Ipswich Town took a huge step to Premier League promotion after Cameron Burgess snatched a second-half winner in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Coventry City.

Kieran McKenna's side require just one point from their final Championship game against League One-bound Huddersfield Town to go up, after a decisive victory at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Kieffer Moore blasted in an eighth-minute opener for the visitors after Wes Burns' crafty cutback pass, easing the pressure on Ipswich and dampening the top-two hopes of third-placed Leeds United.

Haji Wright levelled in the second half, only for Burgess to squeeze a winning goal past Bradley Collins five minutes later, putting Ipswich on the brink of top-flight football for the first time since their relegation in 2002.

A draw against Huddersfield, who are 23rd and three points adrift of safety, would secure promotion at Portman Road, marking just the fourth instance of back-to-back promotions in the Premier League era.

Having managed to climb out of League One, McKenna's entertaining side would join Watford, rivals Norwich City and Southampton as the only sides to achieve the feat.

Data Debrief: Ipswich end winless run at perfect time

Prior to this game, only five teams had won fewer points in the Championship than Ipswich's six since the beginning of April (W1 D3 L1).

Yet McKenna's men refused to let their top-flight push derail as the Tractor Boys ended a four-game winless run to move within touching distance of history.

Kieran McKenna was happy to draw on the positives and praised Ipswich’s focus even though they missed out on the chance to go top of the Sky Bet Championship following a stalemate at home to Watford.

Town were eager to bounce back from Saturday’s 1-0 loss at bitter foes Norwich and had watched promotion rivals Leicester and Leeds drop points on Tuesday.

It meant victory for Ipswich would have sent them to the summit but a dominant first-half failed to bring a crucial opener with Nathan Broadhead firing against the inside of the post after 36 minutes before Daniel Bachmann denied Kieffer Moore’s flying header just before the break.

While home substitute Ali Al-Hamadi had a late effort deflected wide, Ipswich struggled to fashion chances in the second period and almost lost in stoppage-time when Edo Kayembe’s clearance from inside his own half nearly caught out Vaclav Hladky.

McKenna’s side instead had to settle for a point, which at least moved them back above Leeds with four matches to go and Middlesbrough the next visitors to Portman Road on Saturday.

“First half we created a couple of what would have been really good goals for us but it just wasn’t our night in terms of going into the back of the net,” McKenna reflected.

“We take the positives from the performance. I thought you could see in our performance in the first half, we played with no tension, no worries.

“I thought it was a really good performance and it didn’t look like it was the 41st game or the 14th game. We just played as us and that’s what we want to do.

“Our focus is just on the next game. Every game is really hard-fought, every point is hard won and we’ve had to fight really hard to win one tonight.

“We know it’ll take a hell of an effort and a hell of a performance to get anything on Saturday as well, so that is where our focus is.

“Not on anyone else or the table, it is just on trying to get ready for the next game and it certainly takes that in this division and this group have done that really well.”

Tom Cleverley expressed his pride after he watched Watford extend their unbeaten run to five games under his short managerial tenure.

The Hornets have now claimed draws with Leeds, West Brom and Ipswich since Cleverley was appointed interim boss on March 9 and targeted three points from this weekend’s trip to Southampton.

Cleverley added: “I’m incredibly proud of the group.

“Three clean sheets in five and that’s a solid foundation moving forward.

“We’re setting small markers down with the draw against Leeds, the draw away at West Brom and now the draw away at Ipswich.

“Now we want to put one big marker down with a win away at Southampton on Saturday and that is the challenge we face.”

On Kayembe’s 95th-minute lobbed effort, Cleverley admitted: “That would have been the best goal I’ve ever been present for.”

Wales suffered heartbreak in their first-ever penalty shoot-out as Poland booked their place at Euro 2024 after a goalless 120 minutes.

Spot-kicks were needed on a tense evening in which Ben Davies had a first-half header disallowed for offside but chances were scarce in this play-off final.

Wales were reduced to 10 in the final seconds as Chris Mepham was banished for a second yellow card and Cardiff City Stadium held its breath following an impromptu rendition of the national anthem.

