Championship (England)

Second-placed Ipswich’s 2-2 draw at Norwich in the early kick-off had presented Leeds with the chance to close the gap on the Championship’s automatic promotion places.

Farke said: “My feelings are disappointment and frustration. When you win a point at this level it is always valuable, but it was a case of two points lost.

“We should have won, and we should have got three points. I want us to feel this frustration and not talk too much about the game.

“It was clear Coventry put everyone who could defend on the team sheet. It was clear they would sit very deep, and we would need to be patient.

“We created several good chances in the first half, but we could have done a little bit more.”

Farke felt his side were made to pay for missed chances and for failing to deal with a Coventry counterattack which led to their goal.

He said: “The problem is we didn’t bury the game. We had players behind the ball but allowed the cross to come in.

“There was one cross we had to deal with in the whole game and we didn’t deal with it. We should have defended the situation much better.

“I was pleased with the reaction of my lads when you get such a sucker punch. The amount of chances we missed late in the game was unbelievable.”

Leeds finally took the lead after nearly an hour as Crysencio Summerville curled a shot past the dive of Brad Collins.

Ethan Ampadu had fed Georginio Rutter and his clever touch and pass found Summerville who shot home from the corner of the six-yard box.

Coventry earned a point through a towering header by Bobby Thomas and could have won it had substitute Callum O’Hare connected with a low cross into the Leeds area shortly after.

Leeds pressed for a late winner, but Collins twice denied Rutter before Dan James hooked the ball wide of goal from a chance he should have done better with.

Coventry’s Mark Robins praised his players for their ‘brilliant’ performance.

The Coventry boss said his squad had shown their determination following a draw against Southampton on Wednesday.

He said of Leeds: “They’ve just got unbelievable talent. When you tire because of the squad difference that is why it was a brilliant performance.

“It was a difficult week for us when we haven’t got the depth of squad others have.

“It was a great performance. They have got a squad who have got a wealth of talent.

“We were lucky because the crowd travel in big numbers, they are noisy and get behind us. The amount of energy they have had to expend over the two games.”

Robins was disappointed his side had not punished Leeds for failing to take their chances.

He said: “I am disappointed because of the chances we missed at the end we could have gone and won it. We always carried a threat so that was really pleasing for me. When you come to a place that nobody pays too much attention to Coventry.

“If we could have taken one of the chances we had on the counterattack.”

High-fliers Leeds lost the opportunity to grab any points on the road after keeper Illan Meslier was shown a red early after the break for pushing Preston striker Milutin Osmajic in the face.

With the Montenegro international rolling around on the floor, referee Josh Smith went straight to his top pocket for the red card before Alan Browne put the home side ahead two minutes later.

Following the game, Farke questioned the severity of the incident due Osmajic’s reaction.

“It’s disappointing because the second player [Osmajic] really has nothing to do with it,” he said.

“He’s come in and tried to provoke Illan then he goes and rolls around 10 times.

“Maybe the referee should sense what was really happening there. Maybe a yellow card would have been a fairer outcome.

“Having said that I can’t complain because we’ve gone and lost to a Preston team who have worked and fought so hard.

“We were a bit lazy in certain moments, but sometimes this does happen after we had been praised so much during the week.”

With just 10 men, Leeds bounced back with an equaliser in the 83rd minute, Dan James tripped by Ali McCann in the box, leaving Pascal Struijk to slot home from the spot to make it 1-1.

The game was not level for long, before Liam Millar’s heroics pushed Preston ahead once more in a storming run that caught Farke’s team off guard.

“We didn’t create nearly enough chances, and then in the second half early, we have the key moment with the red card,” added Farke.

“We produced a great reaction after that, the lads were brave and we got ourselves an equaliser that I felt we deserved. We then allow Preston to make it 2-1 though.

“Millar has been allowed to run 40 yards at us and then he’s got himself a dream goal.”

Preston manager Ryan Lowe was pleased with his team’s change in attitude and performance after a tough few weeks.

With Browne and Miller linking up on several occasion and both finding the back of the net, Lowe’s side provided some bite, including a brilliant first half, in a tough Boxing Day battle.

“The lads were excellent today, both with and without the ball,” he said.

“They were fantastic, they acquitted themselves brilliantly from start to finish.

“I thought we were the better team in the first half – we had that edge about us. Then in the second half after the red card we knew we’d have to be dogged and resolute.

“Of course, the game changed a bit after the red card, but we kept going and in the end we’ve got a big that win we deserved.

“We’ve all been disappointed over recent weeks, but the results we’ve had have definitely not been for the lack of trying.

“I know we might not be blessed with as much quality in our squad as ones like Leeds, but every one of my players shows a never-say-die attitude.”

The Canaries were two goals to the good at the break, with Shane Duffy heading home early on and Gabriel Sara firing in just before the interval.

But Duffy scored at the wrong end to bring Leeds back into it just after the hour mark and a late double from star man Crysencio Summerville turned the match on its head and earned the visitors all three points.

The defeat continued a poor run from the Canaries while it maintained the upward momentum of the visitors, who have now lost just once in 10 Championship games.

It was an action-packed first half with Norwich scoring early and late and Leeds missing a whole host of chances in between.

The Canaries went in front after just four minutes when the first corner of the game from Sara was headed in at the near post by Duffy, with the defender’s first goal for the club owing much to some poor marking from the visitors.

