Manager John Mousinho feels his Portsmouth side are back on track after thrashing Northampton 4-1 at Fratton Park.

Paddy Lane scored twice as the leaders cruised to victory despite having debutant Tom McIntyre sent off.

Connor Ogilvie and Callum Lang also netted while Colby Bishop missed a penalty for Pompey, who had debutant Tom McIntyre sent off, before Marc Leonard grabbed a consolation for Northampton.

It is now 10 points from four games for Portsmouth since a 3-0 home defeat by Leyton Orient.

Mousinho said: “I am delighted with the performance and everything we did in the first hour.

“We came out the traps showing we meant business and were determined to cast out the demon of the Leyton Orient result. I think that has been hanging over us since then.

“We were good value for the 2-0 lead. We missed a penalty and I felt we could have had more in the first half.

“We started the second half a bit cagey and of course the sending off changed things.

“But we kept our heads and put the game to bed. They got a late goal and even with the added 10 minutes I felt we weren’t in any danger.

“My initial reaction to the sending off was that I thought it was a great tackle. In terms of appealing, we’ll look at it in detail and then decide.”

Pompey took the lead after seven minutes when Marlon Pack’s free-kick from 30 yards was headed home by Ogilvie.

The second came after 16 minutes. A long clearance from Pack found Lane, who turned inside a defender to drive home.

Pompey were awarded a penalty two minutes before half-time after Harvey Lintott pushed Myles Peart-Harris over but Bishop’s tame kick was easily saved by Lee Burge.

Pompey were reduced to 10 men after 54 minutes when McIntyre was shown a straight red for a foul on Mitchell Pinnock.

But Pompey got a third in the 58th minute, Lane playing a one-two before slotting home.

It was 4-0 after 71 minutes as an in-swinging free-kick from Pack saw Lang pick up the loose ball and stab it past Burge.

Northampton got a consolation goal a minute from time when Leonard fired into the roof of the net from a corner.

Cobblers boss Jon Brady said: “It is very disappointing.

“We’ve conceded an early goal from a set piece, which we should defend better. The goals we gave away were more down to us giving them to Portsmouth rather than them executing them well.

“They’re fighting to win the league and we’re fighting to stay in it. We’ve had some great form recently but the last two games have been too easy for the opposition.

“Just look at the team I have put out. It’s nowhere near the team I had picking up three points not long ago.

“am Hoskins has come off with his hamstring which is a blow. Sam Sherring has felt his ankle in the warm-up, so we were unable to get him on, and Ben Fox has been out all season, so could only get 15 minutes on the pitch.

“We started looking like we had purpose when they went down to 10 but then we got sucker-punched with their third a couple of minutes later.”

Relieved Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was delighted to see Harvey Barnes return to action with a bang as he came off the bench to snatch a thrilling 4-4 draw with Luton for the Magpies.

Barnes, who had been out of action since September 24 with a toe injury, was introduced as a 63rd-minute substitute with his side trailing 4-2 to the promoted Hatters having led 1-0 and 2-1, and it was his strike 10 minutes later which ensured the spoils were shared.

Asked about his £38million summer signing, head coach Howe said: “That’s what Harvey does, that’s why we brought him to the football club.

“He is a goalscorer. His record last year at Leicester was incredible and we hoped, of course, that he would come here and bring goals to us.

“Unfortunately, he’s missed such a big part of the season and it’s huge to get him back I thought it was an incredible finish off his wrong foot, a really, really good goal and I think he had another chance late on as well, so I was really pleased with his impact.”

In a chaotic encounter, Sean Longstaff twice fired the Magpies ahead only for Gabriel Osho and then Ross Barkley, who turned in a fine individual display, to level before the break.

Carlton Morris’ twice-taken penalty saw the visitors go ahead for the first time and when Elijah Adebayo made it 4-2 in the 62nd minute, they looked to be on the way to another impressive win after their 4-0 midweek success over Brighton.