Poland converted five perfect penalties with Robert Lewandowski, Sebastian Szymanski, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Nicola Zalewski and Krzysztof Piątek successful against Danny Ward.

Wales matched them as Ben Davies, Kieffer Moore – via the underside of the crossbar – Harry Wilson and Neco Williams scored.

But Daniel James saw his effort pushed out by Wojciech Szczesny as Wales lost 5-4 on penalties and wild Polish celebrations began.

It was a cruel end for the hosts who had given everything to qualify for a third consecutive European Championship.

Wales had beaten the visitors only once – a maiden meeting in 1974 World Cup qualifying – and suffered seven defeats in 10 games, including six successive losses.

They also had to nullify the threat of Lewandowski with the 35-year-old striker in rich scoring form for Barcelona and seeking to add to his record 82 Poland goals.

Wales made one alteration from Thursday’s 4-1 semi-final thumping of Finland, with Moore replacing David Brooks in the forward line.

Poland were unchanged from the side that put five past Estonia in their Warsaw semi-final but Aston Villa’s Matty Cash was missing from the substitutes’ bench after damaging a hamstring.

South Wales Police had promised a zero-tolerance approach to anyone attempting to take pyrotechnics into Cardiff City Stadium after Poland’s previous visit in September 2022.

But the Polish end was lit up with flares as the two teams gathered for the pre-match anthems.

Poland sought to take the sting out of a fever-pitched atmosphere by frustrating Wales with their ball possession.

Karol Swiderski narrowly failed to get on the end of a Bartosz Slisz cross and Jakub Piotrowski fired over from 25 yards as Poland settled quickly.

Wales’ best moments were from set-pieces: Davies heading over a Wilson corner and Moore planting another chance wide.

Moore also came close to being the beneficiary of Joe Rodon’s flick-on from a Connor Roberts long throw but ran out of room by the byline.

Wales had edged their way back into the contest as the interval approached and had the ball in the net in the final moments of the half.

Moore met Williams’ cross at the far post and Davies guided his knockdown beyond Szczesny in the Poland goal.

The assistant referee’s flag cut short Welsh joy and VAR showed it was a correct call with Davies offside by a matter of inches.

Wales did manage the first on-target effort four minutes after the restart when Szczesny superbly clawed away Moore’s header from under his crossbar.

It looked as if Poland were wobbling but composure was rediscovered and crosses began to be swung into the Wales penalty area with increasing regularity.

Jakub Kiwior cleared the crossbar from six yards and Swiderski sent Piotr Zielinski’s free-kick wide.

The tension was also palpable as Szczesny held headers from Moore and Mepham and Lewandowski almost prevented extra time by fizzing just wide from 25 yards.

Piotrowski and Szymanski had openings in an additional 30 minutes that Poland dominated, but Ward did not have a single save to make in the entire match.

Daniel James was delighted to celebrate the birth of his new baby by scoring on his 50th Wales appearance in the Euro play-off win over Finland.

Wales’ 4-1 victory set up a home play-off final against Poland on Tuesday, with a Euro 2024 place at stake in Germany this summer.

James’ second-half appearance from the bench came after a busy few days for the Leeds winger following the birth of his second child with partner Ria.

The 26-year-old had arrived late into the Wales camp on Monday before adding to the best scoring season of his career with a 13th goal for club and country.

“It was my newborn’s first game here and I’m delighted to have my 50th cap,” James said after acknowledging his new arrival with a thumb-sucking goal celebration in front of a capacity Cardiff City Stadium crowd.

“It’s an honour for me and my family so hopefully there’s many more.

“To score four here shows we’ve got goals all over the pitch.

“Everyone’s come into camp whether playing or not fit and ready. We really gelled as a team and we’ve got to take that into Tuesday.”

Poland will certainly represent a far tougher test in Cardiff than outgunned Finland did on Thursday.

They had an indifferent Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, losing three of their eight group games to finish behind Albania and the Czech Republic, but there is plenty of top-level European experience in Michal Probierz’s squad.

