Play-off hopefuls Preston and Hull drew a frustrating blank with a 0-0 draw at Deepdale that did neither club any favours.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe knew victory for the ambitious Lilywhites would see them go level with the Tigers in the Sky Bet Championship table.

However, neither team could create the one piece of magic needed for a precious three points.

Lowe stuck with the same side which dazzled with an impressive 3-0 away win over Coventry.

His team had rediscovered the rich vein of form which saw them make a flying start to the season, although they had failed to score in their past three matches with the Tigers.

However, Lowe’s battlers created enough opportunities to score and stretched their healthy unbeaten run to seven matches, even though they failed to find the back of the net.

Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior’s side extended their unbeaten own run to five games, staying sixth in the table.

Midfielder Ben Whiteman went close for the hosts early on, slicing wide of the target from a good position. Moments later he had another crack, only to fail to get any power his strike as Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop saved easily.

Lewie Coyle volleyed wide with a powerful effort for the visitors, before Fabio Carvalho tried his luck from distance with a stinging drive which Preston shot-stopper Freddie Woodman did well to parry away.

Anass Zaroury saw his goalbound shot deflected just wide as Hull went close to breaking the deadlock just before the break.

Carvalho had a great chance a minute later to do just that, but he headed straight at a thankful Woodman.

Liam Miller picked out Jordan Storey with a pinpoint cross on the stroke of half-time, but he headed over for the hosts.

Preston defender Andrew Hughes headed over soon after the restart and Whiteman had a shot deflected narrowly wide.

Striker Emil Riis was thwarted by a smart save from Allsop, while at the other end Coyle smashed a right foot shot agonisingly wide of the left upright.

Jaden Philogene thought he had bagged the opening goal but the midfielder was left bewildered after Woodman produced a fine save to deny him.

Whiteman shot wide as the hosts kept pressing and Ali McCann had a volley blocked inside the box, but the ball still would not go in.

Allsop saved brilliantly from Miller with 10 minutes left as neither side could find the breakthrough which would have yielded three points.

Fleetwood gave their League One survival hopes a boost with a 4-2 victory against Wigan.

The relegation-battling Cod Army secured their first win in six matches for a vital three points at Highbury.

Neither side could take control in the early stages but Bosun Lawal fired in a thunderous volley to give Fleetwood the lead, before Stephen Humphry levelled the scores just three minutes later.

Thelo Aasgaard then fired the Latics into the lead in the 26th minute but Lawal notched his second goal of the game to ensure the match was even at the interval.

Fleetwood then took the game by the scruff of the neck after the break. Midfielder Gavin Kilkenny put the hosts in front with his first goal of the season, a deflected effort which bamboozled Wigan stopper Sam Tickle.

Striker Jayden Stockley hit the fourth after 61 minutes as he secured the points by heading home a Ryan Broom cross to the delight of the home supporters.

Substitute Joe Aribo struck at the death to seal stuttering Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton a dramatic, much-needed 4-3 victory away to 10-man Birmingham.

Russell Martin’s Saints were in desperate need of a morale-boosting win having lost four of their five games in all competitions since their club-record 25-match unbeaten run came to an end.

Birmingham threatened to further dent their fading automatic promotion bid on Saturday afternoon, but Southampton’s strong bench and unwavering spirit paid dividends as substitute Aribo struck deep in stoppage time.

It was a blockbuster end to a breathless encounter that began with Koji Miyoshi putting the Blues ahead inside two minutes, only for Adam Armstrong to deservedly level for Saints.

But Birmingham back caught the visitors out and Jay Stansfield put them back ahead against the run of play, meaning Saints had to rally after the break.

David Brooks scored a brilliant equaliser and Che Adams put Martin’s men ahead, with Blues skipper Dion Sanderson’s sending-off appearing to end this clash as a contest.

Further twists followed, though, as Birmingham – fighting for absent boss Tony Mowbray – levelled through Juninho Bacuna, before Aribo snuck Southampton a potentially huge stoppage-time winner at St Andrew’s.

This clash was a wild ride from the start, with Bacuna’s fine ball putting Miyoshi all too easily in behind to send an effort whizzing past Gavin Bazunu via a Ryan Manning deflection.

The 26-year-old appeared to handle in the build-up, but the goal stood and Birmingham nearly had a quickfire second, with Bacuna’s strike hitting a post and then going out off the back of the goalkeeper’s head.