Farke’s side reacted to the early setback in impressive fashion but lacked a killer touch in front of goal.

Summerville curled an effort just wide and Georginio Rutter fired straight at Angus Gunn before three presentable chances were wasted in the space in three minutes midway through the half.

Glen Kamara was off target after playing a neat one-two with Rutter and Joel Piroe also got his angles wrong after being put through by Dan James before Rutter fired another effort wide.

It was by no means all Leeds, however.

City also had their moments after the disruption of losing Gunn to what looked liked a thigh injury, with George Long coming on for his league debut on the half-hour mark.

Their efforts were rewarded on 43 minutes when they stretched their lead.

Onel Hernandez did well to pick out Sara in a crowded area after a burst down the left and the Brazilian midfielder muscled his way through some weak tackling to blast the ball home.

Leeds continued to press after the break but they needed a slice of good fortune to reduce the arrears on 63 minutes.

James did well to get to the byline after a swift counter-attack and his cross evaded Long before hitting the back-tracking Duffy and trickling over the line.

Illan Meslier did well to tip a curling free-kick from Sara around the post and then parry an effort from Jack Stacey as Norwich sought to restore their two-goal advantage.

But Leeds kept pushing and got a deserved equaliser on 77 minutes.

Norwich left Summerville unmarked on the edge of the box at a corner and were punished as the Dutchman fired home in impressive fashion, with his looping shot going in off the far post.

Leeds completed a dramatic turnaround as Summerville scored his second eight minutes later after Norwich had been caught short at the back when pushing forward.

Summerville had a clear run at goal from inside his own half and made the most of it as he powered forward before cutting inside and burying a low shot past the exposed Long.

Skipper Pascal Struijk’s early header, Leif Davis’s own goal against his former club and Crysencio Summerville’s penalty put Leeds 3-0 up at half-time.

Farke’s side kept the hammer down after the break to the delight of a raucous Elland Road crowd as Joel Piroe added a fourth, while the Dutch forward and team-mate Georginio Rutter both saw shots hit the crossbar.

It was a statement win for Leeds as they closed the gap on second-placed Ipswich to seven points and extended their unbeaten home run this season to 12 matches.

Farke said: “To win three points is always priceless. That’s the most important thing. It was good also for our goal difference.

“And yes, if you win in such a manner against one of the best sides in this league, then it’s also good for the confidence and a big boost for the mood.

“But nothing major has changed. It’s not like right now we are sitting top of the table.

“Ipswich are still in a really good position and it’s important also that we protect our position because we can expect the teams around us to pick up many points and we have to keep going.”

Ipswich were bidding to extend their advantage over Leeds to 13 points, but were overrun and outclassed in just their third league defeat this season.

“When you deliver such a performance in such a spotlight game it also sends a bit of a message out, but it’s not more than three points,” Farke added.

“It’s not possible in a game of football to put in a perfect performance, but I will say it’s probably our most mature performance of the season.

“We played one of the top sides of this level and we were all over them. We fully deserved a 4-0 win.”

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who guided the club to promotion in May, suffered his first defeat by more than two goals in two seasons as their manager.

“Of course it was a disappointing game that didn’t got the way we wanted it to go,” he said.

“It certainly wasn’t an enjoyable experience, but over the course of a long season you’re going to have days that don’t go your way and today was one of them.

“We’ll learn from it and move on really, really quickly.”

Ipswich, who went close through Conor Chaplin’s shot, which skimmed a post, and Nathan Broadhead in the first-half, must regroup in time for the visit of leaders Leicester on Boxing Day, while Leeds play at Preston.

Georginio Rutter’s 57th-minute goal was enough to make sure Leeds closed in on Ipswich in second place, and condemn Leicester to their second home defeat of the season.

Farke praised an impressive display from Leeds, who took the game to Leicester early on and produced what was a statement win at the King Power Stadium.

“We were brave and went for it with courage as a side who have been unbeaten for so long,” said the Leeds manager.

“It was a complex performance on the field, but we stayed disciplined and kept them to areas where they couldn’t hurt us. I believed in my players and that they could dominate the game.

“You could see the goal coming in the second half, it was a deserved win, we had the better chances.

“The only thing Georginio needed to improve was his goal tally. This was a decisive goal and a sign of quality.”

Farke highlighted the fact that Leeds’ players celebrated with goalkeeper Illan Meslier after the game.

The Frenchman produced a superb save to keep out a stoppage-time header from Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

“If you want to achieve something special, you need unity,” added the German coach. “That is why the players celebrated Illan’s save. He is a diamond, if he continues to produce performances like this we are definitely on the right path, I think he is the best keeper in the league.

“I also felt that Glen Kamara had his best game in a white shirt.

“For us at the moment, the table is not important. Whatever the outcome here, everything would be possible for both sides. But it was a massive three points for us, a great boost. It was a good night for us.

“But Leicester are such a good side, I’m sure at the end of the season they’ll be in a top position.”

Farke admitted he was “disappointed” to be shown a yellow card for protesting against referee Dean Whitestone’s decision to wave away appeals after Crysencio Summerville went down under pressure from Ricardo Pereira.

“It was only my second yellow card in over 200 games in English football,” he said. “I was a bit disappointed, for me it was definitely a foul. Was it a penalty or a free-kick and a red card.  He didn’t whistle anything, it was a decisive moment.”

