Blackburn moved to within two points of the play-offs with a 2-1 win over Bristol City.

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men halted a two-game losing streak thanks to Arnor Sigurdsson’s fifth of the campaign in the 35th minute before Scott Wharton’s towering header early in the second half doubled their advantage.

However, they were made to work for the points thanks to a spirited response from the Robins who pulled a goal back in the 60th minute through Mark Sykes’ close-range finish and from there, the visitors were the much better side.

Liam Manning’s side could easily have come away with a share of the spoils but found Blackburn goalkeeper Leo Wahlstedt in inspired form and he made a hat-trick of late saves to thwart Jason Knight.

Rovers remain well placed for a top-six push but while City have only won one of six under Manning, they can take heart from a performance that so nearly produced a fightback.

The Robins frustrated the hosts early on and created the best chances, though Sam Bell’s 10th-minute effort sailed wide of the upright. Tommy Conway almost profited from sloppy play from Adam Wharton but his ferocious effort was too high.

Blackburn were uncharacteristically loose in possession but found their feet and after Sammie Szmodics curled a free-kick just wide, they took the lead 10 minutes before the break with their first flowing move of the game when Adam Wharton’s pass was flicked by Szmodics into Sigurdsson whose touch took him into the area and he casually lifted the ball into the left corner.

It boosted the hosts who finished the half strongly and doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute when Adam Wharton’s deep corner found his brother Scott who rose powerfully to head home at the back post.

The visitors fought back admirably with Conway flashing one just wide soon after before they halved the deficit on the hour.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman pounced on a loose ball before Jason Knight cleverly fed Sykes on the right to slot home from 12 yards for his fourth goal of the season.

It completely changed the complexion of the game and Knight was thwarted three times by Wahlstedt.

First, his low 25-yard drive was parried behind by the sprawling keeper, before a lung-busting Sykes run and cross found the midfielder who swivelled and shot but Wahlstedt was down smartly again to deny him.

Knight went close again with 10 minutes remaining but could only direct his header straight at Sykes and though they kept pressing, City could not force the elusive equaliser.

Huddersfield manager Darren Moore say his side were left “kicking themselves” after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City.

Delano Burgzorg opened the scoring for the hosts but Tommy Conway equalised in the second half.

Moore said: “They were difficult conditions for both teams. Both sides liked to get the ball down and play, considering it got worse in the second half we’re obviously pleased to get the breakaway goal with what we did.

“We grew into the game. I think David Kasumu did some incredible work to get up the pitch and then have the composure to pick Delano Burgzorg out.

“I said we’ll probably kick ourselves in the second half. For their goal, we chose the wrong decisions on the ball and they were able to capitalise on it.

“As the conditions worsened, we had to show a lot of resilience. One or two of our players ran out of gas, which we expected. Credit to the subs who came on, who dug in and saw us through.

“For the goal to come in the manner it did, at the time we were playing well in good areas. For it to come so early in the second half, it gave them momentum.

“We had to be solid off the ball and we had to exploit areas when we were on the ball. When the equaliser went in the impetus and momentum fell with them.”

Burgzorg struck after a devastating first-half counter-attack spearheaded by the impressive Kasumu, who picked the ball up in his own half and drove 40 yards forward before sliding in Burgzorg to score.

Conway capped off a tidy move for the Robins straight after the break, slotting home Andreas Weimann’s precise cross to equalise after Rob Dickie had found Weimann wide on the left with a defence-splitting ball.

City manager Liam Manning said: “From our perspective it was a frustrating game.

“We created two terrific chances in the first two minutes and especially in the first 20 minutes we had some real control.

“Huddersfield were extremely well organised. Despite us having control for that 20 minutes, we were always vulnerable.

“We were frustrated and disappointed to give away the goal. With the manner of the goal it was such a big momentum shift. There were a couple of tweaks we needed to make out of possession but on the whole the first half was what I wanted to see.

“We had some stern words at half-time. We’ve given too many goals away recently that have been on us. For all the good play you have to have a ruthless edge and that’s at both ends.

