisle 3-1 in Sky Bet League One.

Sam Smith, who earlier hit a post, opened the scoring before Harvey Knibbs’ double at Brunton Park.

Playmaker Knibbs bagged a brace in the corresponding fixture when the Royals hammered the struggling Cumbrians 5-1.

For Knibbs it was his 14th and 15th goals of a fruitful campaign.

Jon Mellish’s second-half header was in vain as Paul Simpson’s side slumped to a ninth loss in 10.

Selles said: “I always think the strikers, when they play for my teams, they have a lot of jobs to do – the first is to score goals of course.

“Sam missed the first one by an inch when he hit the post then he scored. We’re happy with his performance and he needs to keep working like that.

“He (Knibbs) just needs to continue doing what he’s doing.

“It all depends on where he wants to go. The team is putting him in positions to score goals and to lead assists.

“It’s about him continuing to perform well and working hard.

“Hopefully in the next 10 games he can score more goals and get more assists.”

Relegation-threatened Carlisle were once again outclassed and boss Simpson admitted his side struggled to cope with the Royals.

He said: “I agree, they’re a very good side. I knew they were a good side. I tried to play them down a little bit on Thursday, but I expected it to be a tough game.

“The pace that they had and the way they’re able to play, they’re as good a side I’ve seen here this season.

“We struggled. We struggled against the pace. We had to change the pace and try to sure it up. When you do that, it opens up areas where they can exploit you.

“The massive thing I’ve seen at League One level is the athleticism of the opposition we’re coming up against. We can only aspire to bring that type of player into the football club because that’s where we’ve fallen short this season.

“They’re strong, they’re quick. Yiadom, Wing, Azeez, they’re good footballers. I said before the game that I felt for the players, staff and fans for what’s happening at the club.

“But if they keep that group of players together they’ll be a real threat next season.”

Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield blamed his side’s ill-discipline for their 4-2 loss to promotion-chasers Barnsley.

The Chairboys twice let a lead slip before substitute David Wheeler was sent off as the Reds completed a resounding comeback.

Dale Taylor and Kieran Sadlier twice put Wycombe ahead, only for Sam Cosgrove and Donovan Pines to respond each time before Corey O’Keeffe and Conor Grant secured the victory.

“Where was it lost? Slight lack of discipline, I think,” Bloomfield said. “There were a couple of soft goals that were entirely preventable from our side, so that feeds into it, and obviously the sending-off doesn’t help.

“I still fancied us at 3-2 down, but obviously with 10 men it’s tough.

“A few things contributed, maybe a slight bit of fatigue crept in with some of our decision-making at times defensively.

“I thought we started the game extremely well. For 30-35 minutes to play like we did against a team that’s looking to try and get up automatically, we have to be pleased with that, but we’re not pleased because we want to win the game.”

Taylor’s 16th-minute opener was cancelled out by an equaliser in first-half stoppage time from Cosgrove, who netted the rebound from a Luca Connell free-kick.

Sadlier then tapped home after good build-up play from Garath McCleary to restore the hosts’ lead, but only for four minutes.

Pines bundled the ball home before O’Keeffe put Barnsley into the lead for the first time with 65 minutes gone.

Wheeler saw red less than a minute after coming on for a heavy tackle on O’Keeffe and the Tykes made certain of their win with a thumping effort from Grant.

Barnsley boss Neill Collins said: “The resilience they’ve shown after going behind and then going behind again, to come back was fantastic.

“The quality of our play when we put it together caused Wycombe real problems. We created some really good moments and the quality of a couple of our goals was excellent.

“So I think overall, coming away from home against a team that’s made it really difficult for teams at home recently is all positive.

“I think we were the victims of our downfall with respect to the two goals we gave away and then when we did go 4-2 in the lead we contrived to give up two or three chances just from poor choices.

“But in the end we regrouped and saw it out pretty comfortably. There’s more positives than negatives of course.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl feels his team’s hunger is powering their form and it helped them to beat relegation rivals Rotherham 1-0.

Ike Ugbo netted his sixth goal in five matches to hand Wednesday a valuable win in their relegation battle, taking them three points from safety and leaving Rotherham 19 points adrift at the bottom.

The Owls have now won three games on the bounce and continue to pile the pressure on the teams above them.

Rohl said: “It was a big one. I am very proud of my team at the moment. It is outstanding what they are doing.

“Everybody knows Rotherham are always difficult with the second balls and set-plays.

“At half-time I said it was great what we were doing. But we had to score with the next chance.

“It was a big impact from our subs. A draw was not enough. I had to change the shape and we scored immediately. Then it was about bringing the game home.

“Our defending at the moment is great to see. We are finding a balance between playing nice football and making the right steps.

