Andre Breitenreiter called for VAR to be used in Championship matches after Nahki Wells’ stoppage-time penalty had denied his Huddersfield team a crucial win.

The former Terriers striker sent a powerful spot-kick past Lee Nicholls with almost the last kick of the game after referee Rebecca Welch had judged substitute Ollie Turton to have handled a Cameron Pring cross.

The goal cancelled out Josh Koroma’s clinical strike from 10 yards after 81 minutes and meant Huddersfield remained in the Championship drop zone with just three games left.

Head coach Breitenreiter said: “I have said before that the Championship needs VAR for sure and this moment proved it.

“We don’t think it was a penalty and a referee needs to be 150 per cent sure to award one in the 98th minute.

“VAR would have meant justice for my team. I spoke to the referee afterwards and she explained her reasons for the decision, but that doesn’t change anything.

“I feel so sorry for my players because they are crying in the dressing room, yet their performance today was all I could have asked.

“We played as a team for 90 minutes, working hard throughout and created chances.

“Maybe we should have scored a second goal, but we defended well as a team, which is what we needed in more games in the past.

“You could tell the Bristol City fans were unhappy with their team at half-time and that shows how well we played.

“Ollie Turton is in the dressing room trying to apologise for a mistake. But he didn’t make a mistake.

“It isn’t the first time a big decision has gone against us. But I would rather talk about the performance than something over which we have no control.

“The players are so disappointed, but they shouldn’t be because they did so well.

“Now we have two home games in the final three and have to play with the same attitude.”

City head coach Liam Manning said of the spot-kick: “Cam Pring thought it was a penalty, but I was in no position to judge.

“It was a tough and frustrating game for us, but sometimes it can have a positive effect to secure a result from a below-par performance.

“We have been on the wrong end of late goals and the difference between a draw and losing on confidence is very different.

“In the end it was a solid point for us and a result we might not have got a few months ago.

“If you want to be successful in this division you have to be able to go 11 or 12 games unbeaten. That means picking up points when not at your best.

“Because of injuries, we had a new look to our back-line, with players out of their normal position. I thought they did well.

“In the first half our passing was sloppy at times and we weren’t positive enough with our running.

“We were better in the second half, but the players know we weren’t at our best and are honest enough to admit that.

“I would be happy to see VAR introduced in the Championship, but with a few amendments. Games can be held up for too long.”

Hull captain Jacob Greaves snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner as his side kept pace in the Championship play-off race with a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield.

Greaves had put Hull ahead in the seventh minute and, after Jack Rudoni had seemingly earned the home side a point in added time, netted a diving header in the dying stages to earn victory.

Back-to-back wins following a disappointing home defeat by Swansea has left Liam Rosenior’s side out of the top six only on goal difference while the Terriers lie two points above the relegation zone.

Jaden Philogene forced Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls to deflect over for the first corner when the forward made the most of good work by Fabio Carvalho and Ozan Tufan to shoot from the edge of the area.

The Terriers failed to clear it and when the ball fell to Greaves 12 yards out, he hooked left footed towards goal and a diving Nicholls got a hand to it but was unable to stop it crossing the line.

Hull should then have paid the price for giving the ball away at the back, but Josh Koroma curled well over from 20 yards.

The visitors were forced into the first change after half an hour as on-loan Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton limped off following a second spell of treatment.

Ben Wiles’ rising shot was beaten away by Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop diving high to his right to preserve his side’s lead five minutes before the interval.

Alex Matos shot through the legs of Alfie Jones, but Allsop got down to block the midfielder’s shot after 50 minutes as the home side tried to force their way back into the game.

Sorba Thomas sent Rudoni clear inside his full-back with a pinpoint pass but the cross from the winger failed to reach a Huddersfield player.

The pressure was increasing from the Terriers and when Thomas curled in a cross from the left it was just too deep for Rudoni.

Tufan sent a dangerous ball across the home box which Jonathan Hogg cleared at the expense of a corner with an hour gone.

Substitutes Brahima Diarra and Delano Burgzorg created openings in quick succession as Hull continued to weather the home side’s pressure.

Thomas curled in a low shot from the left with his right foot and the ball deflected off a Hull defender before hitting the far post.

The game had entered stoppage time when Rudoni’s left foot shot beat Allsop from the edge of the area.

But Huddersfield’s fans were soon silenced as Greaves headed in a cross cross from substitute Abdulkadir Omur in the fourth minute of added time.

Matty Pearson’s first-half goal pulled Huddersfield five points clear of the Championship relegation places with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Huddersfield were 5-3 beaten by promotion-chasing Southampton at the weekend and their confidence in front of goal showed when Pearson put them in front eight minutes before the break.

