Football

In a frenetic encounter, North End rode their luck and were grateful Arnor Sigurdsson’s volley came back off the crossbar before skipper Alan Browne gave Preston the lead with a terrific left-foot finish.

Rovers hit the woodwork again before half-time and equalised just after through Sammie Szmodics’ 10th Championship goal this season.

It felt as though the hosts would go on to win but Duane Holmes struck a post for Preston, who dramatically secured a 2-1 victory when Liam Lindsay’s low header gave them a 90th-minute winner.

Preston are fourth after a second consecutive win at Ewood Park and Lowe felt his side gave ‘everything’.

He said: “When you win derbies, you’re always going to enjoy it.

“I thought the lads were fantastic. They had to deal with large parts of their pressure and how they play. They’re a good footballing team but we withstood all that.

“Disappointed with the goal but again, the lads showed that real character and desire, never-say-die attitude. To score the winner in front of our fans, it probably can’t get much better.

“The players gave us everything. The players coming on the pitch, the players starting, the bench behind. They’re fantastic, and that’s what I say to them all the time.

“We are a strong, resolute team that can overpower some teams. I think you see that with the goal. They give us everything, and as long as they keep giving me everything, and the staff, and the football club, then we’ll win a lot of games.

Blackburn have lost four of their last five at home and though manager Jon Dahl Tomasson felt defeat was harsh, he accepted Rovers did not create ‘clear’ chances.

He said: “We are of course extremely disappointed to lose the game. I don’t think we deserved to lose the game.

“If you look at the overall performance, we were the better team, created chances, more than the opponent. We were probably lacking a bit of clear chances in the final third, we were missing runs in behind. When we did that, we created chances immediately.

“We know Preston are extremely good at passing long, winning second balls, crossing, set-plays and transition. There were two occasions where we didn’t deal with those and it cost two goals.

“This young group gave everything so (I’m) disappointed to concede that late in the game.

“You need to deal better with those situations. I think with the possession we had, we should probably have created a little bit more clear chances in my opinion. But still there were plenty of good opportunities to win this game.”

Posh, who snuck into the top six on the final day, put the shell-shocked Owls to the sword at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Cameron Dawson’s howler from Jack Taylor’s strike before Joe Ward’s shot took a cruel deflection saw the hosts go 2-0 up before half-time.

Kwame Poku and Jonson Clarke-Harris, with his 29th goal of the season, finished the job and left Wednesday with an absolute mountain to climb in the return fixture next week.

“It’s 4-0, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” insisted Ferguson, who is bidding for a fifth promotion with the club.

“There will be no complacency from us going to Hillsborough.

“We want to go to Hillsborough and try to win the game, that’s the attitude that we’ve got.

“I felt we couldn’t go there after losing the game tonight, it’s been a great night for us.

“I have to say that Will Norris has made a big save for us (from Michael Smith) at 0-0. That was a really big save. That would have changed the course of the day.

“It was a really, really top performance. Overall it was a very pleasing performance, but it’s only halfway.

“I’ve been in this game long enough to know anything can happen, but it was a really good night for us. I have to say that.

“It’s not about me, the players have got to take all the credit after a performance like that. They have to get the credit. It was a very good performance against a good team.

“The fans were outstanding. I’ve had it before here in the play-offs, it was amazing again.”

The Owls’ bid for a Championship return has already had chapters of heartache.

Last season they lost in the play-offs to eventually promoted Sunderland.

And this term their 96 points was the highest total ever in the Football League without earning promotion after they finished third.

Punch-drunk Owls’ boss Darren Moore reflected: “It’s a bad night for us tonight.

“It’s a huge task, we know that. They’ve got the four-goal advantage, but all we can do is reflect on the game and get ready for next week. It is a big uphill task.

“I can totally understand the disappointment and frustration because there was real hope. There was vigour among the boys and our supporters.

“It’s a disappointing night, but as manager you’ve got to try and keep your composure and get the lads ready for next week.”

On Dawson’s mistake for the first goal, Moore added: “There’s a lot of negativity when mistakes happen in games. Nine times out of 10 Cameron deals with that situation.

“On a night like that when your emotions are a little bit more flared it’s probably a lapse in concentration.

“It’s normally a routine save and the other one’s a deflected shot and then we’re two down.”

Nakhid was quick to point out that he has no sympathy for Wallace because the deposed official “did several things subsequent to his appointment without consulting the board.”

 “A situation like this calls for compromise, it calls for mediation, it calls for some level of consultation between parties and we never had that,” Nakhid said in an interview with the SportsMax Zone.

“What we had was a lot of hotspot meetings and disjointed efforts by parties here and parties there,” he added.  In the mind of the former Soca Warriors captain, however, Wallace was far from the only one deserving of criticism. 

As such, he also turned his attention to the world governing body FIFA, for whom he had some particularly strong words.  He accused the global football organisation of being ‘hypocrites’ and seeing the Caribbean region as just part of a voting bloc and not much else.

“FIFA has always been an organisation that has the Caribbean and by extension Latin America as just a voting bloc.  Basically, we are still indentured labourers to them," he said.

The former Caribbean Footballer of the Year was also critical of leaders of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), past and present, who he accused of leaving no legacy for the Caribbean and ensuring that the region did not have a genuine voice on the world stage.

 Nakhid launched a longshot bid for the FIFA presidency in 2015 but was disqualified from the race after receiving a double nomination.  At the time, his proposed candidacy never received wide support across the Caribbean, garnering a total of five votes.

On Thursday, FIFA suspended the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) for its failure to withdraw a case that is currently before the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago, within the prescribed timeframe that came after a previous extension.  The ruling will see the twin-island republic immediately deprived of all its rights as a member of FIFA, which comes with other consequences.

On what proved to be a disappointing first night for new Shrimps boss Ged Brannan, goals from Will Evans and Seb Palmer-Houlden either side of the break earned the Exiles a comeback win after Michael Mellon had given the home side an early lead.

Coughlan said: “That was a brilliant performance from our lads.

“You saw a different side to us tonight. It wasn’t glitzy or glamorous and it wasn’t tippy-tappy, it was sheer character, grit and determination and that’s what you have to do in this league.

“Against West Ham a few weeks ago we made 550 passes and didn’t win the game. We didn’t have too many passes tonight but we won the match and that is what football is all about.”

