Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin admits defensive blunders have very likely cost them their top-flight status after a 3-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock left them needing a football miracle.
Cinch Premiership bottom club United need to beat in-form Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday and hope Killie beat Ross County and somehow engineer an eight-goal swing along the way.
Goodwin appeared to be masterminding a United revival after being appointed as the club’s third manager of the season on March 1 but they have now lost four matches on the trot.
United gifted Kyle Vassell two first-half goals and never really looked like getting back into the game before substitute Innes Cameron netted late on following a counter-attack.
Goodwin said: “I came in and people thought I was mad, but I genuinely thought I could turn it around and we did get a bounce from the players.
“Unfortunately the defensive frailties reared their head again and ultimately that’s what’s cost us. It’s one of the lowest points in my career.
“We will go to Motherwell on Sunday and give it our best shot. I am one of the biggest optimists out there so I will always try to be positive and believe the impossible can sometimes happen.
“But, of course, it’s an eight-goal swing so we have to go to Motherwell and score a hell of a lot of goals then hope Kilmarnock hammer Ross County. The likelihood of that happening is obviously very slim.
“But at the same time we have to go to Motherwell and play for pride and try to earn back the respect of the fans.
“The fans have every right to show their emotions the way they did at the end.
“There isn’t a player in there who can’t accept their part in it. There are good, talented individuals within the squad.
“But as a team this season simply hasn’t been good enough and I said that to them in the dressing room.
“As managers, myself, Jack Ross and Liam Fox we will take our share of the blame because we are in it together.
“As a team it hasn’t been good enough and the league table doesn’t lie.”
Killie manager Derek McInnes hailed his side after they kept themselves in pole position in the survival race, but they still need at least a point at home to County to avoid a relegation play-off.
McInnes said: “There is still work to do, nobody is over-celebrating or getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s important we enjoy the moment.
“The supporters came up in huge numbers and it’s great to send them home probably feeling a lot more optimistic.
“But we have still got a tough game to navigate, it’s all or nothing. It is set up nicely for both teams and we have a job to do but what pleased me was the performance and our approach to the game.
“We were very confident, we asked the players to play with optimism and belief and we had that. We were aggressive with our work and imposed ourselves on the game and with the position Dundee United were in, getting that first goal was crucial.
“All week I have been getting asked about the pressure and anxiety of players and how we handle that and I thought the players dealt with the game really well.”
Coventry City 2-3 Hull City: Tigers win five-goal thriller to keep play-off hopes alive
Hull City kept their hopes of gatecrashing the Championship play-offs alive with a thrilling 3-2 win over beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City on Wednesday.
Noah Ohio scored the winner with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute as Hull moved within three points of sixth-placed Norwich City with two games to play.
Coventry, meanwhile, saw their own hopes of returning to Wembley Stadium for a second successive play-off final all but ended, as they sit six points further back with three matches remaining.
Three days on from their remarkable comeback against Manchester United, the Sky Blues twice fought back to level things at Coventry Building Society Arena. Jaden Philogene's shot squirmed under goalkeeper Bradley Collins to put Hull ahead 31 minutes in, but Kasey Palmer levelled within five minutes with a stunning free-kick.
Hull went back ahead in controversial circumstances on the stroke of half-time, Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho converting from the penalty spot despite replays showing Joel Latibeaudiere's foul on Liam Delap took place outside the area.
Mark Robins' men again dragged themselves back into the game as Bobby Thomas headed Jay Dasilva's cross in just before the hour mark, but it was Liam Rosenior's visitors who found a winner.
Thomas went from hero to villain as his poor back pass sold Collins short, and Ohio got a toe to the ball to score the winner, keeping Hull's hopes of Premier League football intact.
Van Dijk: Liverpool have 'no chance' in title race after derby defeat
Virgil van Dijk conceded Liverpool might be out of the Premier League title race after they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in either half to give the Toffees their first win over Liverpool at Goodison Park since 2010.
Liverpool struggled to find a way through the Toffees' defence despite dominating for long periods, and the Reds' captain says they will not outlast Arsenal and Manchester City without major improvements.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "If we play like today, then we have no chance to consider ourselves in the title race.
"We have to just focus on the next game and that will be a tough one anyway, so we will see.
"We're very disappointed, in so many ways. I think everyone has to look at their own performances. Did they really give everything, and do they really want to win the league?
"We're still fighting and there are still games after tonight, but if we play like we did overall in the game today – not winning challenges and giving the referee a chance to give free-kicks like he did many times, then you have no chance to win the title."
Howe: Newcastle performance in Palace defeat 'way off' Spurs win
Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.
Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.
Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.
"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.
"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.
"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."
Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.
Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.
"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.
The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.
Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).
It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.
"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."
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