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However, Kieran Trippier’s volley dragged Newcastle back to within a single goal before Barnes struck to set up a grandstand finish during which Jacob Murphy and Chiedozie Ogbene might have won it for their respective sides.

Howe, who lost Anthony Gordon to an ankle injury, said: “With the way we started, I thought this could be a really memorable game for us. But credit to Luton, they responded really well and made it difficult for us.

“It was a really open game, with two teams going right at each other. It was probably a great game for the neutral, but not so much if you’re associated to us because there was a huge determination to win, and we’re disappointed not to.”

Opposite number Rob Edwards shared similarly conflicting feelings on a day when his side once again proved its top-flight credentials.

Edwards said: “We wanted to be brave, which we were, [showed] loads of character, resilience and quality to get back into the game after going behind twice, and after going two goals up, tinged with a little bit of disappointment that we weren’t able to see it out.

“But I’ve got to respect the opposition and the level of the team, the quality of the players that we were coming up against, once they’d got that third goal back, there as still a lot of time on the clock wasn’t there and the almost inevitable happened and they got the equaliser.

“What I was pleased with was our character, our resilience and then actually some quality to keep it at 4-4 and keep pushing.

“I felt sick at times, I felt elation at times. I felt really proud watching my team play and overall, I think a point was a fair result.”

Hull boss Liam Rosenior admitted he felt nervous before the 1-0 Sky Bet Championship win over Millwall.

There was a feelgood factor around the club after a successful transfer window saw the likes of Fabio Carvalho, Ryan Giles and Anass Zaroury arrive at the MKM Stadium.

Rosenior was keen to keep momentum going and the Tigers did just that, securing a second consecutive victory courtesy of fit-again winger Jaden Philogene’s fifth-minute strike.

“It was a really pleasing day because I was fearful before the game that there had been so much positive news surrounding the club,” Rosenior told the club’s official website.

“As a manager, sometimes, that makes you a little bit nervous; I didn’t want us to be complacent and all of the noise we needed to filter out.

“Some of our football in the first half was excellent and it’s great to be able to say we can improve after winning a game of football.”

Rosenior handed Giles and Zaroury their debuts following their loan moves from Luton and Burnley respectively.

“In terms of the first-half performance, other than really having teeth and finishing off Millwall, there were some really good signs – for Anass, his first game, Ryan Giles, his debut, and Jaden’s first game back in two months,” he added.

“I wanted the second goal because I felt our energy levels would tail off naturally.

“Overall, delighted to win the game and a lot of positive signs in the way we want to play – the understanding, the connection between the players.”

Millwall improved after the break and Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw almost nicked a point.

Lions boss Joe Edwards bemoaned his side’s first-half display.

Edwards told the club’s official website: “Very much a game of two halves in terms of our performance. We didn’t play well in the first half.

“They get a dream start after four minutes, albeit a sloppy error from us around the box, but someone hits an absolute rocket against the bar and it rebounds to their player and he finishes really well.

“They really grew in confidence and they are a team that loves to drift around the pitch and play good possession.

“They are a good footballing team. That is why they are up that end of the division, and we respect that.

“But we had our moments to take the sting out the game, as we have done in other games in recent weeks, but we didn’t do it and we were a bit sloppy.

“Second half we were a lot sharper in what we were doing, we were cleaner on the ball.

“In that final 20 minutes we were a lot clearer of what our idea was supposed to be, using our wing-back and switching play, and we had more about us.”

Tony Docherty admitted he was baffled by the award of a pivotal penalty against Dundee as they lost 3-2 to Hearts at Dens Park.

The home side had opened the scoring in the first half through Jordan McGhee before the Jam Tarts equalised after the break with an Alan Forrest goal.

The Dark Blues took the lead once more with a stunning strike from Lyall Cameron before Hearts were awarded a penalty.

Referee Graham Grainger ruled that Lee Ashcroft had handled a Lawrence Shankland shot with the striker converting the spot-kick before scoring what proved to be a late winner.