“Of course some people would think that means creating and scoring goals, but that also means being ruthless in the control you have in the game so you can’t give up counter-attacking opportunities, which they scored from.

“I was delighted with the response we got at half-time. The second half didn’t fall quite tactically as we wanted it to but we carried on balancing the emotional side to the tactical side.

“Darren’s side play with great honesty and hard work. Well organised and set up too, he does a terrific job of that.”

Substitute Adam Idah scored a stoppage-time winner as Norwich came from behind to earn a 2-1 Championship victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Jason Knight fired the home side ahead in the 34th minute with a crisp finish from 12 yards after Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn had parried a low George Tanner cross into his path.

But the visitors drew level 13 minutes after the break when an intended cross from the left by Dimitris Giannoulis deflected off defender Tanner to wrong-foot Max O’Leary and beat him at his near post.

The match was deep into five minutes of injury time when Idah outpaced Zak Vyner onto a long ball forward and held off the centre-back before firing low into the bottom corner.

Bristol City had wasted good opportunities to extend their lead at 1-0 and could have no complaints, having failed to create significant openings in the second half.

Norwich started the game brightly and forced three early corners, but the first 20 minutes were largely forgettable.

The game sprang to life when Robins midfielder Taylor Gardner-Hickman brought a diving save from Gunn with a sweetly-struck drive from outside the box.

Suddenly both sides created openings. Ashley Barnes fired over for Norwich with a volley and seconds later team-mate Onel Hernandez hit a post with a first-time shot from Jonathan Rowe’s cross.

Mark Sykes shot narrowly wide for the hosts before Knight’s precise finish broke the deadlock.

Tommy Conway then had two good chances to extend the lead, but shot tamely at Gunn and then was denied by a brave save from the Norwich keeper as he broke clear onto a Sykes pass.

Knight saw a header from a right-wing corner tipped over by Gunn as the home side finished the first half strongly.

Norwich regrouped at the interval and began well again, Barnes and Marcelino Nunez testing O’Leary before the visitors drew level just before the hour.

The equaliser was fortunate, but merited, as Tanner’s deflection took Giannoulis’ ball into the area past O’Leary.

Tanner’s afternoon went from bad to worse when he was cautioned for a foul on Giannoulis that saw the Norwich player hobble off and be substituted.

Bristol City were looking well-drilled under new head coach Liam Manning and passed the ball neatly to spread the play without being able to carve out the chances they created in the first half.

Knight sent a half-volley from the edge of the box high over the crossbar as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Norwich defended their box strongly and threatened on the break, but also lacked the final pass to add to their goal tally until Idah’s dramatic late strike.

David Wagner’s players celebrated in front of their travelling fans at the final whistle, having shown good spirit to claim the three points.

Southampton manager Russell Martin still wants more from his promotion-chasing Saints despite extending their unbeaten run to 10 games with a 1-0 victory over Bristol City.

Kyle Walker-Peters scored a second-half belter to give Saints a fourth victory in their last five, which included their first home clean sheet since March.

But despite keeping pace at the top of the Sky Bet Championship, Martin thinks there is still plenty more to come from his side.

“It can’t just be lucky for 10 games,” said Martin. “One game, two games even four games you can be a bit lucky but 10 games isn’t lucky.

“I am happy, I might not seem it as you always want more, but I am happy.

“We had two scary moments but were dominant without having any purpose with the ball but the second half was amazing.

“We just need to score more goals and we should have done tonight.

“I know the expectation here is to win and beat everyone by four goals, I want to as well, and tonight if we get a second then the game changes completely but we can’t do that at the moment for one reason or another.

“It took a brilliant goal to win but it shouldn’t have to, we should have scored more.”

Saints squandered several chances in the first half, and were indebted to their keeper Gavin Bazunu for two sensational moments.

Firstly, the Ireland keeper brilliantly clawed Mark Sykes’ close-range header off the line before quickly coming off his line and diving at the feet of Tommy Conway in a one-versus-one.

