Sheffield Wednesday earned a vital three points at Hillsborough on Saturday beating Preston North End by a goal to nil in the Championship.
Liam Palmer scored the only goal of the game, his first in over nine years, latching onto a knocked down from Elias Kachunga after Tom Lees flicked on a long throw into the Preston box, before Palmer side footed the ball in from eight yards.
Callum Paterson nearly added to his Owls tally in the first half, fizzing a shot towards the top corner from just inside the box but it arrowed just past the post.
The visitors came back into the game in the second half with Brad Potts testing Keiren Westwood from range, but the Owls stopper got down low to his left to palm the effort away.
Skipper Barry Bannan nearly sealed the game for Wednesday but his piledriver from the edge of the box was flicked over spectacularly by Daniel Iversen.
Sheffield Wednesday remain in 23rd place in the Championship but are now just four points from safety.
In League One, Doncaster Rovers had goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe to thank after he made two penalty saves in their 0-1 win away to Lincoln City.
Taylor Richards scored the only goal of the game, taking advantage of the Lincoln defence backing off, Richards drove forward with the ball before firing a low shot into the corner from the edge of the box.
The Imps came back stronger in the second half, with Tom Anderson blocking Morgan Rodgers’ close range shot before Conor McGrandles hit the rebound back at goal with force which Balcombe turned over the bar.
Reece James’ late challenge on Jorge Grant 60 minutes in gave the latter a chance to equalise from the spot, but Balcombe produced an unbelievable save down to his bottom left corner to not only keep the ball out of the net but in his grasp as well.
In a desperate attempt to make amends, Grant hit a rasping effort from 30 yards out, beating Balcombe, but striking the top of the bar before going over.
Balcombe nearly became the villain in the dying minutes, fouling Tom Hopper to give Lincoln a second penalty.
Substitute Tom Scully stepped up but Balcombe diving to his right caught the piledriver of a penalty in impressive fashion to seal the points for Doncaster.
Donny jump up to third in the table and are now just three points behind second place Lincoln City, but Rovers have two games in hand on the Imps.
In the Premier League, Sheffield United performed valiantly but were unable to hold out Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, losing 1-0.
Gabriel Jesus scored the only goal of the game nine minutes in after Ferran Torres weaved his way through the Blades defence before picking out Jesus in the six yard box who made no mistake.
Aaron Ramsdale silenced some critics with a great performance, firstly making a full stretch save to deny Oleksandr Zinchenko whose long range effort looked destined to nestle in the top corner in the second half.
Next up for Ramsdale was a looping header from Aymeric Laporte which needed tipping over the bar.
John Fleck nearly earned the Blades a late point after his half volley was drilled inches wide of Ederson’s far post.
There was still time for Ramsdale to make one last big save before the final whistle, denying Jesus’ first time effort with a brilliant, outstretched hand as he sprawled across to his left.
The result means that the Blades are still bottom of the Premier League, four points behind West Bromwich Albion in 19th.
Rotherham United were overcome by the extreme firepower of Swansea City as they were beaten 1-3 at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Conor Hourihane opened the scoring on 28 minutes, striking across the ball first time on the half volley with Jamal Blackman only being able to watch as it arched into the corner.
Matt Grimes made it 0-2 ten minutes later, firing a bullet strike past Blackman following the ‘keeper’s punch from a corner.
Freddie Ladapo got one back 20 minutes into the second half, rising highest to a second ball from a long throw to head past a fellow ‘Freddie’ (Woodman).
Jay Fulton’s improvised finished sealed the game for the Swans nine minutes later, converting a Jake Bidwell cross.
Substitute Clark Robertson headed onto the bar late on, but the Millers slipped to their first defeat in 2021 and remain in 22nd place.
It ended goalless at the City Ground between Barnsley and Nottingham Forest in the Championship.
The hosts did have the ball in the back of the net in the first half, but it was ruled out for offside when Anthony Knockaert was slid in on goal, he looked to square the ball for teammate Lewis Grabban but as the latter received the ball and passed it into the net, the whistle went, and the goal was ruled out.
In the second half Herbie Kane hit a wicked half volley from 25 yards out which need a brilliant save from Brice Samba to send it over the bar.
It was then Cauley Woodrow’s turn to be denied by Samba, heading downwards from a Callum Brittian cross, but the Forest stopper managed to get his body in the way.
The result means that Barnsley do hang on to their spot in the top half of the league.