Darren Moore defended Huddersfield’s cautious approach after Hull left it late to win 1-0 at the MKM Stadium.

Town rarely threatened inside the final third and were seemingly content to leave East Yorkshire with a point.

But their gameplan backfired in stoppage time when Liam Delap scored the winning goal two minutes in.

Moore, whose side are one place above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone, said: “There’s always an emotional element to a result and I can understand that.

“You have to strike the balance right and we are working towards that.

“But as a group we were working extremely hard to correct those wrongs to make them right.

“We created two or three half-opportunities on counter-attacks.

“When the chances came our way, could we have used the ball more effectively and get bodies up the pitch?

“I thought we did that really well; it was just that the opportunities that we created just didn’t come our way.”

Huddersfield at least defensively improved upon their last two away games, in which they conceded a total of eight goals.

They also had Hull at arm’s length for most of the game – even though the hosts dominated possession.

The Tigers might have lacked attacking nous, but the mood inside the stadium changed once Delap struck the crossbar after 81 minutes.

Hull then scored the goal their efforts deserved when Delap’s low strike hit the inside of the right post and squirmed into the net.

Moore, whose side have won just once in 10 games, said: “It’s a tough one to swallow in terms of going that long into the game (without conceding).

“In terms of the performance, it was another team performance in the right direction.

“As a group we are looking at the positives – you have to look at the overall performance.

“We have to accept what’s happened and move forward.

“The gameplan was to nullify them in spaces we know they can hit you on the break – I thought we did that on the balance of the game.

“I thought apart from a couple of incidents, we limited to them to long-range efforts.”

Counterpart Liam Rosenior was adamant Hull were good value for the victory – even if it was achieved so late in the game.

He said: “I’m really proud because sometimes teams can lose faith in what they are doing.

“This method of (possession-based) play ties the opposition up – I think we had about 80 per cent of the ball – and, normally, chances to come towards the end of the game.

‘I think from minute one to minute 100 we showed our quality and were dominant all game.

“My team, with his group of players, have not lost two games in a row. They are learning as they go which is exciting for me.

“There wasn’t anyone in the stadium who would argue we didn’t deserve three points.”

Hull struggled at home earlier in the season, but they have now won back-to-back games at the MKM Stadium and are only outside the top six on goal difference.

Rosenior added: “Liam got his just rewards – he probably could have scored three or four.

“I’m very proud of the group, but I just want to see more goals. The intent is there – I think everyone can see that.

“But when you have that much control you can be a little bit more risky and make positive changes.

“Fair play to Darren. His side were so resilient and difficult to break down and, in time, he will get the results the club needs.

“For us to break them down in the manner that we did gives us a lot of confidence.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes insists he is “very confident” he will lead the club away from trouble in the Championship despite their winless run continuing with a goalless draw against Bristol City at Loftus Road.

City defended well in their first match under Liam Manning following his recent arrival from Oxford as successor to Nigel Pearson.

Cifuentes can take some encouragement from his team’s display in his first home game at the helm.

But the west London side have now gone 11 matches without a win, continue to struggle to create clear-cut chances and remain one off the bottom of the table, having won only once at home in more than a year.

Cifuentes has employed a radically different style of play to the route-one tactics of his predecessor Gareth Ainsworth, who presided over six consecutive defeats prior to his recent sacking.

QPR have returned to a passing style and Cifuentes is convinced that will pay off.

Cifuentes said: “There are mixed feelings. Unfortunately we couldn’t deliver the victory. It was not the result we wanted but I am looking forward to building the togetherness I saw today. I think we can be really strong in the future.

“Despite the result, my job is to make sure that we start to win games. I do think it’s a step in the right direction.

“I see a stable team and one that is striving to have a clear identity – how they want to play from the back and have the courage to pass the ball.

“The identity of the team is starting to show. I feel we are taking steps but we have to be critical and say it hasn’t been enough to win games.

“Over time I’m very confident that this style of play can give us the results we’re looking for,” said the Spaniard.

“I do think that we have the tools inside the squad to play the football we want to and I’m very confident that this will give us the results we want.”