However, Dundee boss Docherty questioned the penalty decision and why the official did not have another look at the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Docherty said: “I would love to come in after a game and talk about my team and how good they’ve been.

“But it seems to be the last five weeks all you do is talk about decisions.

“I just spoke to big Ash there, who is the most honest boy you could meet. What are you meant to do there?

“Are you meant to cut off a body part? What are you meant to do when you are a yard away from the player and it hits you.

“It was such a pivotal point in the game. We had gone from 1-1 to score a wonderful goal to go 2-1 up and I thought we were comfortable.

“Hearts are a really good side with a top striker in Lawrence Shankland. I thought we were handling it well but it was just that moment in the game that changed everything.

“Why doesn’t he go and check it? I don’t understand. He’s told me: ‘Had I seen it again…’ Why did you not go and see it again?

“We have invested as an industry and a football club in a piece of apparatus there that you can go and check.

“Yet you don’t do that. It is just galling for me.”

Shankland had been the subject of intense transfer speculation during the window with Jambos boss Steven Naismith admitting the Scotland front man showed exactly why he is such a key player for Hearts.

The manager said: “He is a top striker. He is somebody who we know is really important and that’s why we wanted to tie him down to a longer contract, that’s why we want him to be here as long as possible.

“A big bit of pressure on his penalty but again he shows his quality.”

Roy Hodgson vowed to carry on fighting as Crystal Palace manager despite some of the club’s fans turning on him during the 4-1 Premier League defeat at Brighton.

Hodgson cut a forlorn figure on the touchline as goals from Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood, Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro once again left his future under scrutiny.

Palace sacked their previous manager, Patrick Vieira, following a 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season so Hodgson, on a run of just four wins from 17 matches, could be on thin ice.

The 76-year-old knew it was not going to be his day when Michael Olise, on as a substitute, lasted just eight minutes before suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

That led to chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ from the away end with the Brighton fans, never shy to revel in their rivals’ misfortune, responding with ‘Super Roy Hodgson’.

“Wonderful, wasn’t it?” quipped Hodgson. “Is it nice? No it isn’t. Yes, my years of management have given the me resilience me to cope with that, absolutely, and taunts from away supporters are part and parcel of our lives.

“At the moment our fans aren’t very happy with everything that is happening at the club and they are making their feelings known as well.

“But I signed up to be the manager and coach of this football club and I’ve got the strength, resilience and determination to see things through. I’m certainly not going to be cowed by that type of thing.”

Hodgson is hamstrung by the absence of Eberechi Eze through injury but his decision to risk his other star man, Olise, when his side were 3-0 down raised eyebrows.

“I was told he couldn’t start the game, everyone was quite comfortable with that,” added Hodgson.

“But they told me, and he told me, he was fine to be on the bench and to play in the second half. Unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball and I wasn’t to know that would lead to a recurrence of his injury.”

A late goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta could not spark a Palace revival and the loss of captain Marc Guehi to a first-half knee injury just compounded a thoroughly rotten day.

Then goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defender Joachim Andersen had a heated exchange with some supporters at the final whistle.

“They are realistic enough to know the fans aren’t going to be happy to see their team lose 4-1 and I think the players did the right thing,” insisted Hodgson.

“No one is less happy than ourselves. At least they went over to thank the fans and let them know we are grateful for their support. If people react, so be it.”

It was Brighton’s biggest win over their fierce rivals since 1956 and the perfect response to the midweek 4-0 defeat at Luton.

Boss Roberto De Zerbi said: “We are very happy because in a derby we made our fans happy, but I’m not surprised with the reaction we showed.

“Our win started on Tuesday after the Luton game. I’m really pleased with the result, the reaction, the energy.”

Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri has stressed a Champions League place is still attainable for the Serie A title-holders as they prepare to host Hellas Verona on Sunday.

