Glenn Hoddle was appointed manager of Wolves on this day in 2004 .

The former England boss had been out of a job since leaving Tottenham in September 2003 and had previous managerial experience with Swindon, Chelsea and Southampton.

Hoddle took charge, succeeding manager Dave Jones for a second time having previously replaced him at Southampton.

Jones was sacked at the start of November following the club’s relegation to the Championship and a miserable start to the new season saw them languishing in 17th when Hoddle took over.

“I’m delighted to be here. I saw the massive potential Wolverhampton have got; their ambition paralleled my thoughts,” Hoddle said.

“Wolves are a Premiership outfit with the fan base and ambition – they’ve already had a taste, and it’s very clear to me that is where they want to be put back again.

“It’s a very big challenge. We’re not sitting on top of the league – there’s a lot of work to be done.

“That (the Premier League) is where everybody at this club wants to go. I picked that up very quickly, and that’s where I want to go. I’m delighted to be back in football as well.”

Hoddle steered the club to a ninth-placed finish in the 2004-05 season, but Wolves missed out on the play-offs by eight points the following season with a seventh-placed finish.

He resigned as manager in July 2006 and it remains his last job in management, excluding a short spell as coach at QPR under Harry Redknapp in 2014-15.

Sunderland have sacked head coach Tony Mowbray, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

Mowbray’s departure comes two days after his side’s 1-1 draw at Millwall that extended their poor recent run to one win from their last five games.

Sunderland, who have also parted company with Mowbray’s assistant Mark Venus, confirmed that coach Mike Dodds will take over pending the appointment of a new head coach, starting with Saturday’s clash with West Brom at the Stadium of Light.

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said: “All at SAFC have thoroughly enjoyed working with Tony and he is quite rightly held in high regard by our players and staff, and our supporters.

“After arriving at an uncertain time, he helped guide us to the Sky Bet Championship play-offs and played an important role in developing our team

“This was a difficult decision to make, but we remain loyal to our ambition and our strategy, and felt that now was the right moment to take this step.

“We are now focused on identifying the right candidate and we will continue to support our coaching team and players throughout the interim period.”

Mowbray replaced Alex Neil, who abruptly departed in August last year, and led the Black Cats into the play-offs, where they lost in the semi-finals to Luton.

Despite a bright start to the current campaign, his side appeared increasingly unsettled and have slipped out of the play-off places to ninth, three points adrift of the top six.

Norwich manager David Wagner confessed to momentarily losing his head in the aftermath of Adam Idah’s winner deep into stoppage time at Bristol City.

The under-pressure Canaries boss raced down the touchline to join in a pile-up of jubilant players after substitute Idah had burst onto a long ball forward to outpace defender Zak Vyner and shoot low past Max O’Leary.

It had looked like being another tough day for Norwich when Jason Knight fired Bristol City in front in the 34th minute after goalkeeper Angus Gunn had parried a low cross into his path.

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

Asked what was going through his mind when Idah netted five minutes into stoppage time, Wagner said: “If anything had been in my head at that moment, I wouldn’t have done it.

“It’s not all about me and it’s my job to keep everyone calm and focussed. But it was a big moment for the team and backed up what I have been saying about the players.

“We have some strong characters in the dressing room and today the spirit was evident in coming from behind to win against a good team.

“Bristol City have had some impressive results recently and we knew it would be a tough game.

“But I felt we started both halves well and after we fell behind the players showed their commitment, as they have been doing since our difficult start to the season.

“Our away fans, in particular, have stood behind us and it’s great to have sent them on their long journey home with smiles on their faces.”

Bristol City striker Tommy Conway squandered two good chances to increase their lead at the end of the first half and head coach Liam Manning was frustrated by the result.

He said: “I’m scratching my head over how we lost. It’s a tough one to take because the least we should have taken with a point.

“We started both halves poorly, but other than that we controlled the game. We have to turn that control into more chances.

“It had been a good week for me learning more about the players. They are an honest group, but we need to be tougher in more ways than one.

“Norwich didn’t have to do much to score their goals, which is disappointing.

“It’s still early days in getting my ideas across. I liked a lot of what I saw today, but we are only talking about a matter of weeks and we will get better.”

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.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl believes his side’s reaction to losing their lead highlights their growth as the Championship strugglers stunned Blackburn 3-1.