Leicester had been aiming for a  10th successive win, but they remain 11 points clear of Leeds in third spot.

Abdul Fatawu hit the crossbar in the first half, but Leicester managed only one effort on target during the game.

“I’m happy with the performance, we expected this match in terms of intensity,” said Leicester manager Enzo Maresca.

“They are a very good team, dangerous and good technically. We cannot win all the games. Overall I am happy, defeat is part of the process. It’s a case of what we can do better, and for sure, we can do some things better.

“I felt we deserved something more from the game.”

Maresca said he felt that, while Leeds took the three points, it had been Sunderland in the previous home game that had offered more in the way of tempo.

“Sunderland were more aggressive and more consistent,” said the Italian. “They started in minute one and finished in minute 95.

“Leeds started with intensity in the first half, and they dropped in the last minutes. We were in control for the last half hour. For me, the team that showed more intensity was Sunderland.”

Three second-half goals from Marvin Johnson, Djeidi Gassama and Josh Windass saw the Owls past their Yorkshire rivals, who had Tyler Morton dismissed in the first half.

Scott Twine’s goal from the penalty spot – with 14 minutes remaining – proved to be no more than a consolation.

Rohl said: “This was a great game between two teams that want to play football on the front foot.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to play against 10 men but today we did really well. We scored some fantastic goals.

“The key in the second half was to have a good counter press and the players did it really well.

“We have worked very hard in the last weeks and months. Our strength at the moment is our mentality; we are always pushing forward and we have to keep going.

“I still have ideas on where we can improve our game. It’s hard in this league. Nothing is handed to you and it will be a tough second half of the season.

“I was convinced if we stuck to our process, we could close the gap. We are close but we’re still not over the line and we’ve got some tough challenges ahead.

“It was a big opportunity for us to gain points on teams around us today and we did it. We have played really well against a team near the top of the table. It’s a good start to the year.”

Hull boss Liam Rosenior gave an honest assessment of the game and took a share of the blame for his side’s defeat.

Rosenior said: “I feel the red card is harsh. Being a referee is a difficult job and I can sympathise with him as it’s a Yorkshire derby. It changed the game for us.

“I’m a young coach and I’m still learning. We wanted to win the game even with 10 men but I think I might have got it wrong in the way I set us up to try and do that.

“Even before the red card, I think Sheffield Wednesday were better than us. They had more energy and were better on the ball.

“We didn’t start the game in our normal way. We made mistakes and we were mentally tired, it’s been a busy period and maybe I should have rotated the team.

“Wednesday are on good form but in the Championship, you’ve got to beat teams who are in good form if you want to do well.

“It’s disappointing to lose the game but in terms of the overall picture, we’re still in a very good position. We move on to the next one.”

The German head coach started work with the Terriers on Tuesday after being unveiled as Darren Moore’s permanent replacement the previous week, and had acknowledged at his first press conference that the relegation-threatened club were in a “dangerous” position.

Valerien Ismael’s Watford were meanwhile without a Championship win in six at Vicarage Road and desperate to generate some momentum for the final stretch of the season to prevent their faint play-off hopes from ebbing away altogether.

Huddersfield had the better of the early going, with Delano Burgzorg and Josh Koroma both unleashing goalward efforts that needed deflecting wide – and only very narrowly, in Burgzorg’s case.

Ismael evidently shared the fans’ extremely vocal frustration at his side’s inability to get out of their own half in the face of a tenacious high press, and made his first pair of substitutions as early as the 27th minute with Edo Kayembe and Ismael Kone hauled off for Giorgi Chakvetadze and former Huddersfield man Tom Ince.

That produced the desired improvement in his side’s play, and they mustered their first shot on goal just after the half-hour as Mattie Pollock headed wide from a Ken Sema corner.

Yaser Asprilla’s fabulous through ball later gave Ince the most clear-cut chance of the first half, but Lee Nicholls was equal to his first-time strike on goal.

The goalkeeper had no chance the next time Watford threatened up the right, however, with Asprilla getting the better of Brodie Spencer to get into the box before squaring for Dennis to fire Watford ahead – virtually his last action of the game as he went off injured moments later.

Watford should have put the game to bed twice within a few minutes of that opener, but neither Mileta Rajovic nor Ince capitalised on very presentable openings produced from left-wing crosses.

Huddersfield punished that by showing them how it was done in the 71st minute, with centre-back Yuta Nakayama getting forward to cross for substitute Ward to head past former team-mate Ben Hamer, despite the goalkeeper getting a touch.

Both sides wasted chances to go ahead with the score at 1-1, with Burgzorg failing to find an unmarked Ben Wiles at the end of a Huddersfield counter-attack and Ince again shooting off-target for Watford from Sema’s cross.

But Ward showed great instincts once again to finally decide the game seven minutes from time, reacting fastest to get to Tom Edwards’ low cross and flick into the far bottom corner.

But the former Sheffield Wednesday manager still wants more from his side, despite ending a five-game winless run with victory.

A six-minute double from Kian Harratt and Jack Rudoni did the damage for the hosts.

Jake Clarke-Salter pulled one back with his first QPR goal, but the Terriers held on for a vital three points.

“First and foremost I’m delighted with the three points,” said Moore. “I’m pleased we were able to get the three points in front of the home fans.