Mellon gave Morecambe the lead on 12 minutes with a fine turn and shot from the edge of the area that squeezed into the bottom right corner of Nick Townsend’s goal.

After a sluggish start the visitors hit back on 29 minutes when the home defence failed to clear a corner and Evans hammered home the rebound.

JJ McKiernan hit the crossbar with a close-range header for the home side on 44 minutes and Adam Mayor was within inches of sliding home a Tom Bloxham cross two minutes into the second half but it was the Exiles who went ahead on 57 minutes.

Morecambe keeper Adam Smith and midfielder Eli King failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the Morecambe box and Palmer-Houlden took advantage of the gift to score from close range.

Mellon forced Townsend into a late save with a shot from 12 yards but the visitors held on to make it two wins from two.

Shrimps boss Brannan said: “I’m disappointed with the result obviously but I’m not disappointed with the performance.

“I thought the first 20 minutes or so was the best I’ve seen us play in the three months I’ve been here as a coach and now manager. We passed it superbly and the move for our goal was brilliant and it’s a shame we couldn’t build on that.

“They came back into it when we didn’t defend a corner well enough and they made it hard for us from there and we then gave away another really sloppy goal and couldn’t pull it back.”

The Argentinian will be the fifth coach to lead the team in a Premier League match since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium bought the club last May and is tasked with picking up the pieces of a disastrous campaign that saw Chelsea finish 12th last season.

As with Boehly’s first two transfer windows, there has been a significant turnover of players this summer, with 10 first-team players released or sold and a further six brought in.

That flux has been a feature of the American’s time at the helm, with a sweeping clearout of both playing staff and personnel behind the scenes during his first 12 months in control.

The previous manager appointed by the ownership, Graham Potter, was sacked just seven months and 31 games into a five-year contract, with the club insisting up until days before he was removed that his job was safe.

Pochettino pointed to the path taken by three of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – all of whom had to wait for success to arrive under their current managers.

Since their appointments, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta have helped their respective clubs recover from states of relative uncertainty, but the Chelsea coach accepted it will ultimately not be up to him whether he is afforded the same window of time.

“I celebrate that these managers can be in place for a long period,” he said. “I was explaining my situation in Paris St Germain and how I knew that we weren’t going to be there the next season (after losing to Real Madrid in 2021), because it was all about winning the Champions League.

“It was difficult, because it was a different pressure. We knew about that. I’m not going to complain. We need to work and then it’s not my decision if Chelsea want to be in a similar situation like Liverpool or Arsenal or Manchester City.

“I need to work, we need to give our best. Then if the owner is happy with us, then everyone is happy. But it’s not my decision.

“But I celebrate when I see coaches like Arteta, Klopp and Pep have a very good run, a nice process at the same club, even when they finish a cycle and they have the opportunity to restart the cycle.

“There’s no doubt they are fantastic coaches, it’s only that sometimes you need to renew the team. If they believe in you, fantastic.”

Pochettino was asked whether he agreed with the impression of Chelsea as a club in chaos that had been created by a tumultuous last year.

The team’s league finish was their worst since 1994, while their goal return was the lowest by a Chelsea side in almost a hundred years.

Eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester City in the third round, they were soundly beaten over two legs by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, an exit confounded by Boehly’s ill-judged declaration that the team would beat the then-European champions 3-0.

He was also criticised for entering the dressing room to address the players after defeats, most notably immediately after the loss to Brighton in April when he described the season as “embarrassing”.

“If that (chaos) is the impression people have on social media or the fans or people outside of Chelsea, then we need to change the impression,” said Pochettino. “My impression from the outside was that this is a club with the capacity to win.

“We talk about Chelsea and Manchester United in the last 10, 15 years. Winning the Premier League, the Champions League. That was my (view).

“But of course, (there has been) a difficult situation for the people here, for the fans, for the players, when there is a big change. They need time to settle here. People need time to settle in a big club like this.

“For me now it’s about work. We need to create a different vision and for people to trust the club again, to get the result and to try to play good football for the fans. We are selling entertainment.

“(The owners) didn’t say to me, ‘If you don’t win the Premier League, we will sack you’. What I want to achieve is everything. To fight for the three competitions we are going to play, the Premier League and the cups.

“We need to create this good environment for the players to perform in the best way and then I’m not going to spend energy thinking, ‘If we don’t achieve this…’.

“After many years working in different clubs, I’m more relaxed, more mature, more experienced. We’ve improved a lot. One of things we’ve improved in is to be more relaxed. It’s not to think too much when you cannot affect the decision of the people.”

The Peterborough manager’s only frustration would have been that his team did not rack up a more emphatic scoreline as a host of other chances went begging in another dominant performance at London Road.

First-half goals from Joel Randall and Ephron Mason-Clark put the hosts in cruise control, then a Cole Stockton own goal and Kwame Poku’s close range finish completed the rout after the break.

Dino Maamria’s patched-up Brewers side were on the rack for most of this one-sided encounter, although Stockton nearly capitalised on a mistake from Posh goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic, only to see his first-half stoppage time volley headed off the line by Josh Knight.

It was a rare moment of panic for fifth-placed Peterborough, who have dropped just two points from their last six home matches – a run which includes a 5-0 derby day demolition job on local rivals Cambridge.

Ferguson said: “When you’re a manager and you enjoy watching your team play, that’s always a good sign.

“In the last two home games I’ve seen a different level of maturity. Especially when we’re 3-0 up to Cambridge at half-time, they’ve gone on and been really professional. And today, the same again.

“The quality has always been there for me. It’s just getting it on a consistent basis now.

“These games are never easy. Burton are a decent team. We spoke about how to match them in every area, and we did that.

“These games are better results for me than when we play against your Portsmouths and your Derbys. Those game just take care of themselves. These are the games you’ve got to have the correct mentality in, and make sure you do the basics right.

“We started really strongly and were aggressive. We spoke about that in terms of having the correct mentality in a game that everyone on the outside would expect us to win. That’s not always the case so we had to make sure we were correct from the first minute, and we were.”

Burton manager Maamria was forced to field his second year scholar Will Tamen, aged just 17, as a centre-half against one of the highest-scoring teams in the league.