Meanwhile, Manning also saw reasons to feel optimistic after seeing the Robins make a solid start to his reign.

“There was some really positive stuff,” Manning said.

“We’ve worked on our shape out of possession and we saw that come out. There were a lot of positives with the out-of-possession stuff.

“We didn’t concede a shot on target, so when you look from the defensive side of it there were a lot of good things.

“In possession, we know that can improve. But we finished the stronger side in the last 20 minutes and got in some terrific areas.

“It’s been a whirlwind week but I have to give the players a huge amount of credit for how they’ve adapted to the work we’ve asked them to do.

“A pleasing aspect is the clean sheet and also the behaviours you saw – there were people there who maxed out and were running on empty at the end.

“If we want to be the best team that we can be, then that’s going to be important.”

Proud Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick hailed his players for executing their game plan to perfection in a “big win” over Championship leaders Leicester.

Boro usually play possession football but had to change their approach for the visit of the Foxes, who dominated the ball at the Riverside but failed to find a breakthrough against Carrick’s stubborn and organised side.

And after frustrating Enzo Maresca’s visitors, Boro snatched the win late on thanks to Sam Greenwood’s moment of magic. The Leeds loanee scored his fourth goal in six games with a stunning free-kick.

“It was a big win,” said delighted Carrick. “They are a really good team and we knew that.

“Individually, collectively, how they’re coached, they’re a very good team and it’s not an accident that they are where they are in the league.

“We showed a different side to ourselves today with a lot of the out-of-possession work. It was really good pressing and really good defensively. They test you, you have to close certain spaces for the whole game, you have to concentrate for the whole game and that was a major factor.

“The boys got the game plan off to a tee and actually, the few chances we did give away were from us giving the ball away, which we don’t normally do. That’s one of those things though.

“It was an immense effort and I’m so proud of the boys.”

Greenwood is proving himself to be a key player for Middlesbrough and Carrick said of his match winner: “I kind of had a feeling as he stepped up, I fancied him because it looked like it was set up just at the right spot for him.

“It’s a hell of a free-kick. There are not many people who can pull that off, but he’s got that in his locker consistently. It’s a real threat and a real weapon for us.”

Despite a second successive Championship defeat, with Ipswich now level on points, Leicester boss Maresca was not overly concerned and said his players paid the price for missed chances.

Jannik Vestergaard went close in the first half but was denied by a brilliant save from Seny Dieng, before City tried to turn the screw after the break. The closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Kelechi Iheanacho hit a post 10 minutes from time, before Greenwood claimed the winner three minutes later.

Maresca said: “I think I have been quite clear, we created many chances and many situations where we should score but when you miss, miss, miss and they score a fantastic goal, that’s football.

“It’s a moment where you create but don’t take your chance and the opposite, they score a fantastic goal. It is what it is.

“To be honest I thought we were in control of the game, created five or six clear chances and many situations where we missed the last pass. The players are annoyed because we lost and it’s normal to be like that.”

Leicester will be without Harry Winks for their first game back after the international break against Watford after the midfielder picked up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Maresca said: “For sure Harry will be a big miss but for many games he’s been waiting for one more yellow.”

Craig Short experienced a wave of emotion as he witnessed his Oxford side record a 3-2 away win at Leyton Orient.

Appointed on an interim basis after boss Liam Manning resigned earlier in the week before joining Bristol City, he saw the U’s take a three-goal lead with a double from Ruben Rodrigues and a goal by Billy Bodin before a Fin Stevens own goal and a strike by leading scorer Ruel Sotiriou gave Orient a lifeline.

“It was a fantastic game for the neutral but awful emotionally for us in the dugout,” Short admitted. “You always feel like that but for them to score so soon after we got the third goal put them on the front foot.

“I said to the lads after the game if you’re playing against a football-playing side it can be more predictable but because they were so for direct and overloaded the box it created problems and that’s the way it happens sometime.

“But we managed it fairly well and the subs made a difference for us.

“Just because we started well the first then minutes you can’t expect to come away from home and win the game. They came back and we weathered the storm in the first half and then got the two goals and the third in the second half which we needed.