Saints scored 109 seconds in the second half to settle the match.

Adam Armstrong looked like he had run down a cul-de-sac but wriggled back down the right side of the box to find Walker-Peters.

The right-back took the ball inside before curling into the top corner with his left foot for his second goal of the season.

Liam Manning lost for the first time since replacing Nigel Pearson as Bristol City boss.

Manning said: “I thought in the first half the game plan worked and we frustrated them while still playing. We created some terrific opportunities and we needed to take them.

“It was a poor start to the second half, with in two minutes the ball in in our net.

“We’ll lose games but I can’t complain about my players. They gave everything.

“Momentum is big in football. We knew first five minutes they would come out and have a right go and we needed to see through that phase.

“We have lost to a moment of high quality so there are mixed emotions for me at the moment.”

Kyle Walker-Peters’ stunning strike sent promotion-chasing Southampton to a 1-0 victory over Bristol City and extended their unbeaten Sky Bet Championship run to 10 matches.

Right-back Walker-Peters rifled in the winner from the edge of the box just after half-time.

It condemned Robins boss Liam Manning to his first defeat since replacing Nigel Pearson and saw Saints keep their first home clean sheet since March 4 – thanks partly to two stunning pieces of keeping from Gavin Bazunu.

Southampton spent the majority of the first half attempting to break down two well-disciplined banks of City players.

But found a few moments to warm a heavy-coat-clad St Mary’s crowd.

Kamaldeen Sulemana was the biggest threat with his burst of pace down the left but his finish in the seventh minute lacked the ferocity to beat goalkeeper Max O’Leary.

Top scorer Adam Armstrong had a shot blocked before curling over, while Tommy Conway headed over when unmarked at a corner at the other end.

The first time O’Leary was tested wasn’t until the 28th minute when Stuart Armstrong skidded a powerful shot at him. The initial effort was fumbled but the keeper quickly gathered.

City, who had mainly threatened on the break, had the best two chances of the first half but found Bazunu at his best in the Saints goal.

Firstly, the Ireland keeper brilliantly clawed Mark Sykes’ close-range header off the line before quickly coming off his line and diving at the feet of Conway in a one-versus-one.

Che Adams sliced a shot wide for the misfiring hosts but the fans saved their half-time ire for referee Keith Stroud having felt unfavoured by his decisions.

Saints have gathered a reputation of being slow after the interval but bucked that trend by scoring 109 seconds into the second half.

Adam Armstrong looked like he had run down a cul-de-sac but wriggled back down the right side of the box to find Walker-Peters. The right-back took the ball inside before curling into the top corner with his left foot for his second goal of the season.

Saints pushed for a second. Adam Armstrong bullied his way to a chance in the City box before Carlos Alcaraz bent wide in the 59th minute.

The same two attackers caused issues again seven minutes later, with O’Leary twice getting down low to keep his side in the match.

City thought they should have been awarded a penalty late on but Stroud disagreed that Taylor Harwood-Bellis had handled when sliding to block a cross.

Liam Manning admitted a cool exterior belied a racing heartbeat after his first home game as Bristol City head coach produced a 3-2 Championship victory from a five-goal thriller.

The Robins looked on course for a comfortable win when Taylor Gardner-Hickman curled a superb first goal for the club after 37 minutes and Tommy Conway doubled the advantage with a penalty just before the break after Matty James had been fouled.

But Boro roared back to level by the 52nd minute through Zak Vyner’s headed own goal and a Matt Crooks shot before Mark Sykes volleyed home a 67th-minute winner from an acute angle.

Manning punched the air at the final whistle, having taken four points from his first two games as successor to Nigel Pearson.

“That was nice and relaxing,” he joked after being asked to evaluate his first game in charge at Ashton Gate.

“There are less stressful ways to spend a Saturday afternoon and my heart is still racing. But I consider myself in a privileged position as head coach of a great club.

“Overall I’m delighted. The second half didn’t start as we had planned, but we will learn from that and the way the players defended the lead after going 3-2 up was fantastic.