Bailey Cadamarteri’s opener was cancelled out by Sammie Szmodics, but Marvin Johnson and Josh Windass struck in the last 12 minutes to earn the division’s bottom club only their second win of the campaign.

Wednesday had scored in stoppage time in midweek to hold leaders Leicester and their latest late show left Rohl delighted with his side’s progress.

Rohl said: “My team fight until the end and they believe in what we are doing. I’m so happy to take the points today.

“We spoke in the past about what happens if we concede a goal. When you look back to the Millwall game, we conceded a goal and then it was maybe not much energy in the group, but now you see we improve this mentally.

“After the defeat in Birmingham, now we took four points and I think this is a huge step forward.

“I try to show my players every day that we have to believe and that I’m convinced in my players.

“Maybe it’s sometimes helpful to come from some big clubs because then you have a little bit of the winning DNA in yourself and you always believe in the special things you can do.”

To compound Blackburn’s misery, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was shown a red card following protests to the match officials over an incident involving James Hill and Callum Paterson in the build-up to Wednesday’s second goal.

Blackburn skipper Szmodics faced the post-match interviews in the manager’s absence but could not shed further light on the incident.

“I’ve not seen it,” he said.

“There’s a ref, two linesmen and a fourth official. It’s hard to speak this early after a game. I don’t want to get in any more trouble. The gaffer has got into trouble with it.

“It’s tough at the minute. You don’t know if you can go and speak to referees or not. I’ll let people look back at the goal and make their decision.”

Szmodics, who scored his seventh goal in five games, felt the scoreline was harsh on the visitors.

He said: “I don’t think it should have been a 3-1. We‘ve got back into the game with a goal and it just wasn’t to be today.

“The gaffer said at half time that we created chances. We just needed to take one and in the first half we didn’t. In the second half we got back into it, but it wasn’t our day.

“It was one of the few headers I’ve ever scored. I should have volleyed it but I went down early and managed to get enough power into it.”

“We’ll recover and get to go again.”

Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher was delighted with his side as they fought back to beat Stoke 2-1 thanks to a last-minute winner by substitute Adam Randell.

The Plymouth-born 23-year-old celebrated his 100th Argyle appearance by scoring in the seventh and final minute of stoppage time after Ciaran Clark cleared Luke Cundle’s shot off the line.

Mustapha Bundu’s 43rd-minute near-post strike had earlier cancelled out Tyrese Campbell’s 23rd- minute opportunist opener for Stoke.

Schumacher said: “We got the three points, six from the week and we’re up to 16th and everyone can see how tight it is, so it was massive we got the win.

“From our point of view it’s a brilliant feeling – we have been on the wrong end of the last kick of the game twice this season.

“It’s a killer when it happens to you so we are delighted to get the three points, we are buzzing for our fans to celebrate like that at the death, to celebrate a goal from a local lad at the Devonport End.

“Obviously you feel a little bit for (Stoke boss) Alex (Neil) and their team because they have worked so hard today and probably thought they had a point in the bag.

“But they haven’t and we go on and we’ve won the game so I am really pleased.

“It’s the worse feeling in football when that happens, especially when you feel you’ve played well like we did at Birmingham and against Southampton, and they scored with pretty much the last kick of the game.

“It’s cruel but that’s football. It’s important whether you are up in the game or drawing that you keep going until the very end and so pleased for our players that we did because second half I thought we played really well.

“I felt we were really positive, tried to keep to our style of play and eventually got our rewards.”

Stoke boss Neil said: “It is game management. I didn’t think we deserved to lose the game. Towards the later embers of the game some of our decision making was really poor.

“But that was as many clear-cut chances we have had in a while. If we take a little bit of care, the game could have been done at half-time.

“They (Plymouth) played some nice stuff, they were good in spells but we were a lot more threatening, if you look at the quality of chances we had. The game was there to be won and it is cruel at the end.

“We gave a cheap free-kick away which is unnecessary, the lad was going nowhere and there was a great opportunity to clear our lines and we scuffed it.
“The ball lands in the middle of the pitch and we don’t see that phase of play out.

“We should have cleared the ball, but we need to make sure we make clean contact in the dying embers of the game.

“We needed to make sure they work extremely hard for them to score the next goal and be hard to beat.

“That is something three games ago we had, that is the biggest frustration. We kept four clean sheets on the bounce before these last three games.