“We set off so well and scored two perfect goals, but then it was like we pressed the pause button.

“I commend the players for staying resolute though. And can I just say Michal (Helik), Matty (Pearson) and (Tom Lees) Leesy are proper centre-backs.

“It was top drawer defending from Michal to make that goal-line clearance in the second half.

“We now have a lot of work to do on how we maintain that pressure from the first 20 minutes.

“I thought the substitutes that came on the pitch gave us good energy to maintain things too.

“There’s a lot for us to learn, but I have to take the positives from a win like that.”

The Hoops are languishing in the Championship relegation zone after a fourth defeat in a row.

They have gone seven games without a win and boss Gareth Ainsworth said: “We were too sloppy at the start of the game. We started the game like we knew Huddersfield would score before we kicked ourselves into action.

“At 2-0 down you give yourself a mountain to climb. We almost climbed it.

“There’s a saying in football that it’s about both boxes, it doesn’t matter how good you are outside of the boxes.

“Huddersfield were better in our box than we were in their box. We weren’t clinical enough or got the final touch to rescue a point or maybe get three.

“I truly thought we were the better team second half, but it came to nothing.

“The start was unexpected, sometimes it goes that way. Some teams in this league will be better than us man-for-man, but that wasn’t the case.

“We made it too easy for them. I’m missing a few crucial names, but I’ve got a good squad and we need to be better than that.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll finish above the line, but it will be a tough season without a doubt.

“I don’t know what the stats are in the Championship for winning from 2-0 down, but I’m sure it’s a crazy stat.

“But we need to react quickly. We need to dust ourselves off because we can’t feel sorry for us.

“Things just aren’t going for us at the minute but we’ll go on a good run soon – we’re on a bad run at the moment but it will come. We can go to West Brom and turn them over, definitely.”

Moore left Hillsborough on Monday just three weeks after guiding Wednesday back into the Championship via the play-offs after a two-year absence.

The club said the 49-year-old left by mutual consent but reports have hinted at tension between the chairman and former manager over a lack of backing in the January transfer window.

Wednesday were second at the start of the month and unbeaten since early October, but made only one addition during the window – defender Aden Flint arrived on loan from Stoke – despite Moore’s desire for reinforcements.

A six-game winless run in March and April saw them fall away and miss out on automatic promotion.

Responding via the club’s website to questions put forward by supporters, Chansiri said: “Let me make it clear that Darren’s departure had nothing to do with our recruitment process.

“That applies to the January transfer window and the process we will follow in the summer window. It was also nothing to do with budgets for the season ahead.

“Regarding January, the recruitment team – which the manager has always been a part of since I was here – identified targets.

“My belief was that we had a Championship squad playing in League One but of course if the manager wishes to add to the squad, I offer my full support as much as I can, which has always been the case.

“Our main recruitment drive was last summer and I believe the squad was good enough for promotion.”

Wednesday made 10 permanent first-team signings and brought in three loan players following the completion of the 2021-22 season, after their bid to escape League One at the first attempt was ended by Sunderland in the play-off semi-final.

Those memories were banished by a stunning fightback at the same stage in May as they recovered from a 4-0 first-leg defeat to Peterborough to reach the final, before Josh Windass struck in added time at the end of extra time to defeat Barnsley at Wembley.

Chansiri hinted at undisclosed reasons for Moore’s abrupt departure.

“I was asked the question on Tuesday – ‘do you think fans would agree with Darren leaving if I clarified more?’ I said some fans may, some may not, it would depend on personal opinion.

“I said I do not like to talk too much about personal situations and I stand by that. The only thing I can add is that if I revealed the reasons, I am sure the majority would agree why we mutually agreed to go our separate ways.”

The chairman said he hoped to have a manager in place by the time the squad returns for pre-season training but added that the appointment “will not be rushed”.

Wednesday will bring the curtain up on the Championship season at home to Southampton on the evening of Friday August 4.

Michal Helik’s dramatic added-time qualiser cancelled out Yasin Ayari’s opener and ensured Moore’s managerial return did not end in a Sky Bet Championship defeat.

“It’s been an incredible few days getting into the club and working with the boys,” said Moore, who left Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

“They have taken a lot of information on over the past couple of days. The fighting spirit was incredible and they got their just rewards and something out of the game at the end.

“I’m really pleased with the boys and their second-half performance. I’ve seen enough there and there’s enough quality in the team to get more out of the players and I’ll look forward to working with the boys over the next couple of weeks.

“Once we grew into the game we had to throw caution to the wind and change things up. I thought the boys did that themselves by the way they controlled large parts of the second half and gave themselves confidence.

“Come the end we had to go all out to try and get something out of the game and I’m pleased we fashioned a really good chance and took it.”

The 49-year-old continued: “I’m pleased for the travelling away support that they’ve gone back up north with something to get hold of – and hopefully (there are) encouraging signs from the team.

“I’m looking forward to my first home game in charge against Ipswich. I’m looking forward to being back in front of the home fans.”

Mark Robins was frustrated after seeing his side – play-off finalists last season – concede late for a third successive game.

It means they have dropped nine points from winning positions, the most in the Championship, this season.

Robins said: “It’s so frustrating but you have to dust yourselves down and get on with it.

“We could have won every game we’ve played in, but we’re sitting here talking about eight points in eight games. It will turn around, but it’s painful getting there.