“We worked in training on four of the lads defending against eight attackers and it was a bit like that in the closing stages when every player had to show great commitment.

“The most positive sign was the number of quality chances we created against a very good side. The crowd played their part and I felt very proud to be on the touchline at Ashton Gate in charge of a Bristol City team.

“You never stop learning in this game and if you think you know it all, you shouldn’t be involved.

“I have great faith in the squad I have inherited and we have a lot of young players who will improve with age and experience.”

Boro boss Michael Carrick sent his side out early for the second half, but made it clear there were no teacups thrown during the interval.

He said: “I just told the players to believe in what they are good at. Do what they do best. In the second half we were more like our usual selves.

“We controlled the game for long periods so I’m very disappointed to be going home with nothing.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty because our player got a touch on the ball, but that’s football.

“We paid for a messy five minutes in the first half and one in the second. Other than that, we played some good stuff.

“When those little moments catch you out, you can find yourselves with too much to do.

“The boys were good chasing the game in the second half and then one lapse has cost us.

“All their goals came from isolated incidents. First a shot into the top corner no goalkeeper would have saved, then a penalty and then a corner.

“We didn’t manage the minutes leading up to half-time well enough. But the players responded really well after the break and we looked the only team likely to win.

“Bristol City were well organised and asked questions of us. I wish Liam all the best in his new job.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes insists he is “very confident” he will lead the club away from trouble in the Championship despite their winless run continuing with a goalless draw against Bristol City at Loftus Road.

City defended well in their first match under Liam Manning following his recent arrival from Oxford as successor to Nigel Pearson.

Cifuentes can take some encouragement from his team’s display in his first home game at the helm.

But the west London side have now gone 11 matches without a win, continue to struggle to create clear-cut chances and remain one off the bottom of the table, having won only once at home in more than a year.

Cifuentes has employed a radically different style of play to the route-one tactics of his predecessor Gareth Ainsworth, who presided over six consecutive defeats prior to his recent sacking.

QPR have returned to a passing style and Cifuentes is convinced that will pay off.

Cifuentes said: “There are mixed feelings. Unfortunately we couldn’t deliver the victory. It was not the result we wanted but I am looking forward to building the togetherness I saw today. I think we can be really strong in the future.

“Despite the result, my job is to make sure that we start to win games. I do think it’s a step in the right direction.

“I see a stable team and one that is striving to have a clear identity – how they want to play from the back and have the courage to pass the ball.

“The identity of the team is starting to show. I feel we are taking steps but we have to be critical and say it hasn’t been enough to win games.

“Over time I’m very confident that this style of play can give us the results we’re looking for,” said the Spaniard.

“I do think that we have the tools inside the squad to play the football we want to and I’m very confident that this will give us the results we want.”

Meanwhile, Manning also saw reasons to feel optimistic after seeing the Robins make a solid start to his reign.

“There was some really positive stuff,” Manning said.

“We’ve worked on our shape out of possession and we saw that come out. There were a lot of positives with the out-of-possession stuff.

“We didn’t concede a shot on target, so when you look from the defensive side of it there were a lot of good things.

“In possession, we know that can improve. But we finished the stronger side in the last 20 minutes and got in some terrific areas.

“It’s been a whirlwind week but I have to give the players a huge amount of credit for how they’ve adapted to the work we’ve asked them to do.

“A pleasing aspect is the clean sheet and also the behaviours you saw – there were people there who maxed out and were running on empty at the end.

“If we want to be the best team that we can be, then that’s going to be important.”

QPR and Bristol City played out a 0-0 draw at Loftus Road, highlighting that their new managers both have work to do.

City defended well in their first match under Liam Manning in a solid but unspectacular start to his reign following his recent arrival from Oxford as successor to Nigel Pearson.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes will take some encouragement from his team’s display in his first home game at the helm.

But the west London side have now gone 11 matches without a win, continue to struggle to create clear-cut chances and remain one off the bottom of the Championship table, having won only once at home in more than a year.