“And in those last three games, we have conceded goals in the late parts of the game, especially when we have the opportunity to clear the ball. It is not a hard thing to do.”

Daniel Farke saw two sides to his Leeds team in a pulsating 3-2 win over 10-man Middlesbrough at Elland Road which keeps them firmly in the Championship’s automatic promotion hunt.

Leeds attacked at pace in a frantic first half which saw all five goals scored, but Farke was just as pleased with the way they ground out the victory in the second period.

Farke admitted: “As a manager I liked the second half where we didn’t make mistakes. It was good game management.

“I can see why we are driven by our emotions and sometimes play the risky pass when we should take another option.”

Farke was delighted with his side’s showing against a team he rates as genuine play-off contenders.

He said: “I expected a great game against a tough side, and I judge them as one of our main competitors for the top six.

“It was important to be over-aggressive and fully committed (in the first half) against Middlesbrough, otherwise you are punished.

“The goals were a sign of how desperate we were and how we wanted to win.

“When you give moments away against a side like Middlesbrough, they will punish mistakes. Their first goal we opened up, and the second goal we were not fully switched on.

“Every fan who enjoys football must have enjoyed this game.”

Middlesbrough claimed an early lead as Emmanuel Latte Lath fired home at the near post, cutting in from the left after being set up by Alex Bangura.

Leeds hit back with two quickfire headers from Dan James and Crysencio Summerville as the visitors paid the price for being beaten in the air by two of the home side’s smallest players.

James got on the end of Sam Byram’s deep cross despite the attentions of two defenders and Summerville finished a cross from Archie Gray at the opposite post.

Middlesbrough lost experienced defender Paddy McNair to injury just after the half hour and his replacement, Matt Clarke, gave away the penalty from which Leeds scored their third.

Clarke used his arm to trip striker Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe scored from the spot.

Latte Lath reduced the arrears with a header from Dan Barlaser’s corner late in the first half but neither side were able to find the target after the break.

Boro goalkeeper Seny Dieng denied Patrick Bamford and Piroe with a late double save and Boro’s Sammy Silvera hit a post as the visitors played the final 30 minutes with 10 men following Anfernee Dijksteel’s second yellow card.

A disappointed Michael Carrick admitted his side could have got a point from the game had they taken their chances.

He said: “Disappointed is my overriding feeling. Not with the boys and their performance but with the result.

“We were up against it. We had issues that we need to fix a bit but in general there were loads of good things from it and we let it slip and should have got something from the game.

“We came here and played one of the top teams in the league and gave as good as we got. They look dangerous and can score goals.

“It’s something we have done pretty well lately – defend our goal. We need to do something about it (conceding away from home) to be where we want to be at the end of the season.

“We picked up a couple of setbacks and we had big moments in the game, but we were right in there and we should have got more from the game.”

Carrick admitted allowing Leeds chances in a full Elland Road made it harder for his side.

“In a stadium like this and a team like this they will have moments. In games like this that split second of thinking can be the difference,” he said.

“We were playing against a good team, and you’ve got to respect what they can do.”

Russell Martin enjoyed getting his revenge on Cardiff fans after Southampton stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches.

Saints boss Martin was subjected to abusive comments by visiting supporters throughout the match.

After celebrating with Saints supporters he displayed four fingers at the Bluebirds fans after the match – in reference to the two back-to-back season doubles he secured against them as Swansea manager.

He said: “I had my time at the end. They had theirs over the 90 minutes so I enjoyed mine for 10 seconds at the end.

“I’m sure there will be people who disagree with that but I choose to feel everything and enjoy that.

“If you want to hammer me for 90 minutes then I’m allowed maybe 10 seconds at the end.”

Southampton claimed a two-goal lead inside 15 minutes thanks to Adam Armstrong’s brace and never looked back.

The striker’s first came at the end of a fine team move as he brilliantly curled into the top corner, before adding his 12th of the campaign by heading in after good work from Stuart Armstrong.

Martin said about his top scorer: “He has so much quality and also a load of attitude. The first goal is quality and the second is his attitude and desire.

“We love him in that dressing room for how he is and how he conducts himself and how he works for the team.

“The goals are a real bonus and he possesses so much quality but it is his intensity he plays at and his willingness to run.”

Southampton threatened to run rampant in the second half but missed a host of chances – with substitute Ryan Fraser failing to add a third despite having six shots.