Maamria admitted: “It was a difficult afternoon, and we expected that. It’s a tough place to come and they score a lot of goals.

“We knew it would be difficult with our best team but, with our back four all out, and our holding midfielder out, they are our five best players. If you take five of Manchester City’s players out they will suffer.

“A club like ours, we’ve got what we’ve got when you come up against a team like these with half of your team out.

“To pick up points against teams like Peterborough you’ve got to disturb their rhythm and manage the tempo of the game. You’ve got to show controlled aggression as they have good players if you allow them to play.

“This afternoon we didn’t show enough passion to compete in terms of duels, and that’s the biggest disappointment.”

Despite leading on two occasions against the Villans, the Eagles have just one victory in the Premier League this season (D5 L6); their joint-fewest after 12 games of a single campaign in the competition.

While Palace have failed to replicate the form they showed at the start of Glasner’s tenure at Selhurst Park, he is confident that they can build on their latest result when they welcome Newcastle United to south London this weekend.

"I’m very proud of the team's performance. We’re missing some key players in attack, but we still scored two amazing goals,” Glasner said.

"I’m very proud how they played together, worked together, fought together and believed in getting a point here. Overall, it was a good performance for us, and we go home very pleased with the point.

“I think we're on the right pathway, getting a point here at Villa is a good result for us. And now we want to improve our performance to take the win against Newcastle, because this will be necessary.”

The latest round of fixtures concluded at St. James’ Park, though Newcastle faltered at home to West Ham, with Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on target either side of half-time.

The Magpies have now lost two of their last three Premier League home games (W1), as many defeats as in their previous 20 league matches (W13 D5), leaving them 10th in the table and four points behind the top four.

And Newcastle boss Eddie Howe lamented his side’s inability to put away their chances against the Hammers, while also citing the manner in which his side conceded both goals.

"I don't think anything takes me by surprise in the Premier League. We know every team has qualities. We were the dominant team at half-time and the game would have been very different if we had equalised before the end of first half,” Howe said.

"We know we made individual mistakes for both goals. It was disappointing from our perspective. Very uncharacteristic from us because we've defended well in recent weeks.

"At the end we had players out of position, so I didn't like the way we looked at the end. But up until that 60-minute mark, I thought we were the dominant team.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

While Mateta has failed to hit the heights of last season for the Eagles so far this term, the Frenchman’s assist against Aston Villa will give him confidence about returning to home soil.

All five of his goals for Crystal Palace in all competitions this season have come in home games. Since Glasner’s first game in charge of the Eagles in February, Mateta has scored 16 goals in just 13 starts at Selhurst Park in all competitions.

Newcastle – Anthony Gordon

After failing to make the desired impact against West Ham last time out, Gordon will be keen to add to his two Premier League goals this season.

The England international has created more chances (24) than any other Newcastle player this season, and has two goals in six appearances against Crystal Palace, one for the Magpies and one during his time at Everton.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

While Newcastle are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, after winning their first four Premier League away games against Crystal Palace, they have won just one of their last nine visits to Selhurst Park in the competition (D5 L3).

After being unbeaten in eight Premier League away games against London sides between October 2022 and October 2023 (W4 D4), Newcastle have also now lost six of their last eight visits to the capital (W2), shipping at least two goals in seven of those games.

Newcastle have lost three of their last five Premier League games (W2), as many as they had in their previous 17 combined (W9 D5).

However, the Magpies have kept 14 clean sheets in their 26 Premier League games against Crystal Palace. Only against Aston Villa (19) and Arsenal (15) have they recorded more in the competition, while it’s their highest percentage of clean sheets against sides they’ve faced 20 or more times (54%).

Crystal Palace won this exact fixture 2-0 in April, last winning consecutive league meetings with Newcastle between 1971 and 1972 (a run of three).

But the Eagles have just one win and eight points from their 12 Premier League games this season, their lowest points haul at this stage since 2018-19 (also eight), and fewest wins since 2017-18 (also one). This will be the first time they’ve played a Premier League match while starting the day in the bottom two of the table since December 2017 (2-1 v Watford).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Crystal Palace – 33.6%

Draw – 26%

Newcastle – 40.4%

Forest earned victories over Crystal Palace and rivals Leicester City last month along with claiming a point against Chelsea, starting November with a 3-0 win over West Ham.

Nuno, along with in-form striker Chris Wood, scooped the Manager and Player of the Month awards, with the Tricky Trees sitting in the top four ahead of their meeting with Newcastle on Sunday.

However, the Forest boss insisted that his side’s success went beyond two individuals, saying: "I'm very proud of the way we've been doing things. All of us - starting from the owner to the staff in the training ground.

“Everybody has been working very hard, and it's very nice to be recognised. I think it's an effort from the club.

"Very pleased also for Chris. It reflects the hard work, but it's more important you remain humble. He's much more than the goals. It's what he represents and what he means to us.

“He puts everybody together, his presence in the dressing room, his voice, his experience. We are delighted."

Eddie Howe, meanwhile, also showered praise on one of his Newcastle players after Lewis Hall earned a first senior England call-up for the Three Lions’ upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Hall has been in impressive form for the Magpies this season, with the left-back’s 11 successful crosses and 15 chances created are totals only bettered by Anthony Gordon (15 and 20) in the Premier League for Newcastle.

Howe expressed his delight for the 20-year-old, but believes there is still more to come from the Magpies' youngster this season.

"I am delighted for him. He has a had a really good start to the season. He's very consistent, [has produced] really mature displays,” Howe said.

“There is still a lot to come from him, we are seeing him evolve week in, week out. He is adding layers to his game all the time. It’s a great achievement for someone so young, and we are delighted for him.”

Howe did, however, expect a tough test against Forest, who are four points ahead of them in the table after 10 games this season.

"Yeah, they are [having a great season]. Nuno deserves credit for the job he has done. They have recruited very well in recent transfer windows,” he added.

"They are very tough to play against. What a test that's going to pose for us to score against them. They have a solid defensive base, really good pace in wide areas and threats in the forward positions."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

Having already scored against one of his employers in Leicester last month, Wood will be confident of striking against the Magpies, a side he scored five times for in 39 outings.