Draws in his first two games represents a reasonable start for Cifuentes given that he inherited a team which had suffered six consecutive defeats, leading to the sacking of Gareth Ainsworth, but Rangers need to pick up wins soon.

They at least look less prone to defensive errors – a problem which constantly plagued them during Ainsworth’s troubled spell in charge.

QPR striker Lyndon Dykes had a couple of sights of goal in the first half, heading Kenneth Paal’s right-wing corner well over and seeing a shot blocked by Matty James following Paal’s free-kick.

The home side also appealed in vain for a penalty when Paul Smyth’s cross struck Zak Vyner’s arm.

City themselves had appeals for a penalty waved away after the interval when Paal appeared to handle the ball as he challenged Anis Mehmeti.

City then absorbed a period of QPR pressure in which Andre Dozzell shot over and Smyth fired wide of the near post after being found by Dykes.

Cifuentes sent on Sinclair Armstrong in place of Dykes in an attempt to break the deadlock – and the young striker caused City some problems with his pace and power, unsuccessfully appealing for a penalty after going down in the box under a challenge from Vyner.

But the Robins were largely comfortable as QPR, without suspended playmaker Ilias Chair, ran out of ideas in the final stages, with Elijah Dixon-Bonner slicing a shot wide after being teed up by fellow substitute Taylor Richards.

City threatened late on, with Mark Sykes causing problems for QPR on the right flank, but they lacked a cutting edge up front and the draw was very much a fair result.

Curtis Fleming admitted his future was uncertain after starting his spell as Bristol City’s interim head coach with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Sheffield Wednesday.

The Irishman stepped up to replace sacked manager Nigel Pearson, but has no intention of putting his name forward as a permanent replacement.

Rob Dickie’s close-range strike from Tommy Conway’s 64th-minute cross was enough to secure the points against opponents reduced to 10 men after 32 minutes when Barry Bannan was shown a straight red card for fouling Jason Knight on the edge of the box.

Fleming hailed it as “a huge win at the end of an emotional week” before admitting he had no idea what the future held for him.

“I am just taking things day by day,” he said. “I will enjoy a glass of beer tonight and then see what the club’s plans are going forward.

“If it proves my only game in charge, at least I will have a 100 per cent record!

“It has been a tough few days, losing friends who have left and trying to prepare the players for what we knew was going to be a massive game for us.

“You try to paint pictures for them in training, but those pictures can change when the lads are performing in front of 20,000 people.

“I tried to tweak a few things and some worked better than others. We can play better, but sometimes the result is more important than the performance.

“What I couldn’t fault was the effort of the players. The last five minutes seemed to go on forever. But in the end we have the three points and that’s great.

“It makes such a difference in a tightly-packed table. Now we can look forward positively to the next game.”

City should have gone two up after 72 minutes when Conway shot against a post and Sam Bell somehow contrived to hit the other upright from the rebound.

After that it took a brilliant Max O’Leary save from substitute Ashley Fletcher to prevent Wednesday from equalising.

Owls boss Danny Rohl said: “After the red card I saw a team on the pitch who were giving everything.

“I am so proud of them. We had three or four chances to equalise and deserved something from the game.

“I didn’t think Barry deserved his red card. It was a foul, but we had two defenders covering, so it was not a clear scoring chance.

“Bristol City are a strong side, who press high, but we feel a bit unlucky today.

“Things tend to go against you when you are at the wrong end of the table.

“Now we have to recover and move on. We know we need wins, but I saw so much to please me.

“In my short time at the club I have seen players with the right mentality for a fight.

“At the moment things are not going our way, but if we continue to create chances that will change.

“It’s about maintaining a belief and conviction that results will come and I am seeing that in training and matches.

“We have to keep working hard to reward our fans, who were fantastic today.”

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut savoured a Severnside derby victory as Rubin Colwill replied to recent criticism from his manager with a first league goal for 19 months.