Martin said: “I’m really happy. I thought we were good today. We started the game so well.

“We should score more goals, that was the only frustration. I thought the lads were incredible in the second half.

“I watched with so much pride and gratitude for what they were doing. It’s been a long week so to produce that level of performance in the second half… [scoring a third goal] wasn’t to be.

“Ryan Fraser has come off the pitch frustrated that he hasn’t scored. It’s not a coincidence that the chances fall to him because he runs at the goal relentlessly.”

Erol Bulut bemoaned Cardiff’s slow start to the match but is looking forward to January to bolster his side to be able to compete with the Championship’s big boys.

“The first 20 minutes was [what went wrong],” he said. “It was not what I was expecting.

“After those 20 minutes we woke up but we were already 2-0 down. We were good but not good enough.

“At the end of the first half if we had scored with [Karlan Grant] I think the second half would be very different.

“We have progressed from the start of the season to today perfectly and we will continue to work hard.

“I hope in the January transfer [window] I can get some quality players in and we can push for more.

“This is the difference between the top level and what we currently have. It is small details.

“We’ve played against relegated Premier League teams, they have quality but they show us where we need to go and how we need to work. We’ll look in January to get to that level.”

Wayne Rooney said his Birmingham squad need to show improvements as he was left frustrated by a “very bad” performance against Rotherham in the Sky Bet Championship as the Blues were held to a 0-0 draw.

Rooney and Birmingham were booed off the pitch after failing to defeat a struggling Rotherham side still winless on the road this season, with minority owner Tom Brady in attendance.

Rooney admitted it was not a good game and his side were fortunate to come away with a point.

“I thought we started the game really well for 20 minutes,” Rooney said.

“But we got sloppy, we got slow, and we created a lot of our own problems.

“We were probably fortunate in the end to come away with a point.

“A lot of things we need to address, basics of the game like heading the ball, it was not there today.”

On whether the current crop of players are good enough, he added: “Today was a really frustrating day.

“My job is to improve them as players so in the next six months we hope there will be changes because you want to bring players in and players will leave.

“It’s important we don’t get carried away we do have a lot of good players but today we should win that game.

“That’s an accountability the players need to understand.”

Rooney believed his team did not win the game because of complacency after a positive start.

“We haven’t won the game because we got complacent,” he said.

“I felt in the first 20 minutes we (found) it easy to get into their final third so the players then felt the game was a bit too easy for them.

“They get sloppy and forget to do the right things.”

Rooney also spoke of the presence of Brady at the game and at the training ground during the week, adding: “Tom was around all the players, and it was great to have him over.

“He was speaking to players individually, so the more he is here the better it is for us.”

Rotherham caretaker boss Wayne Carlisle felt the Millers deserved more than a point.

“I’m pleased with the performance but I’m slightly disappointed that we didn’t come out with the three points,” Carlisle said.

“We wanted a reaction after the Hull game (4-1 loss) and the boys rolled their sleeves up and gave a real Rotherham United performance.

“I’m delighted we were creating changes away from home and putting ourselves in these positions but disappointed we were not taking them.”

Carlisle said this result and the draw with Leeds last weekend can be a building block for his side and that he has a job to do until a new manager is appointed.

“I’ve got a job to do, my most important job is keeping the guys together and now it’s to try and win games of football until someone tells me I’m not doing it”, he added.

Manager Tony Mowbray felt Sunderland ‘dominated’ their 1-1 draw with Millwall despite relying on a late Jack Clarke penalty to rescue a point at The Den.

Kevin Nisbet gave Millwall a deserved lead after a superb delivery from Arsenal loanee Brooke Norton-Cuffy.

However, Clarke scored his 10th goal of the season with 12 minutes left to rescue a point for
the Black Cats, though Millwall’s Tom Bradshaw did have a goal disallowed for offside in the closing stages.

The result means Joe Edwards is still without a win at The Den since taking charge of The Lions while Sunderland are winless in three.

Mowbray said: “I thought we dominated the game, probably from start to finish apart from the last 10 minutes after we scored.

“You would expect us to be like The Alamo and go and get the winner but it was the other way really.

“We don’t look like we are going to score a goal and yet we can control the game. I think they had isolated breakaways, it is what they can do and it is ok.

“I think we dominated for long spells without looking like we were going to score.

“We don’t look like we are going to score a goal, why is that?