He has netted eight goals from just 21 shots for Forest in the Premier League this season – no player to have had at least 20 attempts has a better conversion rate than the New Zealander (38.1%) in the competition this term.

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak

Isak has scored three goals in his two Premier League games against Forest, only netting more against Tottenham and West Ham (five each).

He’s looking to score in three or more consecutive Premier League appearances for the fourth time since the start of last season, which would be the most different such runs of any player in that time.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Forest have won each of their last three Premier League games, last winning four in a row in the top-flight in April-May 1995, a season that saw them finishing third in the table.

Only Liverpool (six) have conceded fewer goals than Nottingham Forest (seven) in the top-flight so far this term, with only Brighton managing to score more than once against them in a league match. It’s the fewest goals they’ve conceded after 10 games of a top-flight campaign since their title winning season of 1977-78 (also seven).

With Nuno’s side sitting pretty in third, this is the first time Forest are facing Newcastle in a top-flight match while above them in the table since March 1989, when they drew 1-1 at the City Ground (Forest 5th, Newcastle 19th). 

However, Forest have won just one of their 12 Premier League games against Newcastle (D3 L8), picking up a 3-1 win at St James’ Park last season with Wood netting a hat-trick.

Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Arsenal last time out ended a five-game winless run for the Magpies in the Premier League (D2 L3). All four of their league wins this term have been by a single goal – 67% of their victories last term were by a margin of at least two goals (12/18).

But Howe’s men will arrive in the East Midlands with confidence. Against no side have they played more Premier League away games without ever losing than Forest (six – W3 D3). Their last top-flight defeat at the City Ground was in May 1987 (W4 D4 since).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nottingham Forest – 35.4%

Draw – 27.4%

Newcastle United – 37.2%

Sam Hoskins ran through to open the scoring in the 20th minute before Patrick Brough sealed victory in stoppage time, ending a run of three consecutive League One defeats.

The Cobblers could easily have been bigger winners against an Exeter side that were a far cry from the one that beat Premier League Luton 1-0 in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

“It was a good day all round,” Brady said.

“It was a really strong performance from the group. I felt the movement for the first goal was excellent and the way Sam goes in one-on-one and finishes it, brilliant.

“Sam has run in from 35 yards and put it in the corner and he has beaten a very good keeper and he has finished it well.

“In the second half, we were brave to stay in the shape we were for as long as we did. And we kept catching them on the counter-attack and we had a fair few chances to be fair.

“They didn’t have a chance second half and we nullified them. We were aggressive and did the ugly side well, won our battles and played forward really well and it was a good performance.

“We reduced Exeter to one shot on target and it is really pleasing, everyone in the team was great in terms of how they worked. Exeter have got a massive squad and we haven’t, we need those players.

“Our fans were brilliant, they have travelled and we wanted to give them something back.”

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell had few complaints with the outcome.

He said: “It was a really disappointing performance. We didn’t get going at any point or didn’t deserve anything from the game. All credit to Northampton, they were better than us and deserved to win.

“I think we were sluggish and that’s a result of Tuesday night. I think it’s the realisation of playing Saturday-Tuesday but if we want to be a big team and a big player, then you have to stand up to that test.

“We did everything to recover the players on Wednesday and Thursday and prepared yesterday, as we normally do, but when the game comes, you have to be ready emotionally, physically to give everything to win a game of football and we were nowhere near the level we expect.

“Some players are getting opportunities and not taking them. Coming out and showing what you are all about on a Saturday is the true test of a footballer but, too often, people have come out and not delivered and we have to change that very quickly if we want to have a successful season.”

The Lilywhites, who started the evening sixth, had no answer to Boro’s first half display that earned them a three-goal advantage at the break.

Preston struggled to make an impact in the final third and were cut open too easily by a home side, who won 4-0 and closed the gap to the Sky Bet Championship play-off zone to three points.

Middlesbrough winger Isaiah Jones’ calmly-taken double in the 16th and 37th minutes sandwiched Rav van den Berg’s first senior goal in the 26th minute after he scored from a corner.

Even though the points had already been secured at half-time, Middlesbrough full-back Alex Bangura curled in from just inside the area to make it 4-0 in the fourth minute of added-time at the end of the contest.

And Carrick, whose side head to fourth-placed Leeds on Saturday, said: “We played well in spells, that’s football. Performance-wise we have played better in some games, but goals at both ends tell the story.

“We were ruthless, we created and defended very well in terms of limiting them. It was a new back four who hadn’t played together before, they played well.

“We will definitely take 4-0. I can’t fault the boys, sometimes it will work and sometimes it might go against us.

“I was confident going into the game, there was good balance even if it was quite new in terms of the changes. I thought we were in good shape and that proved to be the case.

“We lost Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney (groin and hamstring injuries) from Saturday, it tends to be the way we are going. We had eight senior players out tonight.

“That’s why the squad is vital and we can’t make excuses. The boys cracked on and we are now preparing for Saturday.”

Preston have now won just two of their last 11 matches having started the season with six wins from the opening seven fixtures.

Boss Ryan Lowe, whose side did not record a shot on target until the final 20 minutes, said: “I’m angry, disappointed, but they are my group of players, win, lose or draw.

“There were harsh words in the dressing room. They have given us some fantastic football, but when we went one down there was fear that set in.

“The first half performance was nowhere near the levels we expect. If we want to keep being a mid-table team those are mid-table performances, but we don’t want to be that team.

“The lads know that the first half was nowhere near the levels we require.

“We came here with full belief we could challenge. Boro are not the formidable side from last season, even though they still have good players and a fantastic coach, but I expect us to be better.

“I will stick with the players. They know it is not good enough. We have let everyone down and what we have to do now is put it right as quickly as we can.

“I will give them the benefit of the doubt tonight, but if we don’t get it right then we will flip it around because we want to keep progressing. The first 45 minutes was not acceptable.”

Salah starred once again for the Reds in midweek, scoring twice and notching the assist for Curtis Jones’ goal in their enthralling 3-3 draw with Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

The Egyptian suggested his glittering spell with the club could be drawing to a close in the aftermath of last week's win over Manchester City, but Slot is confident that Salah will put that at the back of his mind ahead of this weekend’s encounter.

“It is difficult for me to predict the long-term future. The only thing I can expect or predict is he is in a very good place at the moment,” Slot said. “He plays in a very good team that provides him with good opportunities, and then he is able to do special things.