“It [conceding late] can start to become a thing. It’s about taking control of those situations.

“I think if you let your heart rule your head at times because you know that’s been the case and you know we’re within touching distance of winning the game, the game can kick you in the teeth if you make mistakes.

“They had bodies and a weight of numbers in their favour, but we have to do better. The defending wasn’t good enough.

“You can’t get that momentum if you lose some of your players. It’s not an excuse. We’ve got a small squad with some key individuals out. It’s going to take some time.”

Quick-fire goals from Kian Harratt and Jack Rudoni in the first half did the damage at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Jake Clarke-Salter’s first goal for the club proved to be a mere consolation as the visitors slumped to a painful fourth defeat on the spin.

And the pressure is mounting on boss Gareth Ainsworth, with the club languishing in the Championship relegation zone, four points from safety.

QPR are in the midst of a sorry seven-game winless run after their defeat.

They had the majority of the ball as Town went into their shell after going two goals to the good but they failed to make it count as the resolute Terriers battled to a welcome three points.

Victory ended a five-game winless run – which included just one defeat – as Moore finally earned that elusive first win.

After replacing Neil Warnock in mid-September, Moore was pleased the international break came when it did to give him time with his new squad and he reaped those rewards as they moved to 18th, six points clear of the Hoops.

The Terriers made a fast start as their frightening six-minute burst fired them two goals ahead inside the first 15 minutes.

Moore’s charges made the perfect start as Harratt bagged his first league goal since April in the eighth minute.

It was a super break from the on-song hosts which was finished off as Rudoni squared the ball for unmarked Harratt to slot home beyond hapless Asmir Begovic.

And it was two within the blink of the eye as QPR were left dumbfounded again. It was another brilliant one-touch team move as influential Sorba Thomas freed up Rudoni for a fine first-time finish, his third goal of the campaign.

Incensed Ainsworth geed up his shell-shocked charges and they started to find their feet.

Republic of Ireland international Sinclair Armstrong went closest for the visitors as his effort was well blocked by Huddersfield.

And Ainsworth’s side pulled some momentum back on the stroke of half-time as Clarke-Salter dragged them back into the game with a 43rd-minute effort.

After the break, Delano Burgzorg was booked for simulation when he went down inside the Hoops’ box.

Down the other end, Michal Helik produced an heroic clearance to deny Ilias Chair a certain goal on the line and Town soaked up the pressure as they held on for a vital three points.

Yuta Nakayama could have sealed it, but Begovic kept out his late free-kick and QPR could not find the key to unlock the door to salvage a dramatic late point.

With Hull and West Brom’s drawing earlier in the day, the Canaries had the opportunity to close to within a point of the play-off places and looked on course to do so after their early superiority was reflected in Marcelino Nunez’s 22nd-minute opener – his first goal of the season.

They could not turn the screw, though, and Blackburn fought back, deservedly equalising through Dominic Hyam’s first goal in 17 months in the 56th minute.

Norwich have lost just once in their last nine outings and are a place and three points behind sixth-placed Hull, and although Wagner felt his side deserved the victory, he was frustrated at the nature of the equaliser.

He said: “Offensively we played some good football, played from our structure, created enough to score more than only one goal.

“Defensively, we put a shift in, we worked hard. Yes we gave one other opportunity away but in general I think it was a good away performance.

“I’m frustrated at the result to be totally honest, not to win this game after the opportunities which we created, after we got the lead.

“To concede off a set piece, off the corner, this is what frustrates a little bit, but at the end of the day the performance was good.

“We have to be focused on the performances because in recent weeks, the players have performed on a very good level.

“Nothing is decided today. We have a lot of games to play, a lot of points to collect. This game is gone, we got a point, we should have got three.”

Since changing head coach Blackburn have stemmed the tide of defeats and have lost just once in five.

Sam Gallagher was denied three times in the first half before Hyam’s equaliser.

Rovers are four points clear of danger, but John Eustace focused on the team’s “character and commitment” to fight back.

He said: “I thought it was a very good performance.

“We were up against one of the top teams in the league at the moment. They’re in a good run of form.

“I thought we created some really good chances in the first half, showed great character to come back in the second half and equalise, which I think is the first time this season at home we’ve managed to do that.

“We’re making small steps forward and I was pleased with the point in the end. I’d have loved three points of course, but again, I thought the lads showed great commitment and character to come from behind.

“To win a game or to stay in games, you have to show that level of commitment and be very difficult to play against. You have to earn the right to play.

“I thought our football at times today was very good. We created two or three fantastic chances from some really good moves.

“It’s about being patient and you can see us growing as a group.”

Jonathan Rowe scored for the fourth successive game to give the Canaries a first-half lead before Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes struck early in the second period.

Millwall substitute Aidomo Emakhu pulled one back in added time but Norwich were worthy winners as they extended their unbeaten start to the campaign.

“I am very pleased with the performance,” Wagner said. “We created many opportunities, scored some good goals and could have scored more.

“We were also solid at the back and showed the sort of fight you always have to have against a side like Millwall.

“I had a feeling in pre-season that we had got something going here and we have now carried that on into the season proper.

“We have performed well so far and although it is only early days we have given ourselves a good platform to build on. Now we need to keep that going in the three matches we have before the international break.”