Saints woke up after that fifth minute let-off as Brooks’ volley into the ground flew just over before Armstrong and Adams tried their luck.

Martin’s men would level in the 18th minute as Brooks slipped in Armstrong to prod through John Ruddy’s legs, with the home faithful’s appeals for offside falling on deaf ears.

The equaliser gave Southampton a pep in their step and Adams saw an audacious long-range effort take a touch off Sanderson and hit a post.

Birmingham were hanging on for dear life, only to go back ahead in the 41st minute. Jan Bednarek managed to flick on rather than clear Sanderson’s hopeful long ball, putting Stansfield behind to blast past Bazunu.

Armstrong saw a curling effort hit the bar and Will Smallbone fizzed across the face of goal as Saints pushed to reach parity before half-time.

Birmingham began the second half well as Taylor Harwood-Bellis escaped a penalty shout for handball before a Bacuna strike whistled just wide from 20 yards.

Again, Saints’ sloppiness at the start of a half sparked a vast improvement and they equalised in the 55th minute.

Brooks cut in from the right flank and was left inexplicably open to get hit stunning curling effort past Ruddy.

Southampton scented blood and took the lead four minutes later as Adams controlled a deep cross and showed patience before lasering home.

Birmingham fans’ frustration was quickly compounded by a straight card to Sanderson in the 62nd minute after leaving Smallbone in a heap.

The hosts’ complaints about the decision fell on deaf ears and Saints tried and failed to put the game to bed.

Instead, lively Stansfield saw a strike come back off a post and Bacuna reacted quickest to fire Birmingham level.

Adams hit a snapshot into the side netting as Saints pushed for a winner, which finally came during nine minutes of stoppage time.

Harwood-Bellis headed on a corner and Aribo showed strength and skill to steer home in front of the elated away end.

Sheffield Wednesday secured a valuable 1-0 win in their bid to beat the drop in the Championship by seeing off neighbours Rotherham.

Ike Ugbo’s sixth goal in five games proved to be the difference between the two sides, leaving the Owls three points from safety.

Defeat casts Rotherham a whopping 19 points adrift of safety at the bottom.

Wednesday had more than enough chances to put the game to bed in a dominant first half but did not take the lead until past the hour mark and then had to defend sternly to keep hold of the three points.

Viktor Johansson had an early save to make after Ian Poveda had skipped by Shane Ferguson and rolled the ball into Liam Palmer whose effort was palmed out.

It took a tremendous block from Cameron Humphreys to deny Ugbo the opener after Anthony Musaba had cut in from the left flank menacingly.

Will Vaulks then almost caught out Johansson with a free-kick he shaped to cross before shooting low. The Sweden international was able to just get across to tip it wide.

Wednesday thought they had gone in front but Akin Famewo’s header from Vaulks’ free-kick was ruled out for offside.

Poveda then cut in from the right wing and flashed a powerful effort just wide of the far post.

Wednesday continued to be on top in the run-up to the break and Musaba’s effort was deflected onto the roof of the net after he had been slipped in by Poveda.

Rotherham started the second half brighter and had Wednesday keeper James Beadle worried for the first time when Sam Nombe took aim from distance and saw his effort go just over the bar.

Wednesday finally took the lead in the 66th minute with a well-worked move.

Barry Bannan and Ugbo were involved with neat passes in the box and the latter was then on hand to stroke home from Dominic Iorfa’s cross.

A dangerous free-kick saw Rotherham threaten with Jordan Hugill getting a touch onto fellow substitute Cafu’s powerful effort to divert the ball just off target.

Wednesday then had talisman Bannan to thank for preserving their lead as he somehow outstretched a leg to deny Andy Rinomhota’s goal-bound effort.

Marvin Johnson lashed at a big chance to double the advantage in the closing stages and his shot was well off target.

Mallik Wilks could have also put the game to bed in stoppage time but his diving header from Johnson’s cross cannoned off the post.

Substitute Christian Saydee’s first league goal of the season saw leaders Portsmouth win 2-1 against Oxford at Fratton Park to move a step closer to promotion.

In a fast and furious opening 45 minutes, the sides went in all square.

Pompey took the lead in the second minute when a powerful shot from Callum Lang squirmed under goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.

But Oxford equalised after six minutes when Pompey gave the ball away and Sean Raggett brought down ex-Pompey midfielder Owen Dale for a penalty which was easily converted by Cameron Brannagan.