“It wasn’t pretty but Orient have had one defeat in nine so it’s a scalp for us away from home.”

Asked about his prospects of keeping the job on a permanent basis, he responded: “Personally I’m just getting on with it. I’ve enjoyed the responsibility and am lucky to have great people around me who care about the club.”

O’s boss Richie Wellens said: “For the first 50 minutes it was very reminiscent of the Portsmouth league game where we played well in parts but conceded just before half-time.

“We just didn’t affect the game and looked like we were a team feeling sorry for ourselves. I am proud we responded when we were 3-0 down. We got a response straight away but I am disappointed we didn’t stick to the game plan so it was frustrating.

“We thought they had certain weaknesses where we could play forward and dominate them physically and when we had patches where we stuck to that it caused problems.

“We found ourselves 2-0 down but it was only because of our own mistakes and they could have had a couple more but I never felt like they would cause us problems or cut us open on the counter-attack.

“We showed a little bit of lack of experience but I was proud of the players and we have still got a lot of improvement in us.”

Deflated boss Andy Crosby criticised Port Vale’s naivety after Olamide Shodipo’s last-gasp equaliser for Lincoln saw his side’s winless run stretch to nine Sky Bet League One games with a 1-1 draw.

The Valiants looked set to land an elusive win after Ben Garrity’s first-half effort, but substitute Shodipo slid in late on to steal a share of the spoils at Sincil Bank.

Both sides ended with 10 men after Oliver Arblaster and Paudie O’Connor both saw red in an eventful second half.

“It feels like a defeat,” said Crosby. “It was naive defending at a crucial moment trying to win a ball you can’t win.

“The one clear-cut chance they have in the game and they score.

“It’s very raw and it’s tough to take at this moment in time.

“We lose a player in the second half and that’s naivety again. You’re on a yellow card and you give the referee a decision to make.

“The referee then evens the game up and we go 10-v-10 and they were in the ascendency then.

“A little lapse of concentration and we conceded late on. It’s frustrating.

“For all our good play we still missed chances. We’ve got to become more ruthless.

“This game is unforgiving, just like life sometimes. When you’ve got a team on the rack like then then you’ve got to score and take the game away from them.

“We’re 16 games in and we’re a really nice team to look at and from box to box but we lack that clinical edge. They’re got to find it themselves and we’ve got to find it collectively.”

The Imps recovered from a slow start, which frustrated the home fans, to seal a late point.

Interim boss Tom Shaw said: “It wasn’t a good start, but good sides and good players come through that and we’ve shown that with how strongly we’ve finished in the end.

“I thought we were outstanding with the ball 10-v-10. I thought we were bold with every tactical change we made.

“We’ve had 70 per cent of the ball in the second half and nine opportunities. It felt like we had an extra man.

“We were really pleased with how the lads went about it. There are two ways to try and chase it; you can either lump it into the box or play with more control. We challenged them to do that and they did.

“If the fans were frustrated then that’s something we’re trying to improve and evolve. But we don’t have the profile of a number nine so we have to try and find other ways to get into the box.

“I hope the supporters can see how well we executed that in the second half.

“We finished the game strong and ran out of time to win it.”

Daniel Farke admitted his Leeds side made life complicated in a 2-1 win over Plymouth at Elland Road which keeps them in the automatic promotion race.

Leeds controlled the first half but were nearly caught out after the Pilgrims grabbed a late goal.

Dan James gave Leeds an early lead as he curled in, and Joel Piroe doubled the advantage in another dominant first-half display which the home side failed to build on after the interval.

Substitute Ben Waine’s late consolation ensured a nervous finish for the home fans.

Farke said: “I take the three points all day long. If you would have offered me a 2-1 win before the game, I would have taken it.

“It was an outstanding win at Leicester and the training week was too easy. I was waiting for a sucker punch.

“The result was perfect and obviously when you are so dominant like we were in the first half and the chances we had in the second half, if you don’t score the goals in the second half there is a good and brave opponent who plays with freedom and goes for it.