Robert Lewandowski remains their star turn at the age of 35 and has scored an incredible 82 international goals, although the Barcelona striker was not on the scoresheet in Thursday’s 5-1 semi-final rout of Estonia in Warsaw.

Poland have beaten Wales in their last six meetings, including a 2022 Nations League double-header when they won 2-1 in Wroclaw and 1-0 in Cardiff.

“We’ve played them before and they’re a very good team,” James told S4C.

“It’s going to be a tough game. We’ve got a couple days now to settle from this one and then we’ll be straight on it.

“To win 4-1 here is great, but the manager (Rob Page) said after the game that it’s only half-time.

“We’ve got a massive game on Tuesday now and we’re looking forward to it.”

Page is currently blessed with attacking options and had James, Kieffer Moore and Nathan Broadhead in reserve after choosing Brennan Johnson, David Brooks and Harry Wilson to fill his forward line.

Brooks and Johnson repaid Page’s faith by scoring, while Wilson was also sharp and went close on a couple of occasions.

“The biggest selection headache I had was at the top of the pitch, as was well documented,” said Page.

“It was a hard decision to make, but I knew having looked at the analysis that pace would hurt them.

“We’ve got Nathan, who’s playing really well at the top of the Championship scoring goals.

“Brooksy’s outstanding. Harry Wilson in the Premier League. Kieffer, Brennan, DJ. We’ve got competition for places.

“We’ve got a young and fitter squad now and we’ve got players playing regularly.

“So now it’s about getting a recovery session into them. Then back on the grass with a game plan ready to go Tuesday.”

Kieran McKenna highlighted “erratic” time-keeping in the Championship as Ipswich suffered stoppage-time despair with a 2-1 defeat at Cardiff.

Ipswich appeared to be heading back to second spot after Kieffer Moore’s fine finish against his old club 11 minutes from time.

But Ryan Wintle equalised in the fifth added minute and it got worse for Ipswich as Cardiff claimed a fourth successive win.

With eight minutes of stoppage time added, Callum O’Dowda volleyed home in the 10th extra minute played to leave Ipswich one point behind Leeds – 2-0 winners at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.

Ipswich boss McKenna said: “I haven’t given any thought to the eight minutes, but it is inconsistent this year. It is erratic.

“There have been some games where I’ve thought there have been lots of stoppages and maybe you get plus-five. Other games there have been much less.

“I wouldn’t be able to guess what it is within a couple of minutes margin when the board is going to go up.

“I can’t say it was wrong today, but it has been inconsistent this season.

“But my focus is on my team and what we can control. We’ve been very good at seeing games out, today we weren’t.”

There was a lengthy stoppage at the start of the second half when Moore and Cardiff centre-back Dimitrios Goutas clashed heads.

Moore continued with his head bandaged and the former Cardiff striker scored his sixth goal since arriving on loan from Bournemouth in January.

Asked if defeat was a costly blow to Ipswich’s promotion bid, McKenna said: “Who knows? We’re not focusing on a promotion race.

“We’re just thinking about ourselves, our journey, the next game. We’re focusing on winning next week, and the next nine.

“If the game finishes after 90 minutes we’d be talking about a really strong away performance. But it doesn’t end there and, in the last 10 minutes, we didn’t do what we needed to.”

Cardiff’s win keeps them in the play-off hunt and provides a further boost before next week’s South Wales derby at Swansea.

“I say the same, we go game by game,” said Cardiff manager Erol Bulut, who confirmed Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey would be available after this month’s international break following a calf issue.

“Maybe this was the best. We have been really prepared and I never felt we were going to lose it.

“When you play well and concede, it’s not good, but how my players started, they finished the game.

“Confidence is very important. When you see a few weeks before, confidence was not good.”

Ipswich failed to reclaim second place in the Championship as Cardiff struck twice in stoppage time for a remarkable 2-1 victory.

Kieffer Moore seemed to have returned to haunt his former club 11 minutes from time and put Ipswich on the brink of collecting three precious points in the Welsh capital.

But Ryan Wintle punished slack marking in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Ipswich failed to deal with Rubin Colwill’s cross and Callum O’Dowda’s knockdown.