Mark Harris then hit the Pompey post on 13 minutes.

Oxford had the first chance of the second half but Josh Murphy was also denied by the woodwork.

Pompey regained the lead after 67 minutes when Saydee held off a strong challenge to run clear and place the ball wide of Cumming.

Oxford pushed for an equaliser but to no avail.

Ipswich moved back up to second place in the Sky Bet Championship following a 2-0 win at Plymouth.

Kieffer Moore sealed Town’s win after Conor Chaplin’s shot was deflected in by home defender Brendan Galloway in the 63rd minute.

Argyle’s top scorer Morgan Whittaker forced an early save from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.

The keeper palmed the ball to Darko Gyabi, but the Leeds loanee sent a fierce low drive just wide of the upright from the edge of the box.

Ipswich countered, with target man Moore’s header bringing a 14th-minute save from Argyle goalkeeper Conor Hazard.

Hladky did well to punch away Adam Randell’s inswinging corner as the home side again tried applying pressure on their high-flying visitors.

Omari Hutchinson saw a goal-bound shot blocked after being teed up by impressive midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento.

In the 35th minute, Whittaker’s 25-yard shot was blocked but fell to striker Ryan Hardie on the edge of the box and his rising drive flew just over.

And shortly afterwards Ipswich defender Luke Woolfenden made a brilliant clearance off the line to keep out Mickel Miller’s volley.

The half ended with Ipswich pressing and Leif Davis’s corner from the right needed to be cleared at the near post by a defender’s diving header.

Whittaker tried an audacious chip from 40 yards after spotting Hladky off his line early in the second half, but the ball flew just over.

Moore was again denied by Hazard in the 55th minute as the striker headed goalwards from Davis’s far-post cross from the left.

Hutchinson sent a curling shot just wide of the far upright after 56 minutes with Hazard beaten and then forced a superb diving save from the keeper on the hour.

The ball looped up to Chaplin and his header was helped on – and over the bar – by Moore.

Chaplin benefited from a huge slice of fortune three minutes later as his 18-yard shot deflected off Galloway, completely wrong-footing Hazard, with the ball spinning into the opposite corner of the goal.

Ipswich doubled their lead in the 74th minute as Davis sent over another cross from the right. Cameron Burgess headed the ball on to Chaplin and Moore finished with a half-volley at the far post.

Miller went closest for Plymouth with a 78th-minute shot on the run from outside the box that beat Hladky but smashed off the foot of a post and across the face of goal.

Dwight Gayle scored his first Derby goal and Louie Sibley bagged a brace in a comfortable 3-0 win over struggling Port Vale.

It keeps Derby second in League One and leaves Vale without a win this year and deep in relegation trouble.

Derby made a lively start and went ahead in the fourth minute through Sibley whose shot took a big deflection to beat Connor Ripley.

The Vale keeper denied Derby a second in the 11th minute with a double save from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Max Bird before Tom Barkhuizen fired over from eight yards for the hosts.

Vale appeared to have weathered the storm but they conceded again in the 44th minute with Gayle planting a precision header from 12 yards past Ripley.

Ben Garrity headed a Vale corner wide at the start of the second half but Derby sealed victory in the 58th minute when Joe Ward crossed to the back post and Sibley finished emphatically.

Derby could have added further goals while third-bottom Vale failed to register a shot on target.

Luke Williams finally earned his first league home victory as Swansea head coach at the fifth attempt with a 2-1 win against Blackburn.

Williams’ previous four Sky Bet Championship matches in front of Swansea fans had all ended in defeat, but first-half goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson enabled him to break that sequence.

The Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back for Blackburn just past the hour mark, but Rovers were unable to make their second-half dominance pay.

It meant back-to-back league wins for the Swans for the first time since October.

But Blackburn are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and although they are 17th in the table, they are only a point above the drop zone.

Swansea started positively and were rewarded when they went ahead in the seventh minute through Allen’s second goal of the season.

Winger Przemyslaw Placheta did the hard yards on the left and when his cross was not cleared properly, former Wales international Allen was able to drill his shot downwards and bounce it into the far corner.

Blackburn found the pace of Placheta and fellow wide man Ronald difficult to handle, with Kyle McFadzean picking up an early yellow card for a foul on Ronald.

But Rovers also added to their own troubles by giving the ball away and it was from such an error that they fell 2-0 behind after 19 minutes.

