Simo Valakari admitted St Johnstone will probably need to be perfect for the remainder of the season to avoid relegation.Saints lost 3-2 to Motherwell in the first match since the league split and, with four games to play, remain six points adrift of second-bottom Ross County.Boss Valakari said: “We were in a difficult situation before the match and now we’re in an even more difficult

Don Cowie will let his Ross County players feel sorry for themselves following their damaging 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock but wants them ready to fight for survival on Monday.In the first post-split fixture at Rugby Park, striker Bruce Anderson broke the deadlock with a back-post header and midfielder Liam Donnelly doubled the lead with a close-range strike.With four fixtures remaining, Kilmarnock mo

Newport caretaker manager Dafyyd Williams rued what he called his side’s Achilles heel after they went down 2-0 to two set-pieces in League Two at Fleetwood.Williams took over for the final two games of the season following Nelson Jardim’s departure this week and was pleased by what he had seen in his two sessions on the training ground. But ongoing issues in defending set-pieces conti

Millwall head coach Alex Neil could be forgiven for not caring about the manner of his side’s victory over Swansea as it kept their play-off hopes alive going into the final day of the season.With The Den even more raucous than usual, George Saville’s first goal in nearly 18 months earned the Lions three points that lifted them to within goal difference of sixth-placed Coventry in the

Jack Wilshere “loved” his first taste of management in interim charge of Norwich and feels ready to become head coach on a permanent basis.After stepping in this week following the sacking of Johannes Hoff Thorup, Wilshere guided the Canaries to a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough in the Championship.It was a much-needed positive result for Norwich, who had lost three games on the bounce and w

Simon Rusk acknowledged his Southampton players were “gutted” after they missed a golden opportunity to move beyond Derby’s record-low Premier League points total but backed them to bounce back from a stoppage-time loss to Fulham.Jack Stephens’ 14th-minute opener had already-relegated Saints on course for a first home league victory since November, but Emile Smith Rowe leve

Interim manager Aaron Ramsey said he was “gutted” over Cardiff’s relegation from the Championship as the “miracle ending” he craved at his boyhood club turned to disaster.Ramsey, the Wales captain currently sidelined by injury, returned to his first club two summers ago after playing for Arsenal and Juventus and spoke about helping Cardiff back to the Premier League.B

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praised a “strong, nasty” display after his side took a significant step towards Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge.Nicolas Jackson ended a four-month scoring drought to seal victory midway through the first half, but the result owed as much to goalkeeper Robert Sanchez who produced outstanding saves from Bet

Interim Tranmere boss Andy Crosby was keen to look forward after his side secured their League Two status for next season with a 2-0 win over Crewe at Prenton Park.A first-half goal from captain Tom Davies and a late Kristian Dennis strike mean that Rovers are now seven points clear of the drop zone with a game to play.Crewe finished the match with nine men as Tom Lowery and Zak Williams saw red,

Lee Evans’ second-half penalty against his former club gave Blackpool a 1-1 League One draw at Wigan, who had deservedly led through Jon Mellish’s fourth-minute goal.Wigan got off to a flying start when Mellish’s delivery from the left wing crept in at the near post, catching Harry Tyrer out of position.But the Seasiders came back into it and, after Wigan skipper Jason Kerr clear