The former Huddersfield boss was full of praise for Barnes, who opened his Norwich account by netting his 100th goal as a professional.

Wagner added: “The goals speak for themselves with Ashley but he is also very good defensively and works his socks off for the team. I love working with him, he is a good pro and a great guy as well.”

A big travelling contingent made their discontent with manager Gary Rowett clear during and after the game.

And the Millwall boss admitted the abuse had been tough to take.

“To be fair if you are a fan you spend a lot of time and money on following your club and you can say what you want,” Rowett said.

“I understand they were frustrated with a poor performance but as a human being what they were saying about me is something I found disappointing and hurtful.

“No-one likes to hear things like that said about them but I have to take it on the chin, and I suppose I would prefer them to take it out on me rather than the players.

“We need a reaction from everyone, myself and my staff included, and have to work hard to turn this around. We had a great start at Middlesbrough but since then we have had three poor defeats.

“I can take getting outplayed by Norwich, because they are a good side who will be up there at the end of the season, but I can’t take getting out-fought and out worked. I was very disappointed with the way we played today.”

Second-half goals from Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz saw the hosts stay on the fringes of the top-six battle.

Callum O’Hare had given the Sky Blues the lead shortly after the break before they finished the game with 10 men after Liam Kitching was sent off.

Wagner said: “I thought it was a fantastic afternoon, both with the result and the performance which I also thought was top class, especially in the first half.

“We didn’t get the goal we deserved and then went behind early in the second half with a goal that was avoidable from our point of view.

“But the players reacted well and to come back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 against a top side like Coventry is a fantastic achievement.

“It was good the players from the bench made an impact and that’s how it should be. We have a competitive group so when we lose our top scorer (Jon Rowe who missed the game with a hand injury) we can cope.

“It’s another good step in the right direction and we now look forward to the next challenge at QPR next Saturday.”

Norwich’s scorers both picked up injuries in the early part of the season but now appear to be back to something nearing their best.

Wagner added: “Borja has shown he can score great goals but he also put in a shift, which was very pleasing.

“Josh has shown what a big miss he was for us for four months – he can’t be at his best yet but he is working hard and I am looking forward to seeing what he can do over the next 16 games.”

After a low-key opening period the game burst into life three minutes into the second period when the visitors took the lead.

Norwich carelessly lost possession on the edge of their box and Victor Torp was able to play in O’Hare, who tricked his way past two defenders before curling the ball past Angus Gunn.

The Canaries responded well and were back on level terms on the hour mark as Sargent rifled home the loose ball after substitute Ashley Barnes’ effort had been blocked.

The Sky Blues were forced to play the final 19 minutes with 10 men following the dismissal of Kitching for bringing down Sargent as the USA international prepared to race into the box – and the home side made the extra man tell.

With six minutes of normal time remaining, Sainz exchanged passes with Barnes on the edge of the area before finding the far corner with a delightful finish to settle a keenly-contested encounter.

Coventry manager Mark Robins felt his side were unlucky to come out of the game empty-handed.

He said: “I can’t help feeling hard done by after that – we played some decent football out there and to come away with nothing was bitterly disappointing.

“There’s no doubt the red card changed the game – at that point I felt we had a good chance to go and win it.

“We were still in it with 10 men but Norwich have a lot of quality and they punished us in the end.

“In the end I think it comes down to taking chances – we scored a good goal and then Haji Wright has had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 and I think it would have been game over then, red card or not.

“The keeper has made a save but he shouldn’t have had that chance. Kasey (Palmer) has also had a great chance at 1-1 but the keeper has saved again.

“It is a disappointing result and we also lose Liam Kitching for a couple of games now as it was his second sending off while Ben Sheaf is out for six-to-eight weeks.

“But we just have to take this on the chin – the games are coming thick and fast now and there are plenty of other good players in the building.”

The Canaries went into the Championship clash on the back of a 6-2 drubbing at Plymouth last weekend, having also lost to Fulham with a much-changed team in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Wagner was impressed with his side’s response to the setback with second-half goals from Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe securing the points.

He said: “It is not a match I like talking about and it was good that we put it to bed.

“The Plymouth defeat showed what can happen when you lose your structure in a game – but I couldn’t be happier with the way we played today.

“We looked in control, we defended well and we created our moments. We scored two excellent goals and after that our game management was really good.

“There is no doubt we got what we deserved – there was a lot of focus out there, a lot of effort and most importantly of all we got the win.

“I think the players learned their lessons from the previous league game – there have been two good performances since then, at Fulham in the cup as well as today, and now it is time to look forward, with a busy spell of games coming up.”

The match was settled by two goals inside five minutes early in the second half.

Sara set the ball rolling for Norwich by heading home a Dimitris Giannoulis cross after 55 minutes and it was 2-0 just before the hour mark when Rowe burst through the middle and fired past the exposed John Ruddy.

Birmingham had their moments, with Jay Stansfield being denied by Angus Gunn just before the opening goal and Koji Miyoshi hitting the crossbar.

But they were second best on the day and have now gone five league games without a win after starting the campaign in impressive fashion.

“It’s frustrating because there have been some excellent performances in that spell,” said manager John Eustace.

“We didn’t deserve to lose at Watford and Preston and should have beaten QPR in our last home game.

“Today we were up against a top team, with top players, who will probably finish in the top two or three this season and that needs to be taken into account.