Colwill sealed Cardiff’s 2-0 win over Bristol City in stoppage time with a superb strike as the Bluebirds climbed to fifth in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Wales international’s first league goal since March 2022 – cutting between two defenders before rifling a ferocious angled drive in to the roof of the net – came after Bulut said he had a problem with him and team-mate Callum Robinson over their work-rate.

Bulut said: “I was clear what I wanted from those two players. Offensively they are good.

“We saw again from Colwill a great goal, last game Robinson scored and also worked a lot here.

“Defensively they are doing much better than before. I am expecting this because we are 11 on the field and I need 11 players, not 10.

“They understand what I want. I am honest with my players. I don’t tell them anything else. I tell them exactly what I want.

“The good thing is that they try to give me back what I went from them. This makes me happy.”

Colwill has scored twice in the Carabao Cup this season, but the 21-year-old has yet to start a Championship game under Bulut.

He has also lost his place in Rob Page’s Wales squad and dropped down to the under-21 set up after playing in the World Cup last year.

“Rubin is doing well for a long time,” insisted Bulut. “When we put him on, we get this performance that we want to see.

“I hope only for him and I can give him my advice, to not stop, to continue.

“It was not an easy game. After the last game where we won 4-0 against Huddersfield, I said to my team ‘we cannot celebrate, we have to continue to work’.

“We did and this is a good result for my team. I am glad to see this performance from the players.”

Bristol City have lost five of their last seven games and boss Nigel Pearson continues to contend with a lengthy casualty list.

“I can’t get injured players back and unfortunately, we’ve got a small squad anyway,” said Pearson.

“There wasn’t much in the game. We conceded two goals from our own possession but we didn’t create much.

“Cardiff might be doing OK, but I wouldn’t put them up with the best sides at all.

“It was a game with a team in a good seam that capitalised on our mistakes. They didn’t outplay us.”

Kieran McKenna called any comparison between his Ipswich team and Sir Alf Ramsey’s “premature” after their 1-0 win at Bristol City.

The young manager saw Nathan Broadhead’s low 16th-minute shot secure a 10th Championship win from 12 games, improving on the club’s previous best start to a season in the second tier under Ramsey in 1960-61.

Both sides hit a post in a thrilling encounter, skipper Sam Morsy for Ipswich at the end of the first half and substitute Harry Cornick for City when his shot rolled agonisingly along the goal-line before being cleared.

Ipswich survived a late onslaught and a delighted McKenna said: “We are enjoying the moment, but any comparison with great Ipswich teams and managers of the past is certainly premature.

“We want our fans to go on dreaming, but we are keeping feet firmly on the ground. This game showed how difficult it is to win Championship fixtures.

“For 65 minutes we played some really good football after they had made a good start and when we needed to show resilience at the end we did.

“Again the players have shown their thirst for winning matches. They were committed and we defended with organisation and spirit against a very good team.

“Perhaps we were a bit rusty at the start, but after that we began to play really well.

“We are aware that it is a unique start and that’s great. A gap is opening below Leicester City and ourselves, but we aren’t looking too closely at that because there is a very long way to go.”

City boss Nigel Pearson said: “We could feel unlucky because we played well.

“They are a good side and I couldn’t have asked more of my players. It was a really good game.

“You could see why they are on a good run, but we stretched them to the limit and they will be happy to have gone home with all three points.

“We maybe let them off the hook at times, not quite being able to find that elusive goal, but there were a lot of positives.

“Our substitutes had the desired impact, with Harry Cornick doing well in that respect.

“If we can perform like that with what at the moment is a narrow squad, then it augurs well.

“We have a number of injuries and hopefully we will get some players back over the next week or two.

“I can see why Ipswich are where they are in the table. They have good players, but also clearly a good atmosphere behind them.

“They play with a lot of togetherness.”

Nathan Broadhead fired the only goal as Ipswich maintained their impressive Championship record with a 1-0 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

The high-flying visitors went in front after 16 minutes when Broadhead accepted a George Hirst pass inside the box and drilled a right-footed shot past Max O’Leary from 15 yards.