“What makes him even more special for me is before we scored for 1-1 you thought, 'He is not playing his best game today,' but then to come up with a half-hour with an assist, two goals and having a shot against the bar.

“So, that is also what makes him special, apart from if you just look at the goals. His finishing is so clinical. A special player, but that's what we all know.

“What I noticed from the start, when he came in [in pre-season was] how fit he was, how ready he was to make it a very good season for him. That he led by example from the first day onwards in pre-season. So, it's not a surprising thing for me that he's done so well until now.”

Everton, meanwhile, earned a vital victory at Goodison Park on Wednesday, thrashing fellow strugglers Wolves 4-0 to give them some breathing space from the bottom three.

The Toffees piled more pressure on Gary O’Neil with two goals in either half from Ashley Young, Orel Mangala and Craig Dawson turning into his own net twice, sealing the victory.

Manager Sean Dyche, however, called for level-headedness from his squad after earning a first Premier League win since October, with immediate refocus the priority ahead of Liverpool’s visit.

"It is an important game, they all are," Dyche said. "I don't change my tune just because we've won – they are all important games. I think the feeling of the performance was right. I think [it was a] good reaction from the weekend.

"[Tonight] we haven't made mistakes and I think we've had that real intent and desire to score goals. We mixed our performance and played well. 

"There's still things to work on, but the mentality has to stay strong here. I've been questioned many times in my life, including here, and so have some of the players, but that glue that bonds us together is really important here.

“I think the group showed again tonight with our performance. There is a glue that bonds us together. They've shown it tonight with different players coming in, some players coming out, players coming on."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Dwight McNeil

Only McNeil (three goals, three assists) has been involved in more Premier League goals for Everton this season than Ashley Young (one goal, three assists).

Along with that, the Toffees midfielder has created 33 chances in the top-flight this term, a total only bettered by Leif Davis (34), Youri Tielemans (35), Cole Palmer (36) and Bukayo Saka (38).

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

Salah’s inspired display against Newcastle in midweek has now seen him score and assist in 37 Premier League matches, the most of any player in history.

He has netted in each of his last seven games but has never scored in eight in a row. Daniel Sturridge is the only Liverpool player to do so, achieving that feat in the 2013-14 season.

The Egyptian has also scored seven Premier League goals against Everton – only Steven Gerrard (nine) has scored more Merseyside derby goals in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

This weekend’s action starts in the early kick-off at Goodison Park, and while former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp moaned about the fixture, since the start of last season, Liverpool are unbeaten in all eight of their Premier League games kicking off at 12.30 on Saturday (W6 D2), including a 2-0 win against Everton.

This, however, is Slot’s first meeting with Everton as Liverpool manager. Only one Reds boss has won their first ever league Merseyside derby when that match has come away from home, with Kenny Dalglish overseeing a 3-2 victory in September 1985.

Liverpool’s 2-0 loss in this exact fixture last season ended a 12-game unbeaten away run in the Premier League against Everton (W3 D9). They’ve not lost consecutive visits to Goodison Park since a run of three between 1992 and 1994.

Everton, meanwhile, have won just four of their 47 Premier League matches against teams starting the day top of the table (D9 L34). Only Tottenham (35) have lost more games against table-topping teams in the competition than the Toffees.

Dyche has lost 12 Premier League matches against Liverpool (W3 D2), only losing more against Manchester City (14) and Arsenal (13). However, should he win this game, he’ll have more wins against the Reds (two) than the previous seven Toffees managers combined.

Everton vs Liverpool is also the fixture to have seen the most red cards (23) and been drawn 0-0 the most (12) in Premier League history. No side has scored more 90th minute winners against an opponent in the competition than Liverpool have against Everton (five).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 15.5%

Draw – 20.9%

Liverpool – 63.6%

The ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn full-back has had to endure every parent’s worst nightmare as his four-year-old boy Rio was diagnosed with Wilms Tumour – a form of kidney cancer – last April.

The disease spread to his lungs and contained anaplastic features which made it harder to cure and more likely to return.

But after nine months of a punishing chemotherapy treatment and 10 days of radiotherapy Rio got the great news last month that there was no longer any evidence of the cancer.

However, because of the anaplasia, doctors have said the cancer has a 50 per cent chance of returning and if it does not only does the survival rate plummet to just 10 per cent, there are no further treatment options on the NHS.

Alongside Rio’s treatment, the Spurr family have been fundraising, with the former player quitting his job as a teacher, in case the worst does happen.

But although they are able to enjoy seeing their little boy start to live a normal life again, the worry of what might be to come has been hard for Spurr and his wife Chloe to deal with.

“The first meeting when you hear them say what it was was just horrific,” Spurr, who retired four years ago aged just 31, told the PA news agency.

“It turned our world upside down and I don’t think it’s something that will ever leave me or my wife.

“We were petrified because we knew he was up against it and the thought of losing our little boy was horrendous.

“But fast forward to a couple of weeks ago to be told there was nothing there was a massive relief.

“You want to get on with your life and forget about it but you know the risk of it coming back is still there.

“My wife and I are still struggling to deal with that and live normally, it is hard to put that out of your mind, knowing he is going to get scanned again and praying and hoping they come back with nothing on.

“It has been really hard. I am lucky that I have got my wife. Mentally it has been really hard, the fundraising has been keeping us going because it feels like we are trying to do something positive for Rio but even now I don’t want to sound negative but it is difficult not knowing where we are going to be in a year’s time.”

If that news ever does come, Spurr wants to be in the best position possible as their only likely option is going to be treatment in America and that will not come cheaply.

“This is the difficulty at the moment. We would more than likely have to access a clinical trial or something that is not available in this country,” he added.

“What that is yet we don’t know because we are hoping we don’t get to that point.

“We know another family whose child had an identical diagnosis to Rio had treatment in America and their hospital bill for that trip was £650,000 so it is what it is. We will be as prepared as we can be but every day we are praying we are not going to be in that position.”

The next step of the fundraising sees Spurr staging a charity match this Sunday, where former Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United players will go head-to-head in a Steel City Derby at the Olympic Legacy Park.

Ron Atkinson and Neil Warnock will be in the dugouts, with a number of high-profile ex-players giving their time.

