The Sky Bet Championship
A 3-1 win for Brighton over League One bound Charlton meant they are now level on points with both Burnley and Middlesbrough at the top of the league; the Borough were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Ipswich, and with Burnley winning on Friday night, all three clubs are tied on 87 points.
Sheffield Wednesday’s draw away at Derby looked to have secured the Owls a place in the play-offs, but for a last minute penalty at the that ensured Cardiff City could still mathematically pip Wednesday to the post. City’s 2-1 victory over already relegated Bolton means that next Saturday’s clash between the two hopefuls will be greatly anticipated.
Milton Keynes Dons one year stint in the Championship came to a definitive end as they were thrashed 4-1 by Bristol. They will join Bolton and Charlton in their demotion to England’s third tier.
The Sky Bet League One
Wigan Athletic all-but secured a return to the Championship with a 4-1 victory against Southend; feasibly, only Walsall can catch them, having a game in hand, with the gap standing at 9 points. Sitting three points beneath Wigan in the league, Burton took a giant step in their quest for automatic promotion by beating already-relegated Colchester 3-0.
Barnsley’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield United was enough to propel them into 6th, after play-off rivals Gillingham suffered a 2-3 loss against relegation battling Shrewsbury. Fleetwood and Blackpool fought to a goalless draw, meaning that Fleetwood remain hovering above the relegation places, two points ahead of Blackpool who sit 21st. Doncaster’s 2-0 win over Coventry kept their hopes of keeping League One status alive: five clubs still face the possibility of relegation, discounting already relegated Colchester and Crewe.
The Sky Bet League Two
York City joined Dagenham and Redbridge in relegation to the National League with a 3-0 loss against promotion chasing Accrington Stanley, who now sit 2nd.
Cambridge United kept their faint chances of making the play-offs intact with a 2-1 victory away at Notts County; however, Cambridge would need to win their next two games, and Wimbledon would have to lose their next three for the U’s to clinch a play-off spot. Meanwhile Exeter City’s late, Ollie Watkins-inspired, run of form was firmly curtailed by their 3-1 defeat against Bristol Rovers. This followed defeat at St. James Park mid-week against Mansfield Town.