“We were perhaps a little too passive in the first half but we defended well and then created some good chances and could have gone ahead just before they scored.

“I was very disappointed with the way we defended for their two goals -it was so sloppy and not like us – and it was always tough after that.

“But overall it has been a solid start to the season, with just three defeats in nine games, and we now have two home games coming up which we are looking forward to.”

The Canaries had to battle hard to secure a third straight win at Carrow Road but got their noses in front just before the break through Jack Stacey and then defended well in the second half to secure the points.

Wagner said: “I thought we played a lot of good stuff in the first half, kept going to the end and finally got our reward.

“Then in the second we had to dig in at times to get the result. Sometimes in football players get asked questions, about the need to work hard and put in a shift and they have done that.

“It was a tough game against a strong Stoke side with a lot of good individuals and we have come away with a deserved win.

“The only thing I can complain about is the way we managed the game in the final five minutes when we should have be taking the ball to the corner flag rather than going for a second goal.”

A scrappy match with few highlights was settled by a 44th minute goal from Stacey, his first for the Canaries since signing in the summer from Bournemouth.

The defender was in the right place at the right time to convert from close range after a cross from the right from Christian Fassnacht had taken a fortunate deflection off Mehdi Leris.

Norwich barely threatened after that but Stoke also struggled to get a clear sight of goal.

Tyrese Campbell missed a great chance to equalise almost straight away, dragging a first-time shot wide from a good position, and substitute Dwight Gayle failed to convert a close-range chance in stoppage time.

But the hosts had few anxious moments as they maintained their bright start to the campaign.

Wagner also praised goal hero Stacey, adding: “He scored a good goal, got plenty of crosses in and was also solid in his defensive work. He has done well since he arrived and we are delighted to have him.”

Stoke manager Alex Neil was frustrated to come away from his former hunting ground empty-handed.

He said: “I am very disappointed we didn’t get something – I certainly don’t think we deserved to lose the game.

“It always looked like a game which would be won by the more clinical team and that’s the way it turned out.

“We had four or five good opportunities but didn’t manage to score any of them while they scored a scruffy goal from just about the only time we didn’t defend our box properly.

“I thought the performance was really encouraging at a really difficult place to come but I would rather we’d played poorly and won. On another day we could certainly have won the game.

“It’s difficult because we are working with a new-look squad and we have lost a number of players with injuries but I have no complaints with the effort they put in today.”

The Canaries made it back-to-back wins in the Championship after a poor run that had seen Wagner’s position called into question, with Hwang Ui-jo’s 21st-minute goal settling a scrappy encounter.

That proved to be the hosts’ only effort on target but the boss wasn’t complaining afterwards.

“I think a 1-0 win like that is perhaps the best sort of win for me in the circumstances,” said Wagner.

“Everyone knows we can score goals – the stats tell you that – but we have been conceding too many goals and to keep a clean sheet was very pleasing.

“We were very organised defensively, kept them as far away from our goal as possible, and didn’t give them many chances.

“The guys out there all did their job because as a team we need to be more solid than we have been.

“Was it our most entertaining game offensively? No, but you can’t always score two or three goals to win a game and that is back-to-back wins now, which feels good, certainly much better than it did a few weeks ago.”

Wagner was full of praise for Hwang, who has been the subject of allegations regarding his personal life in his home country.

“It hasn’t been easy for him but his head is with us and he proved what a good footballer he is,” said Wagner.

“He has great technique, good work ethic and he understands the game well. He took his goal really well and gave us 70 minutes or so, which is more than I expected after his international duty.”

A scrappy game with a scarcity of goalmouth action at either end was settled by a well-taken goal from South Korean striker Hwang, who is on loan at Carrow Road from Nottingham Forest.

A pass through the middle from Gabriel Sara caught the visiting defence napping and Hwang was able to run through unopposed before beating Asmir Begovic with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner.

That was just about the only clear-cut opportunity Norwich created all afternoon while it was a similar story for the visitors, with a stoppage-time strike from Sam Field that flew narrowly wide perhaps their best moment.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes felt his side had competed well but admitted they needed to improve in and around the opposition box.

“In the three games since I took over we have competed well and certainly haven’t been worse than any of our opponents,” he said when reflecting on start of two draws and a defeat.

“I have seen some good things in all our performances – and I have seen improvements again today.

“We were well organised and played the ball around well at times but the most important thing here is the result and I am obviously not happy with that.

“What we need is more sharpness in the final third, in and around the box. We need to be able to penetrate and score goals, otherwise all the other good things don’t count for anything.

“What I have seen here so far both during games and on the training pitch is a group of players who are committed to the cause and are working hard to turn things around – now we need to get the results to go with that.”

The Canaries were on the front foot for long periods against a side who had lost their three previous games but could find no way through a determined rearguard.

“The feeling in the dressing room right now is one of frustration because I don’t think anyone watching that game would have had any complaints if we had won it,” said Wagner.

“Defensively we were very good, keeping them away from our goal, but going forward we lacked a bit of creativity.

“Even when you dominate a match you don’t always create nine of 10 decent chances. Sometimes it is only two or three and that was the case and in those sort of games you just need to take one of them.

“Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that – we just need to be a bit more ruthless in front of goal and that is something we will be working on.

“We have now had two successive clean sheets at home and have won one and drawn one.