“Our defending was excellent, in the second half they had one chance and they scored a goal. I was pleased we didn’t allow them one more chance to score. We made our life more complicated that it should have been.”

Leeds created plenty of early pressure and took the lead when James curled home from the edge of the area after Kaine Kesler-Hayden gave the ball away with 20 minutes gone.

Crysencio Summerville played in Piroe behind the Plymouth back line, and he slid the ball between goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s legs just before the half hour to make it 2-0.

Plymouth proved more of a threat in the second half and scored with five minutes remaining as Luke Cundle chased a ball down the right and crossed low for Waine to turn home from close range.

Steven Schumacher felt his side had acquitted themselves well against a team pushing for promotion to the Premier League.

He said: “For 20 minutes in the first half I thought we did OK. We limited Leeds to a few chances on goal.

“The only disappointing thing in the first half was the two errors in front of our own box.
Against a top team with quality players, we got punished.

“Second half obviously we were a bit better. We had nothing to lose with 25 minutes, half an hour to go. I am really pleased with the effort against a top team.”

Schumacher was happy with the impact of his substitutes.

He said: “We always say it whether you start a game or come off the bench it’s important you know your role. I thought Ben Waine gave us a focal point at the top end of the pitch.”

Schumacher also felt his side should have had a first-half penalty.

“The one when Bali (Mumba) went into the box you could hear the contact. I asked why that wasn’t a foul and was told it was a coming together. If we had gone in 2-1 at half time it would have given us confidence.

“Our lads give us absolutely everything they have got. When we got that goal, we had a great chance to get an equaliser. I’m proud of the lads that we kept going.”

Falkirk consolidated their place at the top of cinch League One with a 2-1 win over bottom club Edinburgh City.

Innes Murray had given the visitors an unexpected lead in the ninth minute.

Aidan Nesbitt, though, hauled the Bairns level just before half-time and Ross Maciver struck in the 66th minute to complete the turnaround.

Second-placed Hamilton kept up the pressure with a 5-0 win over Stirling at New Douglas Park, where Kevin O’Hara scored a hat-trick.

O’Hara opened the scoring in the 14th minute, with Euan Henderson doubling the lead ahead of half-time.

It was 3-0 when O’Hara struck again just before the hour, with Henderson then getting his second before O’Hara completed his treble with 12 minutes left.

Stirling finished with 10 men after a late red card for substitute Dale Hilson.

In-form Cove Rangers sit fourth after Rumarn Burrell’s early goal gave them a 1-0 win at Kelty Hearts, which was a fourth straight league victory.

Montrose were held to a 1-1 draw at home by strugglers Annan.

Tommy Goss put the visitors ahead from a first-half penalty, but Kerr Waddell had the Gable Endies level with 20 minutes left.

Alloa beat Queen of the South 1-0 with a goal from Alistair Roy just after the hour.

In League Two, Joe McKee’s late goal gave leaders Peterhead a 3-2 win over Stranraer.

Second-placed Dumbarton won 1-0 at East Fife with an early strike from Kalvin Orsi.

Matthew Aitken struck twice in the space of three minutes midway through the second half as Stenhousemuir battled to a 3-2 win over Spartans at Ochilview Park.

Elgin City climbed off the bottom with a 2-0 win over Bonnyrigg Rose, with goals either side of half-time from Rory MacEwan and Connal Ewan.

Clyde dropped to the foot of the table after a 1-1 draw at Forfar.

Connor Young put the Bully Wee ahead in the 71st minute which looked enough for a crucial win, only for Stuart Morrison to score an 89th-minute equaliser.

Jamie Reid scored the only goal of the game but Stevenage’s 1-0 win at Wycombe was overshadowed by serious injuries to two home players.

An aerial challenge between Boro captain Carl Piergianni and Wycombe forward Brandon Hanlan resulted in the latter being stretchered off with a shoulder injury.

The delay saw 14 minutes of additional time in the first half, during which Wanderers hit the crossbar after a Luke Leahy free-kick was flicked towards his own goal by Piergianni.