“I think it is because we have young attacking players, inexperienced attacking players who are not really ready to play for our team.

“And yet we have to play them and we are playing them and we are not suffering the results but we are trying to develop them and get them up to speed to be able to be a striker in the Championship.”

Jobe Bellingham, younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude, was an unused substitute.

Mowbray admitted he has a duty of care and does not want to overplay the 18-year-old.

The draw leaves Sunderland in ninth while Millwall are in 19th.

Edwards felt his side were always in the game despite enjoying far less possession.

He said: “I thought Sunderland started the game well and then we grew and after we got the first goal I felt there was a noticeable change in the team.

“We looked confident, the fans supported us well and it felt like we were building some nice momentum, although they pretty much dominated possession throughout the game.

“We always posed a threat and we looked confident in our defending.

“The way they use width and the wide players in their team, it causes everyone problems but I felt we dealt with it well.

“When you lead a game for so long and you don’t win it feels disappointing but I think you have to respect that they did have a lot of control of the game.

“In the second half, they mounted a lot of pressure as an away team so for me it is just areas where we can improve. I thought we did so well without the ball.

“We posed a threat on the break and in transition but I think we have just got to keep bridging that gap so we don’t have to play at our max like that just to take a point at home.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna praised his team for a “top, top, performance” following their narrow 2-1 victory over Coventry at Portman Road.

George Hirst scored early on and Wes Burns’ cracker put the hosts further in front, before Matt Godden’s penalty cannoned off the underside of the bar.

Although the visitors did manage a breakthrough thanks to Brandon Williams’ headed own goal, it could not stop Ipswich recording a ninth win in 10 Sky Bet Championship matches.

McKenna said: “(It was) a fantastic result and a top, top performance in the first half so (I’m) really pleased, really proud of the players.

“I thought (our) first half performance was outstanding. I know how much hard work goes in to deliver a performance like that, especially a couple of days after your last game. (There’s) so much to enjoy.

“Of course (the) second half (is a) different half…we could have got through the pitch a little bit quicker.

“I think the intent on the pitch was right, to try and control the game. But we just needed to control it higher up the pitch.

“(There are) things to improve there but even having said that apart from two moments really – the penalty and then the goal at the end, which I think is a foul – they have (had) very, very few chances and we controlled a lot of the game well.

“(It was) an excellent effort from everyone. The atmosphere was great, the football was great, the goals were great, it was a super first half of football.

“We’ve executed really well the last two games and got off to great starts and backed it up with goals.”

Opposing boss Mark Robins said: “It felt like watching us last season.

“You could see that the connections have been made between the players so for instance Conor (Chaplin) and Wes Burns in those positions, they link up really well together.

“Hirst off the back and (Nathan) Broadhead comes in off that left hand side and makes good runs and they have got some pace and power within the team and they keep the ball pretty well, so they make it difficult for you.

“There’s a couple of moments we get it clearly wrong, the first was the first goal and the second was a worldly goal so I don’t think you can really put that down to anything other than a great finish.

“The second half we grew into it a little bit more but they had plenty of possession.

“The penalty came and went, it just hits the underside of the bar, it’s just one of those things, had we taken that chance that would have put them on the back foot.

“We just looked like we were a little bit timid at times. It’s one of those games that we have to learn from.”

Michael Duff admitted he would not shy away from criticism after being booed following Swansea’s late 1-1 Championship draw with Huddersfield.

The Terriers took the lead after just three minutes as Ben Cabango turned Jaheim Headley’s cross into his own net.

Swansea dominated after conceding early on but struggled in the final third until Arsenal loanee Charlie Patino netted in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage-time to earn his side a point.

But many home fans jeered Duff after the full-time whistle, with Swansea now winless in five matches.

“They (fans) are showing their frustration,” said Duff. “I think in the cold light of day, they’ve watched the same game as us.

“We haven’t won enough games at home, we get that.

“I can make all the excuses in the world but you have to win. That’s part of my job.

“You get clapped when you win and you get booed when you don’t. It is what it is.”

On the draw, Duff added: “We dominated the game, there’s no doubt about that. If we play that game 10 times, I think we win nine with the numbers we had in terms of possession, shots, opportunities – everything.

“We talked in the week about giving poor goals away and they have done nothing to score a goal. That makes it doubly difficult.

“But we have had ample opportunities to go and win the game.”