After winning a first Scudetto in 33 years last season under Luciano Spalletti, the Partenopei have had a significant drop off in a 2023-24 campaign that saw new boss Rudi Garcia replaced by Mazzarri in November.

Their nine league games since then have comprised three wins, two draws and four losses, and they are currently ninth in the table, four points behind fourth place.

Asked at a press conference if the Champions League spots remained a realistic objective for Napoli, Mazzarri said: “I don’t look at the table for my own reasons.

“But it’s clear that there are many teams within three to four points, and therefore the objective is possible.”

Since starting the calendar year with a 3-0 loss at Torino, Napoli – still without star striker Victor Osimhen due to international duty with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations – have won 2-1 at home against Salernitana, beaten Fiorentina 3-0, lost 1-0 to AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana and drawn 0-0 at Lazio in their return to league action last weekend.

Mazzarri said: “In the last few games we created little, for various reasons, also due to the strength of the opponents, but we returned solid and balanced, after the very bad performance in Torino.

“It’s clear that we will need to be more aggressive and proactive to create scoring opportunities, perhaps even shooting from outside, because we can’t always enter the area with triangles and penetrations.

“This week we are also working on this aspect and I think we will see the results.”

Napoli face a Verona outfit who went into the weekend just outside the relegation zone, and who brought in a trio of players on transfer deadline day – Stefan Mitrovic, Karol Swiderski and Fabien Centonze.

Boss Marco Baroni told a press conference ahead of the trip to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona: “We need points, but we have to start from the performance.

“These are complicated and difficult stadiums, where we must not be afraid. We will have to play a match of personality, having great respect for the opponent.

“These are teams against which you have to be very careful within the performance. We will need to be compact, focused, and help each other on the pitch.”

Swansea head coach Luke Williams struggled to hide his frustration after the Whites went down to a 1-0 Sky Bet Championship defeat to Plymouth.

Morgan Whittaker struck the only goal of the game after 18 minutes – his ninth in his last 10 games as Argyle made it six games without defeat.

Back-to-back Championship defeats and a fourth loss in a row in all competitions leaves Swansea head coach Luke Williams still searching for his first league win since he took charge.

It also leaves the Swans just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Williams said: “I am frustrated that we didn’t turn really good actions into goals. When you create 19 chances and at least four of them are in the six-yard box, there’s not an excuse to not win the game.

“What is it that’s wrong with those chances? For me, nothing. It’s just concentration, finish the action correctly and we’ll win the game of football.

“The goal we conceded, we lose concentration again from a long ball forward. Whittaker hits the shot that leads to the corner. Then, from the corner we switch off, the player gets blocked and it’s a good strike.

“It’s unfair that he (Ronald) doesn’t have at least one assist. We tried to make it clear what his role is.

“We have had a few guys to interpret on the training pitch and I am really happy because he didn’t try to do his own thing or show off.

“He just tried to play in the game I asked him to play it – so much energy, so many runs in behind. So many players don’t want to do that because it’s hard, you have to keep sprinting and then you have to provide for someone else.

“I want him to feed the striker. I am happy with him.

“I don’t like that (relegation situation), of course I don’t like that. We need to concentrate on trying to play really well.

“If we can create 19 chances every week and create openings in the six-yard box, we’d have to be a very unlucky team to suffer more.

“We have some tough fixtures but that’s the job. There’s no sulking or feeling sorry for myself.”

Plymouth head coach Ian Foster was glad to see his side grind out a victory.

He said: “In my short time at the club, we have had to find a way of winning on the road. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to do that.

“Our challenge is to maintain the attacking threat we have but from a really solid defensive structure.

“That was probably a perfect performance today in terms of doing that.

“Of course at times we have to get better with the ball, but we have to start somewhere. We have to get the points on the board.

“I have worked with Morgan in the England pathway, so I know what he is capable of.

“I took him and his partner for breakfast on Wednesday, the day after the club turned down a bid for him from Lazio.

