Walsall boss Mat Sadler admitted his side’s margin of victory at play-off rivals Harrogate should have been greater than 2-0.
The visitors racked up a third straight win as Liam Gordon opened the scoring early in the second half and substitute Mo Faal was then credited with an 84th-minute effort, even though it appeared to be missing the target before taking a huge deflection off home defender Liam Gibson.
But Faal and Ross Tierney were both guilty of squandering other simple second-half chances for the Saddlers, while Douglas James-Taylor hit an upright with only goalkeeper James Belshaw to beat in stoppage time.
Ultimately, the wastefulness mattered little, though, as Walsall managed a first League Two clean sheet on the road this season.
Sadler said: “The first half was pretty even. Harrogate were getting behind the ball well and creating two-v-one counter-attacks on the break, which they do very well.
“It wasn’t until about 25 or 30 minutes in that we started problem solving on the pitch and grew into the game.
“After that, we opened the game up and had some fantastic chances, so the final scoreline should have been far more than 2-0.
“But, while I want us to be more clinical than we were, I’m absolutely delighted with the overall performance and I think it has to go down as one of our best away from home for a long time.
“We also had more than 600 fans who had travelled a long way for the game and didn’t stop singing all afternoon and getting behind the lads, so to give them the reward they deserved was very pleasing too.”
Harrogate had started the afternoon nine places above their opponents in the division’s final play-off place but ended it level on points in a congested table.
Manager Simon Weaver lamented his team’s lack of cutting edge.
“We were disappointed to concede the two goals,” he said.
“The second one was a counter-attack against the run of play really and we got caught out a few times like that, so we have to make sure we get our numbers right at the back, but I thought we were in the ascendancy for large parts and there was a lot of good play.
“I can’t just define it as a poor performance because we lost the game, but certainly our final pass and finish was missing, which came down to decision making and being ruthless.
“We know we have good players who are capable of that, but we fell a bit short in that department for this game.
“I thought we were building our momentum again after conceding first and the crowd were right behind us, which we really appreciated, but when you’re getting that far up the pitch, you need to find the bullets.”
Inter Miami came from behind once more to beat CF Montreal 3-2 and go three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference.
For the sixth match in a row, Miami found themselves behind when Bryce Duke slotted in the 22nd minute, and Jules-Anthony Vislant, who set up the opener, finished off a lovely team move 10 minutes later.
However, Miami displayed their fighting spirit again. Matias Rojas stepped up to a free-kick while Lionel Messi received treatment, curling a delightful strike into the top corner.
Shortly before the break, Luis Suarez turned the ball into an empty net while Benjamin Cremaschi completed the comeback in the 59th minute when he bundled it over the line after being picked out by Rojas.
Miami hold a three-point lead over Supporters’ Shield holders FC Cincinnati at the top of the East, with the Orange and Blue keeping pace with a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew.
Data Debrief: Comeback Kings
Miami have won 20 points from losing positions already in the MLS this season, more than any other team. It is the first time they have come from 2-0 down to win since a 3-2 victory over Charlotte in July 2022.
On a quiet day for Messi by his standards, Suarez stepped up with a crucial goal, netting his 11th of the season to equalise. The Uruguayan has now scored in each of his last three matches.
Pioli says speculation over his Milan future is part of the job
Milan coach Stefano Pioli said criticism and speculation are part of his job, as he still does not know if he will remain in the role for next season.
Milan snapped a six-match winless streak with an emphatic 5-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, yet the pressure remains on the Italian coach, with the Rossoneri only aiming for second place in Serie A after city rivals Inter became champions.
"We are a big club, there are big expectations, so fierce criticism is to be expected, just as ebullient praise is expected when you win," Pioli told Sky Sports.
"That is part of the job, you have to accept it all, or you do a different profession.
"I try to help the team to overcome difficult moments and play as well as possible. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes I got things wrong."
A section of Milan fans have been holding protests at matches, demanding clarity from the management regarding the club's plans after two seasons without silverware.
The club ended their Europa League campaign in the quarter-finals last month, losing at Roma.
Pioli added: "I am really sad about this situation, as we were so proud to create that symbiosis with the fans, which passed on positivity, energy and confidence.
"I have not yet talked to the club. We have another two rounds to go, the season is not over yet.
"I hope everyone around Milan can rediscover that harmony, enthusiasm and energy that helped us to achieve things that perhaps nobody believed were possible."
Al Hilal crowned Saudi Pro League champions after Al Hazm hammering
Al Hilal secured their fourth straight Saudi Pro League title after Aleksandar Mitrovic starred in Saturday's 4-1 thrashing of bottom side Al Hazm.
Faiz Selemani restored parity after Mitrovic's 15th-minute opener at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, only for Jorge Jesus' hosts to roar back and be crowned champions with three games remaining.
Ahmed Al Juwaid's own goal handed the initiative back to the dominant Al Hilal, who led 4-1 at the break after Mitrovic added another to his tally and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was on target.
The second of Mitrovic's strikes took him to a team-leading 26 league goals this term as Al Hilal breezed to another title, moving an unassailable 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.
Jesus' side are unbeaten through all 31 games this season after securing their record-extending 19th top-flight crown in history, while Al Hazm need to win their last three matches to have any chance of staying up.
Al Hazm's relegation rivals Al Tai boosted their chances of survival in Saturday's earlier clash after a 1-1 draw away against Al Raed.
Al Tai are just a point away from 15th-placed Abha Club in their bid for top-flight safety after Ibrahim Al Nakhli's strike was cancelled out by Al Raed's Mohammed Fouzair in the second half.
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