Huddersfield looked on course for back-to-back victories for the first time under Darren Moore until Patino’s late leveller.

But the draw means they have claimed five points from the nine on offer since the recent international break.

And while disappointed to concede late on, Moore believes his side are heading in the right direction.

“What I am pleased with, over the three games this week after the international break, to take five points against the calibre of teams we’ve played, taking into consideration the travel, then I’ve got to be pleased,” he said.

“I said to the boys two weeks ago, the work we did in the international break, this will carry you through the next three games.

“It shows the work we’ve done as a group and it shows we’re heading in the right direction.

“Performances have been more solid and resolute. They’re staying in the game longer and being harder to beat.

“We know we’re still short in areas. We know there’s a progress going on at the moment at the football club, both on and off the pitch.

“We need to keep focused and keep churning away and getting those points on the board.

“It would have been great to take the three points today but when we look at the course of the week, to take five points out of those games is credit to the team.”

Valerien Ismael revealed that Wesley Hoedt’s stunning goal which earned Watford a 2-1 win at Hull was perfected on the training ground.

The Hornets captain seized possession just over the halfway line before having the awareness to lob Ryan Allsop in an extraordinary moment of ingenuity on 74 minutes.

Ismael said: “Their goalkeeper has a massive part in their build-up and we know that some teams like Leicester and Hull play with high risk.

“I’m surprised by the quality and the technique, but the goal was not a surprise.

“We work on those patterns on the training ground. We know every time the ball went through the middle we had to defend aggressively and that was what happened.

“As soon as we win the ball high up we tell all the defenders ‘try it, try it’.

“If you see it on the TV, you could see Wesley knew what he was doing.

“It’s not a surprise because we worked on this one.”

In-form Watford have lost just once in nine games and are now three points off the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Ismael’s men opened the scoring after eight minutes through Edo Kayembe, who controlled Jamal Lewis’ good cross from the left before striking past an unsighted Allsop.

Hull, who remain in the top six, equalised two minutes later when Scott Twine swept home after Liam Delap’s brilliant run into the box was stopped by Hoedt.

An end-to-end game, in which the hosts had the better chances, could have gone the other way had Jaden Philogene not missed a second-half penalty.

Philogene’s weak spot-kick, awarded after former Hull midfielder Jake Livermore clumsily upended Jacob Greaves, was saved by Ben Hamer on the hour.

The Tigers had a clutch of good chances thereafter but never did enough to force an equaliser once Hoedt stunned the MKM Stadium.

Ismael said: “We are pleased with the improvement and the stability we have now got with the team.

“It’s been a long process and we had to start from the beginning.

“We are now more ready – tactically, physically and mentally. We are ready for the competition now.

“If you win games with consistency you can start to plug the gap at the top of the league.

“The second half was a different game. The first half was really, really good but in the second half we saw the tiredness the players put into the first half.

“It’s a great feeling that we are getting the reward from our performances, but it’s all about staying stable and continuing to push.”

Head coach Liam Rosenior was crestfallen by the result.

He said: “I’ve never in my playing career and coaching/managerial career had a feeling like this.

“If we’d have drawn, I’d have been disappointed. I don’t know what to say. I thought we were by far the better team, but they scored an absolute miracle goal – the lad nicks it and hits an absolute wonder strike.

“It’s not a crisis. That’s an outstanding performance. On another day we maybe win it by two, three or four.

“I can’t fault the players and I want them to stay positive.”

Rosenior, whose side had won their last three home games, added: “There’s a consistent dominance about our play now and that’s pleasing.

“The lads are a really resilient group and the players have been magnificent.

“There’s so much good to us. I don’t want to come across arrogant, but I said to the players, ‘I’m angry for you, not angry with you’.

“We have to use a negative experience and turn it into a positive.

“We shouldn’t be happy with the top six, we should be pushing for top two.”

Plymouth’s homegrown midfielder Adam Randell scored a last-minute winner as Argyle came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Stoke at Home Park.

Randell hammered the ball home after Stoke cleared Luke Cundle’s attempt off the line in a goalmouth scramble caused by substitute Callum Wright’s cross from the left in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Stoke had gone in front through Tyrese Campbell but Mustapha Bundu levelled just before half-time before Randell’s late show lifted Plymouth above Stoke up to 16th in the Championship table.

Argyle started well with midfielder Cundle forcing Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham into a second-minute stop.