Max Stryjek was then forced into a low save from an Alex MacDonald effort before Kane Hemmings’ low cross was stabbed home by Reid in the final minute of stoppage time for his 13th of the season and fourth in as many games.

Wycombe huffed and puffed to find an equaliser as Tjay De Barr headed wide while David Wheeler smashed the bar with a first-time drive.

And with 10 minutes to go, the game entered another lengthy stoppage as Leahy received medical assistance before going off on a stretcher.

Stevenage saw out the remainder of the game to stay in the play-off places as Wycombe dropped to 12th.

Conor McGrandles scored a stoppage-time equaliser to earn Charlton a 2-2 draw at League One leaders Portsmouth in a pulsating game at Fratton Park.

Abu Kamara put Pompey ahead at the break and, after Alfie May levelled in the 71st minute, Colby Bishop quickly restored the lead from the spot.

But McGrandles struck in the third minute of added time to earn the Addicks a point.

Pompey’s early bombardment bore little fruit, with just an Alex Robertson effort to show for it.

Charlton grew more into the game and could have gone ahead with efforts from Miles Leaburn and May.

But in the 32nd minute Kamara fired beyond Ashley Maynard-Brewer from 20 yards to put Pompey ahead after a half-cleared corner.

Pompey were close to a second in the 57th minute when a Bishop header was pushed brilliantly over the crossbar by Maynard-Brewer.

Kamara and Bishop both hit the bar before Charlton equalised when May drove a shot between Will Norris’ legs.

Pompey regained the lead with a 76th-minute penalty after Maynard-Brewer clattered into Paddy Lane and Bishop scored the spot-kick.

But Charlton refused to lay down and McGrandles headed home to salvage a point.

Ipswich returned to winning ways and moved level on points with Championship leaders Leicester after coming from a goal down to beat Swansea 3-2.

Town, who had been held to back to back league draws after their Carabao Cup exit, fell behind after just seven minutes when Jay Fulton’s header found the back of the net.

But Jack Taylor’s wonderful long-range strike drew the teams level after 17 minutes, Conor Chaplin put them ahead five minutes later and George Hirst converted a second-half penalty.

Swansea’s Liam Cullen was sent off after receiving a second yellow card midway through the second half but the visitors still managed to pull one back through Jamal Lowe.

But Town held on for a victory that moved them level on points with the Foxes, who lost 1-0 at Middlesbrough.

Swansea took the lead when a free-kick by skipper Matt Grimes found Lowe and his cross was headed home by Fulton.

But Town struck back when Taylor, making his first home league start, rifled the ball into the net from 25 yards to record his first league goal for the Town.

Chaplin put Ipswich in front in the 22nd minute when he linked up with Hirst before squeezing the ball inside the near post.

Almost every outfield player was involved in a melee during a flashpoint in the game which resulted in referee Sunny Singh Gill, officiating in only his second Championship game, booking Chaplin and Wales international Cullen.

Town missed a wonderful opportunity to extend their lead after 36 minutes when Omari Hutchinson found space on the right and with just Carl Rushworth to beat crossed the ball just in front of a sliding and unmarked Nathan Broadhead.

Rushworth came to Swansea’s rescue just before the break when he palmed away a shot from Hirst and Grimes appeared to foul Taylor in the penalty area but the referee turned away strong appeals for a spot-kick.

Harrison Clarke had an effort disallowed following a corner by Leif Davis but Ipswich did extend their lead in the 53rd minute.

Cullen was adjudged to have been grappled by Newcastle loanee Harrison Ashby in the box and up stepped Hirst who fired past Rushworth to give the Town a deserved 3-1 lead.

Cullen was given his marching orders in the 69th minute after he fouled Davis just outside the penalty area but Chaplin’s free-kick went narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

As the game drew to a close, Swansea head coach Michael Duff was given a yellow card and Vaclav Hladky made his first save of the match from Lowe before the Swansea forward pulled a goal back in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

David Wotherspoon scored twice as in-form Inverness moved out of the Scottish Championship relegation spots with a 3-1 win over play-off chasing Ayr.

Wotherspoon opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a close-range finish after Nathan Shaw’s effort fell into his path.