It proved enough to settle an open, entertaining contest, which did credit to both teams.

The Robins came close to an equaliser in the second half, but were unable to overcome impressive opponents who closed the gap to leaders Leicester to five points with the first of their two games in hand.

Both clubs made one change, with City bringing in Jason Knight for Haydon Roberts and Ipswich replacing the injured Wes Burns with Kayden Jackson for their first game since October 7.

The hosts made a fast start. Sam Bell had a third-minute shot saved by Vaclav Hladky and Tommy Conway should have done better with a 12th-minute header straight at the Ipswich goalkeeper.

But soon Kieran McKenna’s team, cheered on a strong contingent of more than 2,000 travelling fans, were showing why they had begun the campaign so well.

O’Leary saved well from Conor Chaplin and Massimo Luongo and Rob Dickie made a goal-saving block before Broadhead broke the deadlock.

City responded well to going behind. Taylor Gardner-Hickman had a 27th-minute shot tipped over by Hladky and Matty James saw a volley blocked in a crowded penalty area.

O’Leary had to make another good save after 40 minutes, stretching to palm away a Hirst shot.

Just before the interval, Ipswich skipper Sam Morsy hit a sweet 25-yard shot that smacked against a post.

Ipswich began the second half where they had left off, O’Leary making another diving save to deny Leif Davis and Chaplin firing over with the City keeper stranded outside his box.

There was a scare for the visitors in the 63rd minute when Knight was fouled fractionally outside the penalty area and Conway’s low free-kick was gathered by Hladky.

Dickie headed over from a free-kick as City fought hard for an equaliser. But Ipswich remained dangerous and substitute Omari Hutchinson sent a low 74th-minute shot narrowly wide.

City substitute Harry Cornick went even closer moments later, his left-footed shot striking a post and the ball rolling agonisingly along the goal-line before being cleared.

The home side piled on the pressure in the closing stages and centre-back Dickie twice went close with headers.

But Town defended with an intensity and commitment to match their slick approach play and held on to claim three hard-earned points.

Expectations are high that Reggae Girl Khadija “Bunny” Shaw will enjoy another successful campaign to help Manchester City in their push to possibly cop a silverware this season.

The 26-year-old is already off to a good start, as she scored her first goal of the new campaign in City’s 2-1 win over Everton in FA Women’s League Cup action on Wednesday.

With a goal coming in her first start of the season, Shaw is expected to again lead the attack when Manchester City kick start Women’s Super League (WSL) action against Bristol City at Academy Stadium on Sunday.

With City currently third in the Women’s Super League standings on four points, Shaw said the expectations of her is no added pressure.

“No. No pressure. I love scoring goals and I always want to do my best to help the team,” she told SportsMax.TV.

Manager Gareth Taylor hailed the Jamaican for the leading role she has played since joining the club in 2021.

“She’s such an influential and a player the team looks to in terms of setting off everything we do whether it be attacking or without the ball,” Taylor said.

“She brings so much with her personality and the quality she has. It’s fantastic to have her back and nice for her to get off the mark so early in the season,” he added.

Shaw bagged 31 goals in all competitions last season which earned her City’s Player-of-the-Season award, as the club finished fourth in the league.

She then endured a busy summer, turning out for Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the Caribbean side had an historic run to the round of 16 before bowing out to Colombia.

Shaw also featured in the Olympic qualifying playoff fixtures against Canada last month. She started in the home contest which the Girlz lost 0-2 but sat out the second leg encounter due to injury, as Canada won 2-1 in Toronto.

Taylor explained that Shaw needed to be managed properly once returning from international duty, which saw her miss the opener against West Ham, come off the bench against Chelsea before starting and playing an hour against Everton.

“Bunny had an unfortunate issue when she came back from Jamaica,” Taylor declared.

“The season she had last year and playing the role she did against Everton the other night, she created Jess Park’s goal and scored before we took her off,” he noted.