The Terriers have not lost on their own patch this year and were good value for a second successive home win – they could have had more than the solitary goal but for the woodwork and a goal-line clearance – but needed goalkeeper Lee Nicholls’ heroics to secure three points.

Huddersfield’s first chance came when Sorba Thomas dispossessed Daniel Ballard on the last line of defence and Luke O’Nien’s challenge recycled the ball out to a waiting David Kasumu who sliced wide of the target.

O’Nien brought Kasumu down outside the area which presented Huddersfield with a good set-piece opportunity on the edge of the area.

Jack Rudoni’s vicious strike from the free-kick was palmed by Anthony Patterson into the path of Pearson who bundled home from close range.

Huddersfield held their breath on the stroke of half-time when a short corner was worked out to Dan Neil, who fired an effort on target which looked to be a routine save for Nicholls, only for it to slip through his grasp out for a corner.

Sunderland were making a habit of giving Huddersfield dangerous free-kicks, this time Trai Hume brought Koroma down and the Huddersfield striker picked himself up and curled the resulting free-kick onto the near post.

Sunderland went in search of an equaliser and their first effort on target of the half came when Jobe Bellingham drilled into the gloves of Nicholls.

Huddersfield came within the width of the goal-line of doubling their advantage when Rudoni’s glancing header was cleared by Bellingham before appeals for handball were swiftly waved away by referee Gavin Ward.

Michael Beale rolled the dice with his substitutions in search of a leveller and Patrick Roberts’ strike from outside the box looked to be heading in before it was deflected over the bar.

The visitors thought they had earned a last-gasp equaliser when Hume was put through on goal only to be denied by the outstretched Nicholls as he magnificently tipped behind.

Nicholls was once again the hero in the final minute of added time when O’Nien’s cross was diverted towards his own goal by Tom Lees but the Huddersfield keeper sprung well to tip over the bar and earn another vital home win.

Manager David Wagner expressed his pride as Norwich claimed a 4-0 Championship victory on his return to Huddersfield.

The Canaries continued their impressive start to the season as they stretched their unbeaten run to five games.

Josh Sargent pounced on a Lee Nicholls error to hand the visitors an early lead and score in a third-successive game.

The hosts’ calamitous start worsened when Matty Pearson conceded a penalty and Ashley Barnes converted from the spot.

Straight after the interval, the in-form Jonathan Lowe continued his feat of scoring in every game as he notched a fifth goal this term. And Adam Idah rounded off a delightful Norwich display with a late fourth as they rose to second place.

“We scored some very good goals and it was a deserved win,” former Huddersfield boss Wagner said.

“Nobody knows better than me how difficult this place can be and this was a big win from us.

“Coming to Huddersfield away from home, if you don’t take the lead or if you give chances away, the supporters can make a big difference.

“The players have done fantastic, used their opportunities and defended their goal with everything they had.

“(Goalkeeper Angus) Gunn was fantastic and it’s our first clean sheet and offensively we were able to break from that.

“Unfortunately, Sargent has a serious ankle injury but this goal shows the character and desire of him and the whole group.

“Overall, it was a very good performance and all our strikers have done great and scored and our substitutes made an impact as well.

“We can create good opportunities and score and this is good to know, but our whole performance was right today.

“The fact we scored four is pleasing but to keep our first clean sheet in the Championship this season, makes the win even greater.

“I’ll never rule anything out with the transfer window still open but I am very happy with the squad we have.”

It was another miserable afternoon for Huddersfield, who are still yet to record a victory this season.

Josh Ruffels went closest to handing the hosts a reprieve, but his goal-bound header was saved miraculously by Gunn.

“I can’t fault the effort at all,” said boss Neil Warnock. “There’s nobody on the pitch today who’s not given everything.

“The goals we’re conceding are silly and we can’t keep giving goals away like that – Norwich is a good side without giving them a goal.

“We started off really strong, on the front foot and I didn’t think they were going to cope with us and then we gave a goal away.

“And then the penalty’s very iffy and you’re two-nil down and you can’t believe it.

“The lads are giving everything and you can’t ask any more, but they’re very elementary goals and you can’t concede like that at this level.

“We’re getting in decent positions, but we’ve not been able to finish.

“At the end of the day, I can’t fault the effort and they’re giving me everything. And there’s a lot of the points of the game today that I did enjoy.

“But if you make mistakes like that at any level of football, you’re going to get punished and we can’t be doing that.

“I think we can beat anybody on our day but when we’re playing well, we shoot ourselves in the foot.”