“It was just to see how he is and see what we can do to help him and keep him focussed on his game.

“It’s my job to continue to develop him into the player we all hope he can be.”

Leicester boss Enzo Maresca is content to ignore criticism from some Foxes fans after seeing his side move 11 points clear at the top of the Championship with a 5-0 demolition of Stoke.

Doubles from Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy helped the visitors take another step toward an immediate return to the Premier League.

Daka opened the scoring with a tap-in shortly before Kasey McAteer’s deflected long-range strike doubled the Foxes’ lead.

After the restart the in-form Daka converted Leicester’s first penalty of the afternoon for a sixth goal in eight games.

Substitute Vardy then notched his ninth and 10th goals of the season, his second deep in stoppage time also from the penalty spot.

It was the league leaders’ biggest victory of the season, much to the delight of boss Maresca.

“The most important thing for me is the way that the team is getting better,” said the Leicester boss.

“I don’t like it when people hurt the players, because I know the effort that they’re doing to bring this club back to the Premier League.

“Since the start, I see the way that they’re working and I know that they’re doing everything they can.

“If some of the fans aren’t sure or convinced, it doesn’t matter to me. The performance was very good today and that experience will make us better.

“I’m very happy with the result and the clean sheet, especially with the first half-an-hour, that was very good and we played the way that we like to play.

“The last 10 minutes of the first half, we conceded two yellow cards that we needed to avoid as it could compromise the game, but that was it.

“We’re very happy and when we play away, the environment is always nice and the players and fans together enjoy the moment.

“I’ve said many times, our fans are unbelievable. At home some of them maybe aren’t convinced, but it is what it is.

“It’s important for us to have lots of options and every time we need them, they help, so we’re very happy.”

It was another dismal afternoon for Stoke, whose winless run at home now stands at nine games, dating back to October.

“We were miles off it and they were just too good for us,” said boss Steven Schumacher, who oversaw a third defeat on the spin.

“They showed today why they’re top of the league. They’ve done everything properly, but they didn’t have to work hard at all.

“We didn’t have the belief or the quality. We tried, but they had too much for us and their goals were too easy.

“We knew we were coming up the best team, this result wasn’t going to determine the outcome of the rest of the season, but the next two might do.

“I need to make sure that we respond and put in a better performance and try to get a win.

“It’s three games now with three defeats and we need to do something about it, so Blackburn’s going to be a big game at the weekend.

“We need to get the players ready for it. We have to react and we won’t go away and sulk.

“There’s a real lack of confidence at home. When things go against us or there’s a little adversity, the crowd turns against us and it affects the players.

“We have to work hard to try and change that now.”

Boss Philippe Clement revealed defender Leon Balogun “probably broke something in his face” in Rangers’ 3-0 cinch Premiership win over Livingston which put them in striking distance of leaders Celtic.

The 35-year-old had to be replaced by John Souttar after just 22 minutes at Ibrox after clashing with Livi’s Shaun Donnellan.

Portuguese striker Fabio Silva, who arrived on loan from Wolves last month, opened his Rangers account against the league’s bottom side in the 40th minute before winger Rabbi Matondo added a second in first-half added time.

Gers midfielder Todd Cantwell knocked in a third in the 56th minute as Clement’s side moved three points behind leaders Celtic with a game in hand.

Asked about Balogun after the game, the Belgian said: “Not good and good in a way. It is not good because it is a bad injury, he probably broke something in his face.

“The positive side is he is a warrior and he is somebody with experience who already had things like that in the past.

“He believes he can be back fast with a mask so I hope that is the case. It is the medical staff who need to decide that.”

Rangers’ game in hand is against Ross County on February 14 but Gers fans will be excited about the possibility of going top of the table against Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday might, albeit Celtic, who drew 1-1 with the Dons at Pittodrie earlier in the day, take on Hibernian the following night.

Former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss Clement said: “That is the nice thing to be a fan. I have been a fan also before I was a player.