The forward added a second 11 minutes later with a deflected effort, taking his goal tally to three in as many games, before Billy McKay converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Charlie Gilmour was fouled in the box by Paddy Reading.

Ayr pulled a goal back in the 60th minute courtesy of Jamie Murphy’s penalty following a foul on Ahkeem Rose, but could not prevent Inverness from extending their unbeaten run to five matches.

Ross Millen came back to haunt former club Queen’s Park with a late winner as 10-man Raith edged a topsy-turvy 3-2 Scottish Championship match at Hampden Park.

Lewis Vaughan broke the deadlock for the visitors six minutes before the break as he slotted Aidan Connolly’s assist into the bottom corner.

Just after the hour mark, Euan Murray was sent off for Raith for a foul on Ruari Paton.

With 20 minutes remaining, Queen’s Park made their advantage count as they equalised through Jack Turner’s fifth goal of the season in all competitions and – four minutes later – the hosts turned things around thanks to Paton’s close-range strike.

But Raith hit back with two late goals from Jack Hamilton and former Spiders defender Millen to steal maximum points.

Joe Edwards enjoyed an impressive start to life as Millwall manager as his side hammered Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 at Hillsborough.

Goals from Murray Wallace, George Saville, Wes Harding and Brooke Norton-Cuffy gave the Lions a convincing victory in Edwards’ first game at the club, while Wednesday’s miserable Championship campaign continues.

Wednesday manager Danny Rohl made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 at Bristol City last weekend, with Marvin Johnson and Ashley Fletcher coming in.

Edwards made just one switch from the side that lost at home to Southampton, with Ryan Longman joining the starting XI.

Wednesday’s best chance of the first half came when skipper Barry Bannan played in Anthony Musaba but he lost his composure and blazed well over the bar.

Millwall took the lead after 31 minutes. George Honeyman whipped in a corner from the left and Wednesday were nowhere to be seen, leaving Wallace completely unmarked for the defender to place a bullet header into the net.

Saville then doubled the advantage three minutes before the interval with a terrific effort from range. Cameron Dawson was at full stretch but the ball curled beautifully away from the Wednesday keeper.

Wednesday made a trio of changes after the break, with Jeff Hendrick and Josh Windass brought on and Bailey Cadamarteri making his first league appearance for the club to try and get the Owls back in the game, but the away side’s dominance continued.

Millwall added their third in the 52nd minute when Dawson spilled a cross and Harding was there to tap in from close range.

Owls fans were further frustrated when Windass had a penalty claim dismissed for an apparent handball in the Millwall penalty area.

Cadamarteri and Callum Paterson both had chances to get one back for Wednesday but Bartosz Bialkowski was there to save on both occasions.

Norton-Cuffy added further shine to the scoreline in the 72nd minute, driving in from the right and finishing calmly into the bottom corner. The home fans headed for the exits while the Millwall supporters were bouncing.

Victory sees Millwall move up the table to 15th but Wednesday remain rooted to the bottom of the table, Rohl with four losses out of his first five games at the club.

St Johnstone moved off the foot of the cinch Premiership table with a priceless 1-0 victory over Ross County at McDiarmid Park.

Graham Carey’s brilliant strike following a fantastic team move clinched Saints’ second win of the season and made it seven points from their last three league encounters.

Craig Levein’s side moved up into 10th place, a point ahead of County who now find themselves in the play-off position – while Livingston have dropped to bottom spot on goal difference.

Levein made one change to the side that were pegged back against Motherwell in midweek, James Brown returning to the starting eleven to replace Sven Sprangler.

Will Nightingale and Ben Purrington returned to the County defence in the place of the suspended James Brown and George Harmon, who began the game on the bench.

A tepid first half brought little in the way of entertainment, with neither side able to enjoy a sustained spell of possession.

The visitors had a penalty claim waved away after eight minutes when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Matt Smith.

It took until just before the half-hour mark for the first effort on goal, Carey skewing a low drive past the post.

Saints goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov had virtually been a spectator during the opening 42 minutes, though he was eventually worked when he comfortably held Scott Allardice’s shot from just outside the box – the first attempt on target of the game.