But that was not the end of the drama as five minutes later, and with virtually the last kick of the match, Perry Ng hooked the ball towards the far post at a chaotic corner and O’Dowda volleyed home.

The defeat leaves Ipswich a point behind Leeds, who had moved in to second spot after Friday’s win at Sheffield Wednesday and possess superior goal difference than the Tractor Boys.

Cardiff were high on confidence after three successive wins and their lively start reflected that.

David Turnbull’s rasping effort from distance was saved with some discomfort by Vaclav Hladky, and the Ipswich goalkeeper was again needed from the resulting corner to keep the Bluebirds at bay.

The ball fell to Josh Bowler at the far post and Hladaky kept out his volley with an outstretched foot.

Ng seemed certain to convert the rebound with the goal gaping, but his scuffed shot allowed Moore to clear off the line.

Karlan Grant set up Josh Wilson-Esbrand for an opening blocked by Luke Woolfenden’s intervention and Hladaky held on to Bowler’s drive at the second attempt.

Ipswich did not look like a side that had scored in 12 consecutive games, struggling to play through midfield and supply Moore with tempting crosses against his old club.

Moore had managed an early header collected with ease by Ethan Horvath – Ipswich’s solitary on-target effort in the opening period – while the towering target man flicked wide after Wes Burns had raided down the right.

Ipswich began to get a foothold in the contest as half-time approached, but Cardiff went close again as Grant wriggled free just outside the box and fired over.

There was a lengthy pause after the interval as Moore and Dimitrios Goutas clashed heads.

Moore came off worse and was only able to continue after being patched up with a couple of headbands.

Ipswich sent on Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead, fit again after a two-game injury lay-off, to find some fluency in the final quarter.

Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Horvath had to react to bat away Hutchinson’s howitzer but he was left helpless after Harness spotted Moore.

Nat Phillips stood off Moore for the first time in the contest and the Wales striker took his opportunity, burying a left-footed shot across Horvath.

But there was a lethal sting in the tail and the late goals from Wintle and O’Dowda ensured Cardiff maintained their late bid for a play-off spot.

A late goal from Leif Davis ensured Ipswich kept pace with league leaders Leicester after coming from behind to beat Bristol City 3-2.

All five goals came in a frantic second half, with the Robins taking the lead through Anis Mehmeti only for substitute Ali Al-Hamadi to equalise.

Tommy Conway’s header put City back in front but Conor Chaplin drew the teams level with a header from a free-kick by Davis before the Town defender sealed the three points.

Al-Hamadi had a penalty saved by City’s goalkeeper Max O’Leary but he was unable to stop Ipswich’s sixth victory on the trot.

It was a dour first half with few chances before the game came to life in the second period.

Chaplin struck the outside of the left-hand post in the 33rd minute after Kieffer Moore’s flicked header from a corner, while at the other end Harry Cornick’s cross was met by Nahki Wells, who headed straight at Vaclav Hladky.

Just before the half-time whistle, a mix-up in the Ipswich defence between Luke Woolfenden and Axel Tuanzebe led to the ball falling to Mehmeti.

He set up skipper Jason Knight but his effort from inside the box deflected off Woolfenden and glanced just past the outside of Hladky’s right-hand post, with the goalkeeper stranded.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Mehmeti’s shot caught a slight deflection off Massimo Luongo to find its way into the back of the Ipswich net. And Wells had a wonderful chance to extend City’s lead when his shot struck the angle of bar and post and rebounded to safety.

But Ipswich struck back eight minutes later through substitute Al-Hamadi, who had only been on the pitch less than two minutes, turning Davis’ goal-bound shot into the net following Wes Burns’ cross into the City penalty area.

Hladky came to the rescue of Ipswich when he acrobatically turned away a shot from Mehmeti and Mark Sykes’ follow-up was cleared.

City substitute Conway pounced to head the ball past Hladky in the 77th minute following a pin-point cross from Sykes to put City back in front but Chaplin levelled three minutes later when he headed home from a Davis free-kick.

Al-Hamadi missed a chance to put Town ahead for the first time in the match when his penalty was saved by O’Leary after Cameron Pring fouled Burns in the box.