“That is a totally different life. We know what we need to do our job and that is with complete focus.

“If you start to think about others, you start to lose things yourself. We are not going to fall into that trap as a team.

“I am happy with the team also in that way, I don’t hear any name of another team during the week.

“Everybody is focused on Rangers and not on his ego but on the team. There is a really good team mentality now in that dressing room and I am going to be really tight on that so it stays that way.

“That is the reason we get results. The moment we start to focus on others we can lose that.”

Livingston boss David Martindale claimed Celtic dropping two points before the kick-off at Ibrox gave everyone in Light Blue a boost, although he thought Silva’s goal should have been chopped off for Connor Goldson’s challenge on Livi debutant David Carson inside the box following a corner.

VAR checked the incident but referee John Beaton was not called to look at his pitch-side monitor.

Martindale said: “When I saw the Aberdeen result come through I was a wee bit worried if I am honest.

“It probably gave the Rangers players and the crowd real energy because now it (title) is in Rangers’ hands.

“You are coming to Ibrox and it is already a difficult game but with that fresh impetus knowing the title is in their hands, that was in the back of my mind.

“But I am genuinely amazed that VAR allowed that goal to stand.

“It’s not sour grapes because Rangers deserved to get three points from the game but Goldson’s foot is head height with Carson, he catches Carson on the way down.

“Carson can’t attack the ball the way he would because he can see the foot coming in, he is a wee bit apprehensive.

“I am astounded the goal stands. Up until that point, I thought our game plan, structure, rigidity, when to press, when to drop, was very good and the goal gives the players and crowd real energy and we conceded a sloppy second.”

Stephen Robinson savoured “a fantastic performance” after his St Mirren side eased to their biggest away win over Hibernian for 39 years.

The Buddies ran out convincing 3-0 victors in the Premiership, with first-half goals from Alex Gogic, Greg Kiltie and Mikael Mandron putting the feeble hosts to the sword.

Saints – who won by the same scoreline in their last away match against Aberdeen – have not won so emphatically at Easter Road since a 4-0 victory in April 1985.

“It’s a fantastic performance,” said manager Robinson. “It matched, if not bettered, our previous away performance at Aberdeen.

“To score three goals and not concede any, I thought we were in total control.

“We showed real quality on the ball and dominated with it. But defensively to a man, including all the subs, it was a real team display.

“Marcus Fraser made a tackle at the end that showed the togetherness and will to win and not to concede goals that we’ve added to our game in the last month, since the break.”

Hibs were jeered off at half-time and full-time and many of their supporters left long before the end of what was a humiliating afternoon for the Edinburgh side.

Manager Nick Montgomery admitted the fans were well within their rights to vent their fury after a sixth league game in a row without victory left them seventh in the table.

“It’s a real difficult one to take,” said the Easter Road boss. “The first half was nowhere near good enough.

“We got outfought, outran, outcompeted and we gave away sloppy goals. From there, it’s a mountain to climb against a decent team.

“Being outfought and outcompeted, there’s not many times I’ve said that here, but I have to accept that. The players accept that.

“In the second half we huffed and puffed. But you can’t get back into a game after showing that first-half performance.

“I can understand the supporters’ frustration. There have been times this season where we’ve played really well and not got the result we deserve – and sometimes a couple of boos have been unjust.

“But today they were fully justified. We deserved the booing at half-time. At the end of the game? The second half was a lot better, we competed more, were probably unlucky not to get a goal or two and get back in the game. It wasn’t to be.

“But it was too late. We can’t give three-goal leads. We’ve come back from 2-0 down twice this season but 3-0 down is difficult.”

St Mirren produced a dominant first-half performance at Easter Road as they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over pitiful Hibernian.

The Paisley side opened the scoring early on through Alex Gogic’s header before a Greg Kiltie penalty and a close-range finish from Mikael Mandron put them in full command by the interval.

