Newton keeps Wolves at Premier door

The last mile is the longest in any distance race, as the sides involved in the struggle to claim a Nationwide First Division play-off berth are proving. Third-placed Sheff-ield United lost 2-0 at Preston, prompting their manager, Neil Warnock, to suggest that the Blades "couldn't score in a brothel. That's the phrase that comes to mind in describing our performance today. I was glad to get away with two-nil at the end."

Wolves, fifth, took a firmer grip on their play-off place when Shaun Newton scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Millwall, but that didn't satisfy David Jones, their manager. "We should have scored more goals, but our fate is in our own hands, and that's just how I want it."

Norwich City's play-off hopes rely on others, though, after a goalless draw at Walsall... but they do play Wolves tomorrow.

Neither of the bottom two, Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town, will have been thrilled with their 0-0 draw at Hillsborough, but Stoke City improved their chances of survival with a 2-1 home win over Wimbledon.

Crystal Palace, who parted company with Trevor Francis on Friday, drew 0-0 with Rotherham at Selhurst Park under caretaker bosses Terry Bullivant and Steve Kember, in his third temporary spell following a permanent tenure in the job 21 years ago. "Terry and I have spoken to the chairman and said we would like the chance to manage the side," Kember said. "He has not discounted it."

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Rava-nelli eased Derby County's lingering relegation fears when he scored the only goal of the game against Coventry City at Pride Park, while Bradford City beat visitors Watford 2-1 and Burnley beat Gillingham 2-0 at Turf Moor.

In the lower divisions there was jubilation in Wigan, Hartlepool and Irthlingborough as Paul Jewell's Latics claimed the Second Division championship by drawing 0-0 at Huddersfield, 'Pool were promoted from the Third Division despite a 4-0 thumping at Scunthorpe, and Rushden & Diamonds booked their Second Division ticket with a 2-1 win at Carlisle which took them to the top of the Third.

And a good start for Southend's new manager, Steve Wignall. Mark Rawle scored twice in the Shrimpers' 3-0 win over Torquay United.

In Scotland, Hearts significantly disrupted Celtic's preparations for Thursday's finely balanced Uefa Cup semi-final second leg against Boavista of Portugal, and their pursuit of Rangers in the Scottish Premier, when they beat the champions 2-1 at Tynecastle.

Celtic took a 59th-minute lead through Henrik Larsson but Hearts drew level 14 minutes later thanks to a Phil Stamp goal. Worse was to follow for Celtic. On another Hearts counterattack, Austin McCann's shot powered in off the bar for the Edinburgh side's winner. The defeat left Celtic eight points adrift of the leaders, Rangers, with only one game in hand and a game at Ibrox next Sunday.

"We have got a huge couple of games now," manager Martin O'Neill admitted. "The lads are disappointed in the dressing room, I'm sure the fans feel the same. It's going to be a hard game in midweek and in the league, but I wouldn't write us off just yet."

Elsewhere, joint player/ manager Owen Coyle scored a hat-trick as Falkirk claimed the First Division title with a 4-1 win over the bottom club, Arbroath. But the Bairns may not be promoted. Their Brockville ground is deemed unfit for the Premier League, and a groundshare plan has yet to be sanctioned by the SPL chairmen.