But Town grabbed the three points when Davis’ fierce shot took a deflection off Rob Dickie and went into the back of the net while Jack Taylor struck a post late on to send the delirious Town fans home happy.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was delighted his side made it five wins in a row as they moved back up to second in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-0 win at Plymouth.

A 63rd-minute own goal from Brendan Galloway and Kieffer Moore volley secured the win, while Argyle’s Mickel Miller hit a post and saw Town defender Luke Woolfenden clear his volley off the line.

McKenna said: “To win five in a row, when we have had some tough away games, that consistency is really pleasing.

“It was a really solid performance. Our organisation was good, our discipline was good and we were really competitive.

“We came out on top in more than our fair share of challenges and that gave us a really good foothold in the game in the first half.

“We knew it was going to be difficult. We knew we were going to have to stand up to a really strong home atmosphere and we had to stand up in difficult conditions, weather and pitch-wise.

“We did that really well and that gave us a really good platform at half-time to know we could push on…if we kept doing the right things, kept limiting their threats, we knew the chances would come our way and it was another really good second-half performance.

“We haven’t had too many games like this one. It was quite stop-start.

“We always back our fitness, our style, to some point it was not easy in the first half.

“We really felt confident that it would come good for us in the second half.

“The goal took a really big deflection but we had created chances either side of the goal so we felt a goal was coming.”

Argyle head coach Ian Foster said: “We don’t like losing games of football, especially here at Home Park, and obviously we are just really disappointed with the manner of the goal.

“It’s an unfortunate one for us. The shot was going wayward and it’s just hit Brendan and unfortunately ricocheted into the goal.

“The manner of that type of goal can affect you psychologically.

“It’s been an incredibly tough run of games here and we’ve given it our best shot, two of those teams we have played have shared second place today.

“We’ve tried to have right go – and I think we’ve done that again.

“We have shown that we can bounce back, so hopefully we can do that on Tuesday at Sheffield Wednesday.

“The players have been outstanding, fabulous.

“The first goal has just taken the wind out of our sails a little bit.

“If you look at their record, Ipswich have lost the least amount of games. We managed to stick with them for 63 minutes and then conceded a freak goal.

“If I have one criticism of us we didn’t react positively enough to that goal, and I get it, but you have to bounce back and show a little more resilience and character. But I don’t want to be too critical of the players.

“We can only take control of the next 90 minutes. We go to Sheffield Wednesday with confidence. We know the job in hand and have to go up there and give it our best.

“We haven’t lacked belief in any game, we go into every game trying to win. Today was a disappointing one for us but we won’t get too down about it.

“It’s just about taking it one game at a time. We won’t dwell on it, we just move on and get excited about the next game.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna described his team’s narrow 4-3 victory over bottom-placed Rotherham as a “bit of a wild game”.

Omari Hutchinson’s effort in the sixth minute of added time after Cafu’s levelling penalty moments earlier left the Tractor Boys behind second-placed Leeds only on goal difference, with Southampton losing to Hull.

Town initially fell behind after just two minutes to Tom Eaves, but responded thanks to a Kieffer Moore strike and Wes Burns’ first-half brace.

Hakeem Odoffin pulled one back for the Millers in the second half before the nail-biting additional time.

McKenna said: “It was a bit of a wild game. Of course it wasn’t a good start and from that moment we never really regained our composure in the game but having said that we have scored four goals at home, we find a way to win the game.

“Every game in the Championship is tough. I knew it was going to be a tough game; the players have found a way to come out on top again and credit to them for that.”

With eight minutes of time added on, McKenna said: “We weren’t managing to keep control of the ball. We were pinned into our box and random things can happen at that point.

“I didn’t think we had that many chances against us and when they got the penalty I thought it was going to be one of those nights but credit to the players they could lie on the floor and give up on the game but we find the spirit to get the ball back, launch another attack and produce another moment of real quality to win the game.”

Rotherham head coach Leam Richardson felt his side deserved a point.

He said: “You saw the good, the bad and the ugly of what we are and why we are in the position we are in.