Hibs remain in the bottom six of the cinch Premiership after taking just two points from their last six league matches and many of their supporters left the stadium long before the end of what was a humiliating afternoon for the Edinburgh side.

Three of Hibs’ seven January recruits were selected for starting duty, with Nectarios Triantis handed a debut at centre-back. The 20-year-old Australian’s fellow Sunderland loanee Eliezer Mayenda was named on the bench alongside Chris Cadden, who returned to the squad for the first time since rupturing his Achilles on the last day of last season.

St Mirren handed a first start to former Hibs forward James Scott, who joined on loan from Exeter in January, but it was another ex-Easter Road player who opened the scoring for the visitors in the eighth minute.

Caolan Boyd-Munce seized on a loose ball following a Buddies corner and clipped in a cross from the right, allowing Gogic – who had two years with the Hibees – to power in between Rory Whittaker and Will Fish and head home from inside the six-yard box.

The hosts struggled to conjure a response and St Mirren doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Kiltie slotted home a penalty after Mandron flicked the ball up against the hand of Triantis in the box.

The Paisley side were in full control and they almost stretched their advantage five minutes later when right wing-back Elvis Bwomono latched on to Scott Tanser’s cross and saw a low angled shot from 12 yards out blocked by David Marshall.

A minute before the break the Buddies got their third when Mandron somehow found himself free just a couple of yards out to knock home Boyd-Munce’s corner.

Hibs – who had failed to muster any notable attempts at goal – were booed off at the interval by their furious supporters and then jeered back on for the start of the second half.

Manager Nick Montgomery responded by making a triple change for the start of the second half, sending on Dylan Vente and debutant pair Mayenda and Nathan Moriah-Welsh for Jair Tavares, Dylan Levitt and Elie Youan.

However, the abject home side rarely looked like finding a way back into the home game as Saints saw out the second half in professional fashion to keep themselves fifth in the table.

QPR scored twice in three second-half minutes to boost their survival hopes with a 2-1 win at Blackburn.

QPR took a 61st-minute lead through an unfortunate Aynsley Pears own goal, which owed much to the magic of Ilias Chair, but it was the least they deserved and Joe Hodge’s assured finish seven minutes into his QPR debut doubled their advantage.

It was too much for Blackburn’s supporters, who vociferously protested against owners Venky’s and their CEO Steve Waggott before Sam Gallagher’s fourth of the campaign halved the deficit 17 minutes from time.

But the visitors held on for their first win on this ground since October 1999 and with Blackburn now only five points clear of danger after a winless run of eight, QPR may have dragged them into the relegation battle.

Benjamin Chrisene should have given Rovers a fifth-minute lead when he found space inside the box and switched onto his right foot but got his curling effort all wrong and missed the target.

QPR looked the most assured of the two sides though and Chair engineered space on the left soon after, cutting inside before unleashing a rasping shot that Pears tipped away.

They went even closer when a flowing move saw Reggie Cannon cross for Sinclair Armstrong at the near post but he put his first-time shot the wrong side of the post.

Rovers were toothless, though Joe Rankin-Costello forced Asmir Begovic into a low save before Armstrong’s shot from a narrow angle was tipped behind.

The visitors went close again two minutes after the restart when Chair whipped a dangerous cross to the back post that Steve Cook met but his header whistled just wide, before Armstrong missed a glaring chance when over-running the ball clean through, allowing Pears to smother.

QPR got the goal their performance deserved just after the hour and it was thanks to the game’s outstanding player in Chair, who jinked inside from the left and dummied before letting fly with a ferocious low 25-yard strike that clattered the post and rebounded in off Pears.

They doubled their advantage three minutes later and there was no luck about this one as Armstrong found Hodge’s perfectly timed run into the box and he had time to pick his spot, slotting the ball beyond Pears into the right corner.

The atmosphere was bordering on mutinous after the second goal but Blackburn rallied and grabbed a lifeline when Rankin-Costello chased his mis-hit shot and bundled the ball into the path of Gallagher who fired through the legs of Begovic.