County boss Malky Mackay replaced Victor Loturi with Kyle Turner at the break in an attempt to inject some much-needed attacking spark into his team.

It was St Johnstone who began the second half the brighter of the two though, passing up two good opportunities within the space of a minute.

Nicky Clark’s overhead kick beat Ross Laidlaw before cannoning back off the crossbar prior to Carey being denied by the legs of the Staggies keeper.

The game was showing signs of opening up, and a swift break by the away side led to a good opportunity for Yan Dhanda who blazed over from a promising position.

Saints were dealt a blow on 62 minutes when Clark limped off after sustaining what appeared to be a calf injury, forcing Levein to introduce Stevie May in place of the in-form striker who had scored three goals in his last three appearances.

The opening goal arrived with 19 minutes remaining. Luke Robinson’s charging run led to May finding Carey on the edge of the box, and the midfielder curled a wonderful effort beyond the helpless visiting keeper.

May should have put the game out of sight after 85 minutes when he linked with Daniel Phillips, but he fired his effort straight at the County keeper.

The home supporters erupted on the final whistle, as they had the opportunity to savour three points that could prove to be very significant come the end of the season.

Everton beat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park as Idrissa Gueye’s goal four minutes from time capped a superb away performance from Sean Dyche’s team.

Palace twice came from behind, with Eberechi Eze’s penalty quickly cancelling out Vitalii Mykolenko’s early opener and Odsonne Edouard capitalising on a howler from James Tarkowski to level up after Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal.

But they had no answer a third time after Gueye kept his cool to seal victory and propel his side to consecutive away wins.

It all came after an electric start. Palace failed to clear their lines as Mykolenko’s shot was blocked, and as the ball broke wide on the right the Ukrainian found space inside the box and climbed highest to nod Jack Harrison’s cross past Sam Johnstone after just 55 seconds.

Palace fans may have been stunned but their team quickly hit back.

Within three minutes they were level, and it was Eze, back in the side after a hamstring injury, who danced into Everton’s box and drew a foul from Jarrad Branthwaite.

VAR checked and saw no reason to overturn referee Sam Barrott’s penalty award, leaving the Eze the task of calmly rolling the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Selhurst Park howled for a second spot-kick when Eze again went down under apparent pressure inside the box. This time the referee deemed the forward had dived, and rather than a penalty, a yellow card was Eze’s reward.

Edouard forced Pickford into a save low to his right in added time at the end of the half in what was a rare instance of attacking threat from the home team.

Everton had won three of their previous six in the league, and after the frustration of failing to hold on to their early lead they began the second half in similarly urgent fashion.

A corner from the visitors’ right was cleared only to the edge of the box, where Amadou Onana scooped the ball square to Mykolenko. For the second time in the game he was given too much time to line up an effort on goal, and as his volley cannoned back off a post there was Doucoure unmarked to tap home.

The advantage looked fragile. On the hour mark, Mykolenko and Gueye almost produced a comical own-goal, getting in one another’s way as Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross dropped into the box and they required Pickford’s fingertips to keep them from bundling the ball over their own goal line.

Edouard was growing as a threat and with 25 minutes to go he handed Jefferson Lerma a golden chance to level, coming inside from the left of the box and cutting the ball back, only for Lerma, free on the edge of the box, to fire wide.

Michael Oliseh came off the bench for his first appearance of the season and drew a roar of anticipation from around Selhurst Park with a shot from 20 yards that deflected narrowly over.

Palace were by now dominant, and their second equaliser came courtesy of a defensive calamity. A high, headed ball into the box looked an easy mop-up job for Tarkowski, but rather than nod it clear he left the ball for his goalkeeper, and in stole Edouard to tap home.

Still Palace could not hold on to their point, and Everton roared back at them once more with four minutes to go, this time decisively.

Doucoure received the ball in midfield and looked up to see Gueye racing through the centre. Doucoure’s pass was weighted expertly and Gueye needed barely to break stride as he evaded Tyrick Mitchell’s lunging challenge and guided it beyond Johnstone.