“We have another home game on Wednesday (against Sheffield Wednesday) and we need to clear our heads and look forward to that one. There are a lot of games coming up this month and we have to make sure we are ready for them.”

It was a match that Norwich dominated for long periods, although they came up against a side who defended stoutly throughout.

The closest the Canaries came to breaking the deadlock was in the second half when substitute Liam Gibbs wasted a great chance after being picked out in the box by Gabriel Sara while a goalbound header from Shane Duffy was blocked on the line by Alan Browne.

Preston were largely on the back foot, although Ben Whiteman hit the crossbar on a rare break and Jack Whatmough almost forced the ball home in a late scramble.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe was delighted to come away from Carrow Road with a hard-earned point.

“It was a solid, resolute performance and our application was spot on,” he said.

“This is a difficult place to come to and our attitude going into the game was to keep the back door shut and whatever happens at the other end we will take.

“First and foremost I thought we defended really well and when it was needed there were plenty of blocks, good saves and good headers to keep them out. We also had our moments at the other end.

“It is a fantastic point after a disappointing run of results and a lot of hard work has got us there against a good team who have been on a decent run.

“This is an important building block for us and now we need to build on it.

“We are still in a fantastic position and now we need to follow this up with more good results.”

The visitors grabbed a 13th-minute lead when referee Andrew Kitchen spotted a handball by centre-back Rob Dickie after a free-kick had been played into City’s box and Tom Dele-Bashiru fired a right-footed penalty beyond Max O’Leary’s despairing dive.

But the home side were level after 25 minutes as Tommy Conway’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Ben Hamer and Burnley loanee Twine climbed above a defender to head the rebound into an unguarded net.

Both teams had chances to win it, but neither could find the finish to match some promising approach play.

City head coach Liam Manning had no hesitation in selecting Twine – signed during the week – while his Watford counterpart Valerian Ismael made three changes from the 2-1 victory over QPR.

He brought in Mileta Rajovic to lead the attack, while Ryan Porteous returned in defence and Ismael Kone started in midfield and Jamal Lewis started on the bench.

Fresh from knocking Premier League West Ham out of the FA Cup, City were stunned by the early penalty award as no Watford player appeared to claim a handball.

Twine had a chance to equalise after 21 minutes when sending a low shot wide, but made up for the miss four minutes later and showed up well in support of striker Conway.

Watford had a great opportunity to go back in front four minutes before the break when Rajovic broke clear down the left and crossed for the unmarked Yaser Asprilla, who allowed O’Leary to make a brave save at his feet.

A largely low-key first half ended with a fair scoreline and both teams had room for improvement.

The Hornets made a change at the interval, with Matheus Martins replacing Asprilla. City made a strong start, Ross McCrorie heading over from a Twine corner.

Jason Knight had a header saved from a Twine free-kick, but Watford were soon threatening at the other end and Cam Pring made brave defensive blocks, first from Martins and then Giorgio Chakvetadze.

Kone fired over for the visitors as they started to look the more likely winners. Both sides made changes as the game entered its final quarter.

Andrews sent a fierce 25-yard drive straight at O’Leary after 78 minutes, while – at the other end – Dickie’s downward header from a Twine corner was gathered by Hamer.

Watford had no intention of settling for a point and Martins had a shot blocked as they committed men forward.

But the visitors were lucky after 87 minutes when another Dickie header brought a reaction save from Hamer and the ball was somehow scrambled clear to see the spoils shared.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s scruffy finish looked to have decided a clash between two struggling teams at The Den and given the Lions a first home win since September.

However, Burgzorg held his nerve from the spot in the seventh minute of added time following a handball decision against Millwall’s George Saville, whose side have won just once in their last 12 games.

With both teams lacking in confidence, Tom Bradshaw was unable to keep an effort from a Norton-Cuffy cross that was slightly behind him down as Millwall began the brighter.

Kevin Nisbet, the Lions’ top scorer, then did well to turn just inside the box before his low shot was held by Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.

Huddersfield had not threatened much at the other end but Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic had to be quick off his line to just about beat Sorba Thomas to a through ball just outside his area.

Zian Flemming then tried to seize back the initiative for Millwall and almost succeeded in the 39th minute when his shot from 25 yards needed to be pushed away by Nicholls.

There was one more half-chance in the first half for the Lions but Nicholls was able to hold on to Wes Harding’s effort across goal.

If the hosts just about shaded the opening 45 minutes, Huddersfield were the sharper after the restart, with Danny Ward steering a dangerous corner from Thomas over the bar.

However, against the run of play, Millwall took the lead in the 57th minute when Nicholls saved Nisbit’s header from Murray Wallace’s cross and then did likewise from Norton-Cuffy, who was just about able to bundle in the rebound.

The visitors then suffered a further blow when Nicholls was forced off with an injury, with Chris Maxwell taking his place with the gloves.

It wasn’t long before the substitute was called into action when he had to get down at the feet of Duncan Watmore before keeping out Joe Bryan’s follow-up.

The Lions continued to press for a second goal, with Saville lifting an effort from the edge of the area over.

Just when it looked as though one would be enough, referee Darren Bond pointed to the penalty spot deep into added time after Saville was judged to have handled Josh Koroma’s effort.

Up stepped Burgzorg and he nailed what was virtually the final kick of the game down the middle to earn Huddersfield an unlikely point.