“Rotherham did not really have a big chance. It was always about us. At the moment we are bringing the games home.

“The performances from my team are outstanding. The mentality we have – everybody is hungry and I am very proud of what we are doing.

“We are the hunter at the moment and we have the momentum.”

Rotherham weathered a storm throughout the first half with Wednesday coming close a number of times.

The visitors thought they had struck when Akin Famewo headed in Will Vaulks’ free-kick but it was ruled out for offside.

Wingers Ian Poveda and Anthony Musaba posed most of the danger themselves and both came close after cutting in off their flanks.

Rotherham threatened properly for the first time early in the second period when Sam Nombe’s effort glided just over the bar.

Wednesday built patiently for their opener and got it in the 66th minute with a flowing team move.

Barry Bannan and Ugbo were both involved before Dominic Iorfa picked out the in-form striker to stroke home.

Bannan was then pivotal at the other end as he got a desperate block on Andy Rinomhota’s effort to prevent a leveller.

It was actually Wednesday looking more likely in stoppage time and substitute Mallik Wilks’ header rattled off the post from Marvin Johnson’s cross.

Rotherham head coach Leam Richardson said: “It was frustrating and I am gutted for the fans really. In a derby you want to give a strong positive result for them.

“The lads got emotionally attached to the game a little bit.

“The second half was evenly balanced but the goal is horrendous from our point of view. They’re all avoidable but it takes the same pattern at the minute where we are competitive to a level but then we are looking for that quality and momentum to go our way.

“We are very fix and mend at the minute with players playing out of position. There is disparity in the squad. We are limited in a lot of areas and we have six players on the bench.

“Whatever we lack in certain areas it’s not a will to win. Our levels seem to drop after 60-70 minutes.”

Ange Postecoglou hopes Timo Werner gains confidence after he scored to help Tottenham earn a much-needed 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace.

Spurs were set for a second consecutive defeat when Eberechi Eze curled home a sumptuous free-kick for the visitors just before the hour mark.

Werner had also been guilty of missing a glorious first-half chance but made amends when he tapped in with 77 minutes played after excellent work by Brennan Johnson to spark a late turnaround by the hosts, with Cristian Romero and captain Son Heung-min also scoring.

It was Werner’s first goal for Spurs since his January loan from RB Leipzig and also just his 11th Premier League goal in 62 appearances after a mixed spell at Chelsea but Postecoglou praised the contribution of the Germany forward.

He said: “I thought Timo, he missed the chance in the first half but he was a constant threat to them and was in the right area for the goal.

“I understand that with attacking players, goals make them feel better and make them more confident.

“I guess it relieves the pressure on them a little bit but just in general I thought he was really aggressive with his running.

“He kept taking on the full-back and I thought apart from the missed chance his general play was really good.

“A goal always helps, it was pleasing for us and it was an important time in the game. It was great for him to score.”

Tottenham struggled to break down Palace in the first half, although Werner should have scored after 19 minutes when Son sent him through but he tried to round Sam Johnstone and was thwarted.

It was the finish of a forward out of confidence and while Spurs started strongly after the break, Oliver Glasner watched his team take the lead when Eze produced a superb free-kick for his seventh goal of the campaign.

Postecoglou introduced Johnson and his tenacity created the equaliser after he robbed Joachim Andersen of possession, got the better of Jefferson Lerma and teed up Werner for a simple finish.

Three minutes later and the hosts were ahead when Romero flicked on James Maddison’s inventive cross with 80 on the clock before Son wrapped up the scoring in the 88th minute after Johnson put him clear.

“I was pleased with the whole game,” Postecoglou insisted.

“You need that goal to break open a team that is going to sit so deep. I still felt like we were putting enough work into them that at some point we would be able to break them.

“Obviously we conceded which was disappointing. You’re looking for a reaction and I thought the reaction was outstanding.

“They just had a real belief today in our processes and our football and I’m really pleased with the outcome.”

Postecoglou also attempted to clarify reports in Brazil that Richarlison may be fit enough for his country’s international fixtures with England and Spain later this month after the Spurs boss had ruled the forward out for “three-to-four” weeks with a knee injury on Friday.

He added: “We’ve still got, what, two weeks to go before then?

“I’m not a doctor, I don’t write prescriptions, I get sort of a guide and go from there.

“If he’s ready to go, he goes. If not, he’ll be with us.”

New Palace boss Glasner was disappointed his team could not hold on at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but credited the effort of his players.

“Yes, I think the players did a great job over 60 to 70 minutes,” Glasner said.

“They stick to the plan and we defended really well for most of the time. Then we scored a very nice goal but to win here at Tottenham you have to be perfect over almost the whole distance of the game.

“We are disappointed because I had the feeling before the 1-1 we can win the game but then it turned and in football one situation can change the game.”