“I’m disappointed for the players who worked terrifically hard. We started the game very well, we had a crazy 10 minutes. The first goal hurt us, we never really recovered from it, it was like a dazed boxer but the last hour we probably deserved something from the game.

“I don’t think many teams come here and dominate all the stats and score three goals and not win the game so disappointed for the players.”

Ipswich moved to within three points of the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion places as they returned to winning ways by thrashing struggling Millwall 4-0.

Kieran McKenna’s early season challengers had won just one in nine league games but survived a slow start to run out deserved victors at The Den.

Nathan Broadhead scored one and made another in the first half while in-form Bournemouth loanee Kieffer Moore headed home and Ali Al-Hamadi converted a stoppage-time penalty as Ipswich eased to just a second league win of the calendar year.

Despite their drop-off in form, McKenna’s side lost just twice in that run and the former Manchester United assistant will be hoping this result heralds a return to form – with a trip to Swansea next up on Saturday.

Millwall started the better of the two sides and the recalled Ryan Leonard hammered an effort over the crossbar after an early corner was cleared to the edge of the Ipswich box.

The home side showed four changes from their loss at Coventry and another returnee came close on four minutes as George Saville’s drive was saved by Vaclav Hladky.

With the hosts on top, Tom Bradshaw should have done better as the Lions countered an Ipswich corner but the ball got caught under his feet and Harrison Clarke got back to clear.

Hladky was forced into action again to save low from Leonard as Millwall maintained their head of steam.

But despite their dominance, Joe Edwards’ men fell behind at the midway point of the first half with Broadhead’s accurate back-header from Omari Hutchinson’s cross putting Ipswich ahead against the run of play.

The lead was doubled soon after as Harding inadvertently turned Broadhead’s low cross into his own goal.

The points were all-but secured on the stroke of half-time, Moore heading into the ground and over Sarkic for his third goal in as many games.

The second half was a much more even affair as Millwall matched their visitors, who had taken their foot off the gas.

Still, though, the home side could not find a way to beat Hladky, the former Salford keeper going largely untested after the interval other than preventing a Bradshaw consolation.

Ipswich could have extended their advantage as Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin had decent chances before referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot for a Murray Wallace foul on substitute Al-Hamadi. The January signing from AFC Wimbledon dusted himself down to score his first goal for his new club.

While Ipswich continue to look up, Edwards has now seen his side take just one point from their last six league games and – with Stoke and Huddersfield both winning – they have dropped to 21st in the table.

Bournemouth produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat QPR 3-2 and reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Championship strugglers scored two goals in quick succession before the break through Sinclair Armstrong and Lyndon Dykes at Loftus Road.

But the Cherries came out after half-time firing and goals from Marcus Tavernier, Kieffer Moore and Justin Kluivert secured their seventh win in nine matches in all competitions.

QPR looked to strike early in the 10th minute. Andre Dozzell turned his man in midfield and combined with Dykes before his cross was too high for the striker to get on the end of.

The hosts continued their positive start in the 15th minute when Dykes forced Mark Travers into action.

Paul Smyth showed blistering pace to beat his marker and his cross onto the head of Dykes was denied by the acrobatic Travers, who got down quickly at his right post.

The Cherries started to warm into the tie and they went close after 21 minutes when Philip Billing’s driven shot across goal narrowly missed the target.

Bournemouth struggled up to that point but a moment of brilliance from Billing to retrieve the ball off Luis Sinisterra, dribble and get a shot off highlighted their Premier League quality.

But it was the Championship side who scored first after 40 minutes.

A searching ball forward found Armstrong with his back facing Bournemouth’s goal on halfway. The striker turned Marcos Senesi with ease and glided through on goal where he produced a placed finish into the bottom-right corner.

And straight after the restart in the 42nd minute Dykes got the goal he deserved and Rangers stormed into a 2-0 lead.

The attacker cut inside from the left and his long-range effort took a heavy deflection off Max Aarons, whose poor positioning saw the ball loop over the helpless Travers and into the net.