 

Leeds kept pace with the Sky Bet Championship play-off pack with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bristol City at Elland Road.

Daniel Farke’s side opened the scoring in the 37th minute when Dan James was in the right place to fire into the bottom corner after the visitors had failed to clear a flowing move by the home side.

Kal Naismith sent the sides in level at the break as he headed in a corner but Leeds regained the lead early in the second half through Joel Piroe’s neat finish from the edge of the area, which proved enough to earn all three points.

Leeds started on the front foot but from their first attack Ethan Ampadu sliced a volley off target.

City responded with a cross from the left by Nahki Wells but the ball flashed across goal just in front of the diving Rob Dickie.

Leeds should have taken the lead after 10 minutes when Crysencio Summerville found Georginio Rutter unmarked at the far post but he fired over the bar from two yards.

Ampadu then forced Max O’Leary to punch his fierce shot away as Leeds again pressed for the opening goal, before Summerville had a shot deflected for a corner after he latched onto Rutter’s flicked pass before bearing down on goal.

James finally opened the scoring when the ball broke to him six yards out and he found the bottom corner with a left foot shot, after Rutter had squared a recycled ball when goalkeeper O’Leary beat away a shot by Piroe.

But City levelled in the fourth minute of first half stoppage-time as Naismith rose to head in a corner and earn his side a barely deserved equaliser.

Leeds were ahead again seven minutes into the second half when Piroe shot in low from 20 yards after the home side had worked the ball across the Bristol City area.

The home side just failed to grab a third goal as Rutter’s pass set up Summerville but his rising shot from a tight angle was pushed onto the corner of post and bar by O’Leary.

Rutter then led a breakaway from the edge of his own area and after his pass to James had been blocked the Brazilian crossed from the right side of the area but Summerville was unable to apply the final touch.

Leeds thought they had made it 3-1 but Rutter had been offside from Sam Byram’s original shot, before poking home the rebound following O’Leary’s save.

Byram then headed off the line and did well to block an Andreas Weimann shot in the final 10 minutes as the home side held on for the win.

Tommy Conway scored in the sixth minute of injury time to earn Bristol City a last-gasp 2-1 win at Rotherham in the Sky Bet Championship.

Conway had opened the scoring in the 81st minute but the Millers quickly equalised through Tyler Blackett and it looked like it was heading for a draw.

But there was late drama at the AESSEAL New York Stadium as Conway struck at the death, flicking home Andy King’s cross.

It earned a third away win of the season and moves the Robins back into the top half, continuing their solid start.

Defeat was cruel on the Millers but typifies their troubled opening to the campaign and they are locked in the bottom three with a long winter looming in their battle to stay out of relegation danger.

Boss Matt Taylor celebrated one year in charge at the club on Tuesday, but he might now face questions about his future.

Any chance of retaining their Championship status appears to lie with their home form, which has been competitive.

They could have taken a 23rd-minute lead when Cohen Bramall’s cross was headed back across goal by Jordan Hugill but Andre Green was not forceful enough to turn home from close range.

Bramall was Rotherham’s biggest threat and he fizzed a dangerous ball into the near post which just evaded Hugill.

Another cross was headed over by Fred Onyedinma as the Millers continued on the front foot.

The Robins were able to get a foothold in the game, but that turned it into a dull, scrappy affair where neither goalkeeper was forced into a save.

That pattern continued into the second half, with neither side able to create any sort of domination.

The visitors did at least manage to improve going forward after the break and got into some good positions, but that did not translate into chances.

The closest they came was when Harry Cornick headed over from Sam Bell’s cross, while the first shot on target did not come until the 67th minute when Joe Williams shot straight at Viktor Johansson.

It was heading for stalemate until nine minutes from the end of normal time when Conway broke down the left, cut inside and curled a beauty into the far corner.

The Millers hit back with their first shot on target, Blackett converting from Arvin Appiah’s cross after the hosts had recycled a corner.

They fancied a winner, but instead it came at the other end as Conway had the final say, flicking home Andy King’s cross.

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