Huddersfield Town have sacked manager Darren Moore in the wake of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at fellow Championship strugglers QPR.

Moore, who left Sheffield Wednesday last summer after guiding them to promotion from League One, replaced Neil Warnock in September but has failed to spark a significant improvement and leaves the club 21st in the second tier, three points clear of the relegation zone. He oversaw just three wins in his 23-game tenure with the Terriers, with a fourth denied by QPR’s equaliser in added time at Loftus Road.

“We have to make this decision to give us the best chance of maintaining our Championship status come the end of the season,” said owner and chairman Kevin Nagle. “Darren is a fantastic man, and he has worked tirelessly since taking the job back in September. I know I speak for everyone at the club in wishing him the very best for the future.

“We appointed Darren on the strength of his credentials as a manager, but it is now clear that this has not worked as we envisaged and hoped. There have absolutely been mitigating circumstances, such as the high number of injuries that Darren has had to cope with, but we have still not seen enough on the pitch in terms of results or the direction of travel in playing style and performances.

“I believe that our current squad is capable of more, particularly on the back of the work we have carried out in this transfer window, and we’re quickly moving to identify the right person to lead them through a crucial period of the season. We hope to make that managerial appointment soon.”