Andrew Moran lost possession under pressure from Swans skipper Matt Grimes with the ball falling into the path of Paterson.

He swept past McFadzean before firing low past Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears from the edge of the box.

Rovers’ own attacking threat was minimal in the opening half hour with a shot from Callum Brittain that flashed past the far post, and another from the wing-back that was held by keeper Carl Rushworth.

But their efforts intensified just before the break and Tyrhys Dolan saw one effort saved and another go just wide of the post.

Blackburn made two substitutions at half-time – bringing on Arnor Sigurdsson and Yasin Ayari – and looked more threatening.

It needed two timely interventions from Swansea centre-back Ben Cabango to keep out Rovers striker Sam Gallagher as the visitors looked for a way back into the contest.

Cabango stepped up for a third time to block an effort from Szmodics, but moments later Rovers’ top scorer had pulled a goal back with his 25th of the season in all competitions.

A free-kick on the right from John Buckley reached Szmodics and the striker reacted sharply to sweep the ball home in the 67th minute.

Blackburn were now in the ascendancy and Swansea were clinging on to their narrow advantage.

But from a rare home breakout, substitute Jerry Yates should have given Swansea breathing space, only for the striker to dither over his shot which enabled Pears to save.

Despite defending for most of the nine minutes of added time, Williams’ side kept Rovers at bay.

Darwin Nunez marked his return to action with a stoppage-time winner to snatch Premier League leaders Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.

The Uruguay striker headed home in the ninth minute of added time to lift Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit side four points clear at the top of the table.

It appeared that three games in seven days had caught up with the Merseysiders, but Nunez’s last-gasp winner clinched them a first league win at the City Ground in almost 40 years and 14 matches.

It was cruel luck on Forest, who have now won only one of their last seven league games.

Divock Origi had Forest fans on the edge of their seats with the game’s first shot on goal in the 15th minute as his low 25-yard effort against his former club fizzed past Caoimhin Kelleher’s left-hand post.

Liverpool’s response was immediate, with the returning Luis Diaz’s angled drive being deflected for a corner before Forest should have taken the lead.

Origi’s precise pass sprang Anthony Elanga clear one-on-one with Kelleher, who saved brilliantly with his legs to deny the Sweden forward.

Forest defender Murillo then thwarted Diaz in front of goal as a high-tempo first half ebbed and flowed.

Recalled Forest goalkeeper Mats Selz kept Liverpool at bay at the start of the second period, saving from Andy Robertson, back in action after illness, and Alexis Mac Allister in quick succession.

Liverpool stepped up the pressure but were struggling to carve out chances and Klopp sent on Darwin Nunez for his first appearance in four matches along with Wataru Endo.

Teenager Bobby Clark made way for Nunez having made his first Premier League start, while Robertson went off for Japan midfielder Endo.

Nuno was quickly into the action, firing into the side-netting, but it was Forest who threatened to break the deadlock when Elanga’s first-time effort from Harry Toffolo’s cross was off target.

Liverpool teenager Jayden Danns made his first Premier League appearance as a late substitute for Cody Gakpo as the visitors pressed for a winner.

Forest skipper Ryan Yates brilliantly blocked Nunez’s shot on the edge of the box, but after Morgan Gibbs-White’s effort was blocked at the other end, Forest were punished for failing to clear a corner.

Mac Allister swung over a cross from the right and Nunez stole in between Forest’s defenders to secure Liverpool a sixth straight win in all competitions.

Mark O’Hara and Toyosi Olusanya scored in stoppage time to earn St Mirren a 2-1 home win and deny Neil Warnock his first league victory as interim Aberdeen manager.

Connor Barron’s goal after just 62 seconds looked set to earn the Dons a first league win for two months.

But substitute Olusanya won a penalty after a long VAR delay that was converted by O’Hara before just moments later the striker volleyed in what proved to be the winner to improve Saints’ top-six chances.

St Mirren were unchanged from the team that started their midweek draw away to Ross County, with Conor McMenamin fit enough for a place on the bench.

Aberdeen, in turn, made four changes after losing to St Johnstone.

In came Nicky Devlin, Junior Hoilett, Killian Phillips and Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes, with Jack Milne, Jonny Hayes, Jamie McGrath and Leighton Clarkson all dropping out.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino took a seat in the main stand after attending the IFAB AGM at Loch Lomond earlier in the day.

He was treated to a stunning goal after just 62 seconds as Aberdeen took an early lead.

