Rotherham manager Matt Taylor admitted Jordan Hugill’s smash-and-grab to draw 1-1 with Southampton may have saved his job.
Taylor was under pressure following Wednesday night’s 90th-minute defeat to Bristol City, having won only once and failed to pick up a point on the road.
But Hugill came off the bench to produce a stunning equaliser to cancel out Stuart Armstrong’s opener.
“It was much needed (the point),” Taylor said. “It didn’t look achievable at the start of the first half.
“We somehow managed to stay in the game in that first half, it was difficult and we rode our luck at times, and had to give ourselves a chance in the second half – and we did that.
“It still needs a moment of quality from the players or a moment of skill, whether that be our goalkeeper, last-ditch defending or the goal.
“I hope (it can change our season). When you come to Southampton, you have to sacrifice not having the ball for a little bit.
“We were so low after Wednesday night so full credit to the team for getting through today – and I include myself in that.
“There was a point in the first half where you could hear the end wavering.
“Not just in terms of my position, but in the belief of what we are trying to do.
“Players believe in success and we had a bit more success in the second half.”
Armstrong had put Saints ahead in the second minute after pouncing after Che Adams’ header had come back off a post.
Saints dominated with Adam Armstrong, Will Smallbone and Adams all blitzing the Rotherham goal in search of a second goal.
They were punished for their wastefulness when Hugill caught Bazunu off-guard to lift over him.
It meant Saints were booed off after two straight victories.
Boss Russell Martin said: “It was a really good performance. Anyone who came today would say we deserved to win. We should have been out of sight before Rotherham scored.
“It’s just really frustrating. We were so good in the first half, we should have been 3-0 up and just paid for a lack of ruthlessness really.
“A guy at the end was booing and going absolutely crazy, I understand his frustration, but you’ve just watched such a dominant performance.
“I’m as frustrated as you are that we haven’t won, but I’m not sure the players deserved the vitriol. So I had a word with him.
“Hopefully most people go away knowing they’ve watched a performance where we have been completely dominant.
“I know this game is very outcome-focused, if you’re a supporter that’s the one thing that matters. But if we play like that and are that dominant, the difference is a fine line.
“It’s not a big deal, everyone is angry, but I didn’t think the players deserved that at that moment. And I’m feeling the same way as he is because I can’t believe we haven’t won the game.
“I understand the frustration and anger, but we have come through a tough period and had a good week and we have a chance when we come back to really progress.
“This result and performance will be a big learning for us. You play this game 100 times and you win 98 and 99 times. So we have to use this as fuel.”
Keane doubts Man Utd will crack top four under Amorim this season
Roy Keane does not believe Manchester United will get back into the Premier League's top four under Ruben Amorim this season due to a "real lack of quality".
The Red Devils legend was speaking after United started life under the Portuguese with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, as Omari Hutchinson cancelled out Marcus Rashford's second-minute opener.
Keane acknowledged Amorim has to be given time to turn things around at Old Trafford, but does not see United cracking the top four this season.
"You have to give the man a chance," Keane told Sky Sports. "But the threat going forward, it's a huge problem for Man Utd. It's not good enough.
"Do I believe they have the quality to get them back to top four? Absolutely not. The evidence is not there. It's the same old stuff. Predictable and a real lack of quality."
United created 0.9 xG compared to Ipswich's 1.75 and had fewer shots on target (four) compared to Ipswich (six) at Portman Road.
They did have more touches in the opposition box (16 to 11) but had fewer final-third entries (48 to 61) and big chances created (two to three).
Ipswich were extremely resilient opponents after their early setback, and Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna praised his side, particularly Hutchinson after he grabbed his first Premier League goal.
"I thought he (Hutchinson) was a big threat first half, naturally more a winger, but most teams are going to press us high and in the spaces in the middle of the pitch having a dribbler in the middle of the pitch who's elusive and hard to pick up can be a big threat," he told Sky Sports.
"I think it's his first goal in the Premier League he'll be happy to have that of his back and he's improving."
"The first half, it's a blow to concede the early goal but I thought as the half went on we grew in the ascendancy, and the intensity of pressing and work on the ball.
"I thought we were the dominant team in the first half and deserved to be going in at least level. Second half in fairness, Man Utd had more control. It was difficult, we had to defend with real discipline on shape."
Leganes 0-3 Real Madrid: Mbappe and Bellingham score as Blancos close on Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were both on target as Real Madrid moved to within four points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona with a 3-0 win at Leganes.
Federico Valverde also scored for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who still have a game in hand on leaders Barca, who were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Mbappe ended a goal drought of over 400 minutes after being teed up by Vinicius Junior shortly before half-time, moments after Leganes had surrendered possession near the edge of their own area.
Madrid dominated possession throughout the second half and doubled their advantage in the 66th minute, Valverde drilling a low effort home from a free-kick won by Bellingham.
Bellingham later got in on the act with a header on the rebound after substitute Brahim Diaz rattled the crossbar, as Madrid cruised to back-to-back league wins.
Data Debrief: Dirty work pays off for Madrid
Mbappe's opener, scored at a vital time shortly before the interval, set Madrid on their way to victory on Sunday.
Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham both pressed high to help the visitors recover possession in the build-up, and Madrid have now scored five goals resulting from high turnovers in LaLiga this season – the most of any team across Europe's top five leagues.
This was the first time Ancelotti had faced Leganes in LaLiga, and he has now beaten all 28 different opponents he has come up against in the competition.
Napoli 1-0 Roma: Lukaku downs former club on Ranieri's return
Claudio Ranieri's Roma return was spoilt by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal against his old club sealed a 1-0 win for Napoli.
Ranieri was appointed Roma boss over the international break, with the 73-year-old coming out of retirement to take charge of the club for a third time.
Yet it was ex-Roma striker Lukaku who decided Sunday's contest at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with his 54th-minute effort sending Antonio Conte's team back to the top of Serie A.
Lukaku was well-placed to convert from Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback, bringing up his fifth Serie A goal of the campaign.
Roma, who had just two attempts and managed only 0.07 expected goals (xG) in the first half, woke up after Lukaku's goal, with Artem Dovbyk powering a header off the woodwork from a free-kick minutes later, but the visitors' comeback attempts proved fruitless.
Ranieri's next task is to rally his troops for a Europa League clash with Tottenham on Thursday.
Data Debrief: Ranieri's underwhelming return
There was no sign of an immediate upturn for 12th-place Roma, if they were hoping for a new-coach bounce.
Roma ended the first half with fewer than 70 successful passes (68). It is the first time they have had so few successful passes in the opening half of a league game since 2004-05.
With only three wins to their name in the league, they have won fewer than four matches in their opening 13 Serie A games for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign (also three).
And of course, it had to be Lukaku, who was leading their line last season, that delivered the hammer blow. The Belgium international has been involved in nine goals in Serie A this term (five goals, four assists). Only his former Everton club-mate Ademola Lookman, now a star at Atalanta, has contributed to more goals in the competition (seven goals, four assists).
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