Top scorer Morgan Whittaker then teed up fellow playmaker Finn Azaz on the edge of the penalty area but his shot flew just wide.

Stoke countered with Ciaran Clark’s header forcing Plymouth keeper Michael Cooper into action from Ki-Jana Hoever’s seventh-minute free-kick.

Hoever then crossed for Campbell to head just over as Stoke started to assert themselves.

Ryan Mmaee’s shot was deflected wide as he ran on to a through ball and let fly from the edge of the box on 17 minutes, and soon Stoke’s pressure told as they took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to some poor Plymouth defending.

A loose back pass enabled the lively Campbell to beat central defender Lewis Gibson to the ball and he made no mistake, drawing out Cooper before side-footing past the keeper into the corner of the goal.

Bae Junho should have doubled Stoke’s lead in the next attack but he fired high and wide.

His pass put Andre Vidigal in down the right on 30 minutes, but the winger blasted his angled shot over from just inside the area.

Plymouth equalised in the 43rd minute when Finn Azaz played in the impressive Kaine Kesler-Hayden down the right.

The wing-back’s pacy near-post cross was superbly converted into the roof of the net by Bundu, who allowed the ball to run across his body before converting with his left foot past Bonham.

Bundu fired over when well placed at the start of the second half and at the other end Cooper saved well with his feet as Mmaee again got behind the Argyle defence.

After 68 minutes Azaz twisted and turned on the edge of the penalty area before looping a pass over the defence to Cundle, whose angled goal-bound shot was well saved by Bonham.

Fit-again Scottish striker Ryan Hardie went close to giving Argyle the lead in the 84th minute, flashing a header just past the near post from Randell’s in-swinging corner from the left.

Seconds later Hardie again went close to putting Argyle ahead as he latched on to a through ball from Azaz before firing just over the angle of post and bar, after good work by substitute Wright in setting up the attack.

In the first minute of injury time, Bonham fumbled Wright’s cross from the left but City cleared the danger, only for Randell to nick a late winner.

Ipswich maintained their impressive home record in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-1 victory over Coventry.

George Hirst scored in the opening minutes and Wes Burns’ wonder-strike put the hosts 2-0 ahead at half-time.

The visitors’ improved in the second half and missed the opportunity to narrow the gap when Matt Godden’s spot-kick cannoned off the underside of the bar, before they got a late consolation goal when Brandon Williams headed the ball into his own net.

It was the Tractor Boys’ ninth win in 10 home games and their second three-point haul in four days, maintaining their seven-point cushion over third-placed Leeds and keeping them within a point of leaders Leicester.

Coventry, who had not conceded a goal in their three previous games, slipped two places to 17th as a result of this defeat.

The game was only six minutes old when Hirst opened the hosts’ account. Nathan Broadhead’s pass dissected the Coventry defence and the striker fended off the close attention of City’s centre back Liam Kitching to coolly side-foot home past Brad Collins.

Ipswich tails were up and nine minutes later Broadhead held his head in his hands after he missed a good chance to extend the lead. Harry Clarke found the Welsh international clear on goal with just the Coventry goalkeeper to beat but he slipped his shot just wide of the left hand post.

Ipswich were dominating proceedings and a shot from Burns went just over the bar, then Broadhead’s header was just off target following a free-kick.

Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky had to dive full length to his left to keep out an effort from just outside the penalty area by Jake Bidwell in the visitors’ first real attack of intent after 29 minutes.

American international Haji Wright had the ball in the Ipswich net after 36 minutes but he was ruled offside as the Sky Blues again threatened but Ipswich went further in front six minutes later in impressive fashion.

Burns bent a right-footed shot with the outside of his boot, which looked like it was going wide, before curling into the top left corner and past a stunned Collins to double Ipswich’s lead.

Hladky dived at the feet of Wright following a crossfield ball from substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and fellow sub Godden wasted a good chance when well placed inside the penalty area.

Broadhead was fouled on the edge of the box in the 55th minute but Leif Davis’ free-kick was charged down by Callum O’Hare, then a long range shot from Clarke arrowed into the sidenetting.

Coventry had the chance to reduce the arrears in the 73rd minute after Clarke was adjudged to have tripped Sakamoto in the penalty area but Godden struck the bar and the ball bounced clear.

However, the visitors did get on the scoresheet in the sixth minute of added time with Williams’ own goal.