Spurr said: “The lads are giving up their time to come and play, it’s been amazing that people want to be involved.

“The number of people that have bought tickets and wanting to help has been overwhelming. Me and my wife are so thankful.

“I think I’ll be playing the whole thing but I might have to give Big Ron a sign if I am struggling. Some of the lads I used to play with I have not seen for 10 years, it will be nice to catch up.”

There is immense pressure on the FA and UEFA for the event to be a success after problems arose at the last two finals.

The 2022 match in Paris almost became a “mass fatality catastrophe” according to an independent report commissioned by UEFA. Liverpool fans found themselves penned against stadium perimeter fences ahead of the match against Real Madrid due to organisational failings, and were then tear-gassed by French police.

While the problems around this year’s final in Istanbul were less severe, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted last week that “not everything was perfect”, with supporters reporting problems getting to and from the Ataturk Stadium and in accessing drinking water and toilets.

Ceferin assured delegates at the European Football Fans Congress in Manchester that the 2024 final would be “a unique experience” for supporters.

That appeared to ratchet up the pressure on Wembley, a venue which itself hosted a chaotic Euro 2020 final two summers ago.

An independent review by Baroness Casey identified more than 20 near-miss incidents that could have resulted in serious injury or death at the match between England and Italy on July 11 2021, as ticketless individuals stormed turnstiles to force entry.

FA chair Hewitt insisted there was “healthy paranoia” among organisers around what could go wrong at every Wembley event, and pledged everyone involved would aim to work out the pitfalls and how to respond to them.

“It isn’t the regular stuff that goes wrong,” Hewitt said.

“It is the stuff that hasn’t happened. In that particular tournament (Euro 2020), it was the first time we had 30,000 empty seats (due to Covid-19 capacity restrictions).

“It’s really easy for me standing here and saying ‘well, that was obvious, that was the thing that was different’. You have to search for the thing that is different. You don’t make the same mistakes, you make different ones. So what is the thing that is different?

“Secondly, it is about making sure every one of the stakeholders completely and utterly understands, and tests to destruction, the plan.

“It is no good the police doing their bit in one room and the stewards doing their bit in another and us doing our bit in that room and UEFA doing theirs in that room. It is getting everyone in the same room and testing each other’s plans to destruction.

“I believe in a process called pre-mortem, not post-mortem. I use it a lot in business, what could go wrong and how do we deal with it? It’s a bit like pretend crisis management in a way but it is much more deep than that.

“There is pressure on every event we host at Wembley. We have got paranoia, healthy paranoia I would say, but we are paranoid. Yes, there is pressure but there is pressure on everything we do.

“You write about (the pressure) because of the fact there have been two finals where things have gone wrong. But every time we host something at Wembley – (a) Tyson Fury (fight), Harry Styles, Coldplay, no matter what, where you have groups of people together, something that can go wrong will go wrong, and it is times so many multiples because it is the national stadium.

“We are paranoid about it and we try to test to destruction. I am sure we will make some mistakes that have yet to be made in other stadiums, but it won’t be because we didn’t try and test. That is important to us. It is very important we learn the lessons from Paris and Istanbul.”

Asked if she was confident there would be no repeat of the storming of the turnstiles at Euro 2020, Hewitt said: “You can never be confident with something like that can you? It would be very over-confident for me to say that. Because anything can happen.

“It is one of the biggest events in Europe and anything can happen. You just have to be confident you have thought through what you would do if something did happen. Rather than say ‘I am confident that will never happen’, the question is ‘what if it did? What would you do?’ That kind of testing is crucial.”

By the time Wembley hosts the Champions League final on June 1 next year, the FA will also know whether or not the stadium will host the Euro 2028 final.

The UK and Ireland is bidding to host that tournament in competition with Turkey, with a decision due to be taken by UEFA’s executive committee on October 10 this year.

Hewitt is expecting tough questions given the chaos of July 2021 and knows it is important to have the answers.

“We are on our feet in October convincing people why we should win,” she said.

“One of the things I am absolutely convinced UEFA’s Exco will ask us is ’how can you assure us nobody will storm the turnstiles?’.

“Being well rehearsed – and not just having the answers but having worked through what is the answer – that is an important part of the bid. We have to convince every one of those Exco members we have not only thought about it but that we have planned for it – that we know what we would do in what order and who is accountable, and that is why they should vote for us.”

During the ceremony, which was dubbed The Unveil and broadcast live, the 36-year-old Argentina superstar greeted Inter Miami owner David Beckham with a hug before receiving his pink No 10 jersey.

Messi told the crowd: “I want to thank all the people of Miami for their welcome and love since I arrived in this city.

“The truth is that I’m very excited and very happy to be here in Miami and to be with you.

“I can’t wait to start training and competing. I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow.”

The stadium was practically full, despite the event being delayed by poor weather.

Beckham said during the broadcast that it made for a “typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to ever have played the game”.

He added: “The fact that we have our fans in here, celebrating this moment… this is what we have created and we’re very proud of that.”

Joining Messi onstage was former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, whose arrival at Inter Miami was officially announced earlier on Sunday.

Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Messi, whose own move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier.

Speaking during The Unveil event, Inter Miami’s primary owner Jorge Mas called Messi “the best player to ever don boots”.

He said: “When David and I first met and we dreamt of what Inter Miami represents, it started off with the freedom to dream.

“And we dreamed of not only bringing elite players and the best players but the best player to ever don boots — and his name is Lionel Andres Messi.”

Messi revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end.

With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22.

That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals.

Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina.

Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville.

City will retain the Premier League title and land the first of the three trophies they are chasing this season with victory over Lampard’s side, and could already be champions by the time they kick-off depending on Arsenal’s result on Saturday.

It will be the fifth time in six seasons that Pep Guardiola has guided his team to the title, with a second Champions League final in three years to come against Inter Milan plus the FA Cup final against Manchester United as they seek an historic finale to the campaign.

City’s scintillating form was encapsulated by their 4-0 demolition of European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday, a 17th win in their last 19 games.

Chelsea by contrast are adrift in 11th place in the league, are long since out of all three cup competitions and are all but guaranteed to record their first bottom-half finish since 1996.