Duk made a great run down the right wing before putting in a cross that was knocked out by Alex Gogic but only as far as Barron, who lashed a shot high in the net from 25 yards.

St Mirren rallied but a Greg Kiltie header from Scott Tanser’s cross was easily saved by Kelle Roos.

The home side should have drawn level when Zach Hemming’s deep free-kick was pushed on to the post by opposite number Roos after being helped on by Tanser.

The ball ran across the face of the goal but Lewis Jamieson couldn’t finish from close range. VAR checked for a penalty but it wasn’t given.

The forward tried a more spectacular attempt in Saints’ next attack only for his volley to clip the bar and go over despite his protests that Roos had saved it.

Aberdeen replied with a Barron header from a corner that went just wide before Mikael Mandron was similarly off target at the other end. Again VAR checked for a penalty for a foul on Mandron but once more it wasn’t given.

The visitors had been kept quiet for much of the first half but had a chance early in the second, Hoilett crossing for Bojan Miovski who headed over.

St Mirren had a chance to equalise but Elvis Bwomono sliced his shot wide at the back post while, in a rare Aberdeen attack, Phillips volleyed high into the stand.

Aberdeen looked like holding out for the win but Nicky Devlin tripped Olusanya and, after a three-minute delay, VAR decided it had been inside rather than outside the box.

O’Hara finished from the spot but Saints weren’t done there as McMenamin crossed from the right and Jonah Ayunga headed it back across for Olusanya to volley past Roos.

Leicester’s lead at the top of the Championship has been cut to just three points with 11 games to go after relegation-threatened QPR claimed a surprise 2-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.

Goals from Ilias Chair and substitute Sinclair Armstrong – who scored with his first touch after coming on just before the hour – earned improving Rangers their third successive victory.

The Foxes quickly pulled a goal back through teenage defender Ben Nelson but they could not find an equaliser as they slumped to a third league defeat in a row, with second-placed Ipswich Town now closing in on them.

The result was a valuable one for QPR, but lifted them just one place up the table and they remain outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Leicester began the game boosted by promotion rivals Leeds drawing at struggling Huddersfield, but they suffered an early blow when midfielder Dennis Praet had to come off injured after 15 minutes, Yunus Akgun taking his place.

Enzo Maresca’s side dominated possession and Harry Winks came close to opening the scoring when he curled a shot just wide of the far post from 20 yards out.

QPR full-back Kenneth Paal then stopped Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall putting Leicester ahead after 26 minutes when he turned away a cross from Yunus for a corner.

But Rangers soaked up the pressure and broke away to take the lead after 38 minutes. Chris Willock advanced on the right-hand side and found Lyndon Dykes whose cross was met by Chair and he squeezed the ball just inside the post.

Armstrong came on as a 57th-minute substitute for QPR and made an immediate impact to give Marti Cifuentes’ side a two-goal lead.

Jimmy Dunne’s header found Sam Field in the penalty area and he stopped the ball before Armstrong followed up to score with a powerful drive.

Leicester pulled a goal back three minutes later to give themselves a lifeline.

Stephy Mavididi rolled a free-kick to Dewsbury-Hall and although his shot was pushed out by Rangers goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, Leicester defender Nelson followed up to clip the ball in.

It was the 19-year-old’s first senior goal and gave his side some hope of forcing their way back into the game.

With 21 minutes left, Abdul Fatawu cut in from the right and curled a shot just over the bar, as he tried a repeat of his winning goal in the midweek FA Cup tie at Bournemouth.

But Leicester struggled to break the Rangers defence down and could not force an equaliser.

Chair had a chance of a third goal for QPR in stoppage time, but he put his shot wide with only Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to beat.

Leicester’s final chance to level the scores disappeared when Winks had a shot charged down.

The game was reminiscent of Leicester’s previous home game against Middlesbrough when they also went two goals behind and could not recover.

But some Foxes players surrounded the match officials at the final whistle as they claimed a late penalty should have been given in their favour.

Bristol Rovers grabbed a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient thanks to a Chris Martin goal, despite playing out the final few minutes with 10-men after James Wilson was sent off.

Rovers, who were forced into a change after just four minutes when defender Jack Hunt left the pitch with a leg injury, should have scored the opener in the 13th minute when the dangerous Scott Sinclair teed up Luke Thomas but he completely missed his kick with the goal beckoning.