Bournemouth flew out of the blocks in the second half and grabbed a goal through Tavernier in the 48th minute.

Both sides scrapped for the loose ball in QPR’s box after a set-piece but it fell nicely to Tavernier, whose effort took another heavy deflection before it bounced past Asmir Begovic.

Bournemouth equalised in the 58th minute through Moore.

Alex Scott’s inswinging corner was whipped into the danger zone and Moore beat Begovic in the air to nod his side back into the game from six yards.

The visitors completed the turnaround after 69 minutes through Kluivert.

Billing, who had been outstanding all game, turned the ball over in QPR’s defensive third before he picked out Kluivert at the back post.

Kluivert, son of former Barcelona and Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert, showed how clinical he can be when he finished first time to seal victory for Bournemouth.

Substitute Kieffer Moore’s second-half stoppage-time header sealed a 2-0 victory for surging Bournemouth over a frustrated Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Marcos Senesi put the Cherries ahead in the 25th minute with a nodded effort of his own in a first half that saw Tyrick Mitchell forced off in another worrying scene for the injury-plagued hosts.

Jefferson Lerma came closest for the Eagles when he hit the upright early in the second half, but his side remain in search of just their second Premier League victory at home.

Moore, who was introduced in the 88th minute, buried any hope of splitting the points in south London and ensured his side made it 13 points from their last six league games ahead of Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford.

Palace’s first chance came when Michael Olise floated in an early free-kick from near the left touchline, where Jordan Ayew was only able to head a weak effort into the arms of Bournemouth keeper Neto.

He came closer with his second attempt, a strike from inside the penalty area that Neto was able to palm over the crossbar, before the visitors got their first break of the period, with both Adam Smith and Antoine Semenyo calling Sam Johnstone into action.

Flurries of activity in favour of the hosts ended without anything to show and the pace had slowed by midway through the half, but the visitors were ahead after 25 minutes when Luis Sinisterra rose highest to meet Ryan Christie’s corner, flicking it on to Senesi to finish.

Ayew saw another effort saved while a well-timed sliding Illia Zabarnyi tackle denied Odsonne Edouard an angle on the rebound, and soon came another worrying scene for Roy Hodgson when Mitchell was forced off and replaced by Nathaniel Clyne.

Justin Kluivert fired an effort that Johnstone saved, and it was the Cherries who remained on the front foot until half-time, when boos rang out as Palace entered the tunnel.

The crowd was encouraged when Lerma rifled an effort off the right post to start the second half, a fleeting flash of excitement, but soon the hosts were back looking for a breakthrough that rarely looked close to coming as the hour mark approached.

Lerma tried again with a volley over the crossbar before Hodgson made a double change, bringing Naouirou Ahamada on for captain Joel Ward, who on Wednesday night surpassed Wilfried Zaha for the most Premier League appearances in Palace history, and Will Hughes for Jeffrey Schlupp.

But every time they looked to test the visitors the Cherries had an answer, and, though the crowd had slowly come back into the contest, the chorus of boos loudly reprieved when Moore nodded into the bottom right to ensure Bournemouth walked away winners.

Wales meet Croatia in a vital Euro 2024 qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday night.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at five of the main talking points as Wales seek to keep their automatic qualification hopes alive.

Perfect finish needed

Turkey’s shock win in Croatia on Thursday has really thrown a spanner in the works. Wales had expected to be in a three-way fight with Turkey and Armenia for the second qualifying spot behind top speeds Croatia. Overtaking Croatia now looks like being Wales’ target, but a top-two spot only appears achievable by winning on Sunday and also beating Armenia and Turkey in their final group games next month.

Cardiff fortress

In a week when the UK and Ireland won the right to host Euro 2028 and the prospect of Wales returning to play at the Principality Stadium came into sharp focus, much has been made of making home advantage count at the Cardiff City Stadium. Wales have enjoyed some big nights there in the past, but that was often when Gareth Bale was in full flow and making the difference. A sell-out crowd will turn up in anticipation that Wales can make the stadium a fortress in the post-Bale era.