They have fallen woefully short of expectations following co-owner Todd Boehly’s whirlwind £600million transfer spend over the last 12 months, and if as expected Mauricio Pochettino is appointed permanent manager in the coming days he will have a mammoth task next season to turn the club’s fortunes around.

Lampard said it is City’s hard work and not their lifting of the Premier League trophy that should galvanise Chelsea’s players to bounce back next season.

“You should definitely be respectful on the day of the game,” said Lampard. “But the only inspiration the young players should need is what it’s taken Man City to get where they’ve got.

“It’s not the moment of lifting the cup, it’s Kevin De Bruyne’s journey, and (Erling) Haaland’s journey, and (Ilkay) Gundogan’s journey, and John Stones’ journey.

“A player has to understand that the cup-lifting moments are because of all the work done over the years against the odds, whatever it is, how hard they work. That team clearly works hard and then when one has to stop working hard the next one steps in and works hard. That’s what the players have to understand.

“I think the trophy lift is one to be respectful of but understanding why they’re lifting trophies is the real thing the players need to see.”

Lampard said that he had watched the documentary series The Last Dance, about NBA side Chicago Bulls’ success in the 1990s, in preparation for Chelsea’s final games of the season.

The interim manager, who will stand down following the team’s final game of the season against Newcastle on May 28, hopes to transmit the series’ message to his players that hard work and moments of failure are a necessary precursor to success.

“They have to take it (the importance of work behind the scenes) on board, and I have been drumming it in,” said Lampard.

“It depends on if the players want to listen to it. Because the reality is, in the corridors (of Cobham) it’s the team lifting trophies over the last 20 years and before that.

“Any group that lifts trophies has to understand what standards are and how you push and what you do, and that the weekend is a culmination of everything you do through the week, from how you prepare, how you train, that you train at a level that then transfers onto the pitch.

“To get that collectively right is why there are so many pictures of trophies on the wall.

“The main thing now, the tactics and the finer details are not relevant to that first bit. The first bit has to be there is a group pushing each other in training every day and doing all these things. Then the next bit is the tactics and the details on top of that.

“There’s a lot of failure on the way to success. I think that’s the thing that a player in the modern day has to listen to, not casually but to actually listen to it and act upon it.”

The Spanish media had widely reported on Thursday evening that Rubiales was about to stand down at an extraordinary general assembly of the Spanish federation (RFEF) on Friday.

FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against him on Thursday, after he grabbed his crotch in celebration of Spain’s victory over England despite being just metres away from Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter in the stadium VIP area.

He then kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the medal and trophy presentation, something she later admitted on social media she “didn’t like”.

Rubiales apologised for his behaviour in the VIP area, but insisted in his speech on Friday that the Hermoso kiss was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual”.

He said he had been the target of a “social assassination” and repeatedly and emphatically stated “I will not resign”, words which drew applause from the gathered delegates.

Rubiales’ defiant stance prompted fresh calls for the Spanish government to take action, while world players’ union FIFPRO said UEFA – for whom Rubiales is an executive committee member and vice-president – must open disciplinary proceedings.

But perhaps the most damning response of all came from Barcelona star Putellas, who posted on X: “This is unacceptable. It’s over. With you my team-mate @Jennihermoso.”

Hurst found the price for a five-game winless league run was his job, with the Mariners four points above the League Two drop zone.

Hurst got them into the league in 2022, as he did in 2016, but chairman Jason Stockwood said change was needed.

“It is with sadness and disappointment that we’ve reached this point. Since May 2021, we’ve had a positive relationship with Paul and Chris [Doig, assistant manager],” he said.

“We’re proud of our achievements under their leadership: our promotion from the National League, the historic FA Cup run, and attaining our highest league position in 17 years. However, it’s time to embark on the next phase of the club’s development.

“We’re grateful for their hard work and wish them future success. They are an indelible part of our history and will always be welcome at Blundell Park.”

Classroom time paid off for the Doncaster rearguard as they returned to winning ways.

Manager Grant McCann had been critical of his side’s defensive performance in the 3-0 defeat to Salford earlier in the week.

But he was full of praise for his back line as they shut out Grimsby in a scrappy game at the Eco-Power Stadium.

“It’s a credit to the players,” he said. “We conceded three goals on Tuesday night but over the last few days we’ve worked hard with the back five and the goalkeeper.

“We’ve watched back goals that we’ve conceded and talked about why we’ve conceded them. Are we moving quick enough when balls come back? And we’ve put some work in on the training ground.

“I’m pleased to see it come to fruition and it gives us something to build on. We feel we’ve got players in the team that can hurt people, if we can keep those clean sheets.

“It was important for us to get the win and bounce back from the disappointing defeat.

“We were poor in possession. When you are like that, you’ve got to stay strong defensively and you’ve got to find a way to win and we did that.”

The victory was Doncaster’s sixth from nine League Two matches and was secured with a 72nd-minute penalty from Joe Ironside after substitute Kyle Hurst was brought down in the box by Gavan Holohan.

There had been little between the two sides for the majority of the game, with Harry Clifton missing an early headed chance to put Grimsby in front.

McCann said: “I’m really pleased with the commitment the lads showed and the substitutes made a massive impact.

“It wasn’t pretty but we got the three points and that was the main thing.”

In a challenge match to commemorate the first official international match between the two countries in 1872, the visitors were a class apart.

Goals from Phil Foden, the brilliant Jude Bellingham and skipper Harry Kane sealed a well-deserved victory against the Scots, whose only strike came courtesy of a Harry Maguire own goal.

After five straight Euro 2024 qualifying wins, it was a chastening night for Steve Clarke’s side and Ferguson gave due credit to Gareth Southgate’s men.

The 24-year-old Bologna midfielder said:  “It was tough defeat, a difficult match. They are a top team and so that is the level we want to get to.

“In the first half we weren’t quite ourselves. We were better in the second half and got back in the game, but then the third goal kills it off.

“You are up against top-level guys playing at the highest possible level. It is good to test ourselves and see where we are as a team.

“We have talented players and at the top end of football it is fine margins.

“Over the past three or four years we have been improving every time we have come away with the national team, we have been working well and it is a positive place to be at the minute.

“We have so many talented, hungry players who want to keep improving and over the last three years we have done that. So the aim is to just to keep improving.”