However, the lively visitors grabbed a deserved lead on the half-hour mark from a set-piece. Skipper Antony Evans curled in a teasing free-kick and Martin claimed the faintest of touches as the ball found its way into the far corner of the net.

Orient totally dominated possession after the interval but were unable to unlock a resilient and resolute opposition.

Wilson was given a straight red card by referee Darren Drysdale eight minutes from time for an off-the-ball incident with Brandon Cooper, but despite incessant pressure and a total of 17 corners, Orient were unable to capitalise.

Promotion-chasing Stevenage were held to a goalless draw at Lincoln.

Michael Skubala’s hosts stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games as they stopped Steve Evans’ side from going five points clear in the play-off race.

The draw ended a three-game winning streak for Lincoln, who have impressively kept four clean sheets on the spin, not conceding in 378 minutes of football.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans was booked for remonstrating with the officials in the first half.

The two sides cancelled each other out in a scrappy opening period, with Joe Taylor blasting over from Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s cross for the hosts the best chance of the half.

The visitors were relieved when Carl Piergianni blocked Paudie O’Connor’s header at the far post.

Jamie Reid could only nod straight at Lincoln goalkeeper Lukas Jensen when he should have done better before Evans made a quadruple substitution in a bid to snatch the points.

Freddie Draper nodded over late on for City as neither side were able to find a breakthrough.

Kwame Poku kept Peterborough in the promotion picture with a second-half winner in a 2-1 triumph against Exeter.

Poku struck the decisive blow with a fine 68th-minute finish from just inside the box for his 10th goal of the campaign.

The winner saw boss Darren Ferguson’s tactical tweaks pay dividends after Poku had been shifted into a central position earlier in the second half.

Posh had previously hit the front in just the fourth minute when Ephron Mason-Clark pounced for his 17th goal of the season after Malik Mothersille’s strike was parried by Viljami Sinisalo.

But League One’s lowest scorers City clawed their way level nine minutes before the break when Tom Carroll struck for the first time in almost seven years.

The midfield man – whose last goal came for Swansea in an April 2017 Premier League clash against Stoke – was a fortunate scorer with a 20-yard half-volley which took a huge deflection off Jadel Katongo and looped agonisingly over keeper Jed Steer.

Vincent Harper then squandered an excellent chance to put Exeter ahead early in the second period before Posh took control and Poku earned the points – but not before ex-Posh man Mo Eisa and debutant Millenic Alli went close for City in nine minutes of stoppage time..

Zian Flemming’s early free-kick was enough for Millwall to defeat Watford 1-0 at The Den and make it two wins from two since manager Neil Harris’ return to the club.

With several of their fellow strugglers also picking up results, coming away with maximum points was imperative for the Lions as it keeps them one point clear of the Championship relegation zone.

Watford are six points clear of trouble, but after their fifth defeat in six games their form is leaving them in danger of being dragged into the increasingly congested battle against the drop.

Millwall were ahead after just three minutes when Flemming’s deflected free-kick from over 25 yards out found the bottom corner, with Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer getting hands to it but unable to keep it out.

The visitors had a quick chance to equalise when some sloppy marking from a throw-in led to Vakoun Bayo firing a shot into the side netting.

Hamer was having an uncomfortable afternoon and almost cost the Hornets for a second time when he allowed a long ball to drift past him, but he was bailed out by Duncan Watmore’s effort from an acute angle striking the post.

Matija Sarkic was tested for the first time at the other end when the Montenegro international got down to keep hold of Yaser Asprilla’s shot.

Captain Wesley Hoedt then bent a free-kick just over for Watford, who remained behind at the break after an error-strewn first-half performance.

Needlessly giving passes away was something that also afflicted Millwall in the opening stages of the second half, leading to what was an untidy period in the game.

The Hornets forged a half-chance in the 57th minute when Jamal Lewis drove a low ball from the left that Bayo could not direct on target after attacking the near post.

Both attacks were feeding off scraps, with Millwall’s Michael Obafemi forced to improvise from a Ryan Leonard long throw as he sent an overhead kick over the bar.

Ismael Kone was brought on by Hornets boss Valerien Ismael alongside Ryan Andrews, and the former sent a long-range effort over with 15 minutes left, with his side still searching for some fluency in attack.

They were at least pushing Millwall further back, although Jake Livermore’s effort from outside the box was easily dealt with by Sarkic.

That was as close as Watford came to forcing an equaliser, despite their late pressure, as the hosts picked up three more vital points.