Begovic produced a sprawling save to deny Gallagher, and Semir Telalovic poked over deep into added time, but QPR held on for a vital win.

Ten-man Lincoln ground out a 1-0 victory over Burton thanks to Reeco Hackett’s second-half goal.

It ended a nine-game winless run in Sky Bet League One for Michael Skubala’s team, stretching back to November.

A scrappy first half was littered with yellow cards as Albion racked up three inside the first 21 minutes, but it was Lincoln who felt the ire of referee Jeremy Simpson as defender Alex Mitchell was booked twice in six minutes.

Albion struggled to break down a well-drilled Lincoln defence with Tolaji Bola’s deflected shot on the turn their best opening.

Lincoln skipper Adam Jackson should have had the visitors in front on the stroke of half-time but he headed tamely at Burton keeper Max Crocombe.

Ethan Hamilton fired wastefully over in the early moments of the second half, but Hackett showed a more assured touch as he fired home from inside the box nine minutes after the break.

Hackett could have made it more comfortable for the Imps but he hit a rasping shot straight at Crocombe.

Zac Ashworth scored for a second successive weekend to earn Bolton a 1-1 comeback draw against Skybet League One promotion rivals Barnsley.

But the Tykes will rue a series of missed chances before the West Brom loanee headed in a cross by substitute Aaron Collins after 64 minutes.

Bolton were beaten in last season’s third tier play-off semi-finals by the Oakwell outfit.

And they trailed after five minutes as Adam Phillips flicked on Barry Cotter’s long throw for Devante Cole’s 17th goal of the campaign.

Barnsley should have gone 2-0 up after 28 minutes as Josh Sheehan’s error gave Neill Collins’ side a four-on-two advantage but Phillips dragged his eventual shot wide.

Bolton continued to labour in the second half. They were indebted to keeper Nathan Baxter for three saves in quick succession from Cole, Phillips and John McAtee.

Boss Ian Evatt’s response saw Collins replace top scorer Dion Charles. And with his first touch the ex-Bristol Rovers star centred for Ashworth to rescue a point.

Collins almost won it for Wanderers but his deflected effort was tipped away by Liam Roberts.

St Johnstone opened up daylight over Ross County in the battle to avoid relegation from the cinch cinch Premiership after a 1-0 win in Dingwall.

The Staggies had looked bright, getting into the final third only to see a lack of quality when it mattered most cost them.

The same could not be said for St Johnstone, who had fewer chances but crucially made one of them count through Benjamin Kimpioka in the 35th minute to seal all three points.

Both sides missed good chances to break the deadlock in the early stages.

James Brown could not beat Dimitar Mitov on a couple of occasions, while Yan Dhanda blazed over for the hosts.

Anthony Gallacher did the same at the other end with arguably the chance of the game so far, finding himself through one-on-one with George Wickens only to lift the ball over both goalkeeper and crossbar.

St Johnstone took the lead in the 35th minute, though, as Kimpioka latched on to a long ball forward after Will Nightingale misjudged his interception.

The Swedish forward still had plenty of work to do, but he dropped a shoulder to cut inside Loick Ayina and on to his right foot before picking out the far corner.

County pushed for an equaliser after the restart, forcing a number of saves from Mitov.

Brown had another effort, nearly catching the keeper out at his near post, with Simon Murray volleying straight at Mitov from the edge of the box.

Ayina also got in on the act, taking aim from 25 yards out and forcing Mitov to tip the ball over his crossbar.

Try as they might, County could not find a breakthrough, with the final whistle going as St Johnstone kept the ball by the corner flag.

Victory for the visitors lifted them five points above second-bottom County in the table, albeit having played one game more.

The crucial run of fixtures the Dingwall outfit are on, having taken one point from matches against Livingston and St Johnstone, continues on Tuesday evening when they travel to Motherwell, who now sit in 10th place after being leapfrogged by St Johnstone.