Moore the merrier

Kieffer Moore’s return to the fold is a big boost for Wales. Moore missed the last two Euro qualifiers after being sent off against Armenia in June. The 6ft 5in striker has had little game time at Bournemouth but Moore was in fine fettle during his 45-minute run-out against Gibraltar on Wednesday. Moore scored twice in the 4-0 friendly win to take his Wales goals tally to 12.

Creaking Croatia?

Croatia suffered their first-ever home defeat in a Euro qualifier against Turkey. But was it a one-off or something more meaningful? The 2018 World Cup finalists and 2022 semi-finalists are used to breezing through qualification but, having let two points slip against Wales at home, this campaign has been more challenging. Time might finally be catching up on midfield magician Luka Modric, 38 last month, while injuries to Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic and Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramaric have hurt them.

Wales win overdue

Wales have proved accommodating opponents for Croatia, who they have yet to beat in seven attempts. Croatia have won four times with Wales’ best moments coming in three 1-1 draws. Simon Davies scored in a 2002 Varazdin friendly, Bale netted in a Euro 2020 qualifier in Cardiff, and Nathan Broadhead’s stoppage-time equaliser cheered Wales at the start of this campaign in March.

Wales warmed up for Euro 2024 qualifying action by cruising to a 4-0 win over Gibraltar in Wrexham.

All the goals came in the first half as Kieffer Moore scored twice with Ben Davies and Nathan Broadhead also getting on the scoresheet.

After last month’s victory in Latvia, it was the first time Wales had achieved back-to-back wins since November 2021.

The performance, especially the opening period, will encourage Wales manager Rob Page ahead of the vital qualifier against Croatia on Sunday, even if Gibraltar’s standing in world football must be taken into account.

This was the maiden meeting between the two nations at senior level and also marked Wales’ return to the SToK Racecourse for the first time since beating Trinidad and Tobago there in 2019.

The Football Association of Wales were rewarded with a sell-out crowd of 10,008 as fans in the north showed their appetite to support the national team.

Page rested several regulars with the Croatia fixture in mind, when Wales will realistically need at least a point to keep alive hopes of automatic qualification for next summer’s European Championship finals in Germany.

Davies took over the captaincy in the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey, the Tottenham defender winning his 81st cap as Gibraltar played the 81st match in their history.

Charlie Savage, the 20-year-old son of former Wales midfielder Robbie, Joe Low, Regan Poole and Liam Cullen were handed first caps.

Savage, in particular, could be satisfied with his night’s work as he showed composure in possession and exhibited a good range of passing.

Gibraltar came into the game 198th in the world with only nine nations below them on FIFA’s rankings table.

Preparing to play the Republic of Ireland in Euro qualification on Monday, Gibraltar had suffered six straight defeats and not scored since a 1-0 friendly win over Andorra 11 months ago.

The loudest cheer in the opening minutes came when Savage evoked memories of his father with a crunching, but fair, challenge on Tjay De Barr that left the Gibraltar forward on the floor.

Broadhead was off target with a couple of efforts before Wales took the lead after 22 minutes from an unlikely source.

Skipper Davies rose highest from Broadhead’s corner and Gibraltar’s fallibility in the air was punished again when Moore met Savage’s cross to score expertly off a post.

Daniel James, on early for the injured Wes Burns, was causing havoc down the left and forced a sprawling save from Dayle Coleing.

The over-worked Gibraltar goalkeeper also denied Savage twice and Liam Walker cleared another Davies effort off the line.

Broadhead then took James’ 35th-minute pass and turned smartly to find the top corner of Coleing’s net with a sweet right-footed strike.

Cullen twice went close and the fourth arrived on the stroke of half-time as James scampered free again to deliver a perfect cross for the waiting head of Moore.

Page made a raft of substitutions at half-time and the contest lost much of its rhythm.

The changes also removed the possibility of Wales eclipsing their record 11-0 win against Ireland in 1888.

Tom Bradshaw was inches from connecting with a Josh Sheehan cross that flashed across goal, but the second half was largely a nondescript affair.

James shook the crowd from their slumber with an angled effort that rattled the woodwork, but Wales had already achieved their objectives heading into Sunday.