Scotland went into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Cyprus in Larnaca on Friday night.

But, in addition to defeat by the Auld Enemy, the Scots suffered further disappointment as the draw they needed between Norway and Georgia to confirm qualification for Euro 2024 failed to materialise.

The Norwegians ran out 2-1 winners in Oslo and, with Spain thrashing Cyprus 6-0 to go within six points of leaders Scotland having played a game fewer, there is still all to play for in Group A.

Scotland take on Spain away on October 12 before completing their qualification fixtures in November with games against Georgia and Norway.

Former Aberdeen playmaker Ferguson said: “The gaffer just said last night was disappointing but that the camp overall was positive.

“The main aim was three points in Cyprus, that was the most important game for us.

“Ultimately our aim is to qualify for the Euros next year and that was another step in doing so.

“We are in a great position. Last night was disappointing, a little set back ,but hopefully we can bounce back from that.”

Ferguson did not get off the bench in Larnaca and replaced McGinn with only eight minutes remaining.

The former Hamilton player has made just one start in seven appearances and he knows he will have to be patient as he waits for more game time.

He said: “I have spoken to the manager. I know I need to be patient and he said I will play minutes for him.

“The guys in midfield just now have been incredible in the past year or so, so I just need to be patient and, when I get my chance, take it.

“I am always positive and always real. I know where I am at and the lads that are playing – I know where they are at. I need to improve to get to that stage.

“It is all about being patient, keep improving every time I come away and hopefully get as many minutes as possible.”

Maresca’s team have now won six of their seven league games to lie second in the embryonic table but they were made to work hard for their success by a home side who had won all their games at Carrow Road before this one.

Kelechi Iheanacho and Kasey McAteer struck for the Foxes.

“I am very pleased with our performance because of the opponents we were up against,” he said.

“I have watched all their games and they usually score goals – 15 I think – so I am very pleased to come away with a win and a clean sheet.

“We had to work very hard for the points – I said to the lads afterwards that you can work on the way you play, the way you defend but you also have to have the desire out there on the pitch.

“The way the team defended was unbelievable, clearing the ball from corners and second and third phase play and that made all the difference tonight.”

Maresca made five changes to the side that won at Southampton last time out, with Jamie Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall among the players left on the bench, and he was delighted with the way the new-look line-up coped.

He said: “It’s a 46-game season and you can’t just rely on a small group of players. You need at least 20 and I want to get them all involved. You can’t just play in every game.

“It was tough because they went man for man, which meant our keeper (Mads Hermansen) saw a lot of the ball and he played an important role for us when we played out, and he also made a great save – I think he is the complete keeper.”

A tight match was settled by late goals in either half, with Leicester getting their noses in front in the 44th minute through Iheanacho’s penalty.

Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot when Stephy Mavididi went down under a challenge from Christian Fassnacht and Iheanacho did the rest, despite a valiant effort from keeper Angus Gunn.

The Foxes had to withstand plenty of pressure after that, with Hermansen making a terrific reaction save to keep out a close-range header from Shane Duffy and Kenny McLean hitting the underside of the crossbar with a well judged chip.

But a well drilled defence stood firm and Leicester sealed the points in the 87th minute when Dewsbury-Hall squared for an unmarked McAteer to tap home.

Norwich head coach David Wagner felt hard done by afterwards.

“We are obviously disappointed to lose but I am fine with the performance – it was top class,” he said.

“I am unhappy we twice gave the ball away in the lead-up to the penalty but apart from that I am very pleased with the way we played.

“We were the better side in the second half and created three or four very good opportunities but unfortunately we were not clinical enough. The lads battled hard, never gave up and in the end were beaten by a quality side so we move on.

“I think Leicester will finish top this season and the rest of the teams will be battling for the other positions. It’s tough to take but I have every faith in this group of players going forwards.”

Striker Ashley Barnes limped off early in the second half and Wagner added: “It looks like knee ligaments and we will know more after a scan tomorrow. Hopefully it is not too serious but we have strength in depth now which is good.”

The victory was only their sixth success away from home, but two goals in the final 10 minutes sees the Dons go three games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two.

“I think it was vintage Wimbledon,” said Jackson. “It was a brilliant away performance and everything you want and expect from a Wimbledon team.

“They showed graft, hard work for the shirt, (were) very disciplined. We came with a game plan and the lads were outstanding in carrying it out.”

It was the third consecutive time Wimbledon had kept a clean sheet this season, something Jackson insisted was pivotal against a side with the attacking qualities of Notts County.

“I am delighted, that is now three clean sheets in a row. We have been defending very well but you know coming here with the players that they have got, you are going to have to do that for sure.

“They are a good team and move the ball well and they have got lots of threats at the top end of the pitch, so if you don’t defend properly here you can become really unstuck.

“The moments they did have with the balls coming into the box, we dealt with it, but our defensive structure starts from the front and to a man they did it brilliantly.”

Jackson also revealed goalscorer Kofi Balmer, on loan from Crystal Palace, had discussed the team’s lack of aerial threat so was delighted with his header late on.

“We know we have got that long throw that Kofi has got and it is a weapon, so we have to use that and I don’t apologise for using that.

“It feels like forever with teams using that against my teams so to have the opportunity to have that is something we need to use.

“It’s paid off today and caused problems for their defence, so he gets an assist I suppose for that one, but more importantly he comes up with a header which is really pleasing because it is something we have spoken about a lot in that we haven’t scored a lot of those, and they can be the difference.”

For Magpies boss Stuart Maynard, the wait for a first home win continues having lost his fourth consecutive fixture since his move from Wealdstone.

Maynard said: “I think we were in control of the game with the ball, I don’t think we could been in any more control.

“But it’s getting to the point where we are at. It’s been happening all season with these types of goals we keep conceding, which is so frustrating.

“It gets to a point where we’re not really equipped to deal with these teams’ threats and what they put in the box.”

Both of Wimbledon’s goals came from set-pieces on the afternoon, something that again frustrated Maynard, insisting his side are doing everything they can to rectify the issue to keep their play-off hopes alive.

He added: “We have to keep sticking together as a group and working on it on the training ground but ultimately it’s very hard to deal with teams’ threats in this league.

“At the minute and through the course of the whole season, we’ve not been able to deal with it.”