With just a handful of games to go, promotion and relegation beckons in our latest rundown from the lower divisions
Key matches
• One up, two to go in the Championship, although the second is surely going to be Southampton now. Saints can seal a spot in the Premier League – for the first time since Harry Redknapp led them into the second tier in 2005 – when they visit Middlesbrough at tea-time on Saturday; a win will send Saints up, anything else will leave them waiting on West Ham, who don't play again until Monday night's trip to Leicester. "We are so near but so far, so we have to keep our feet on the ground," said manager Nigel Adkins, who remains keen on pipping Reading to the title. Seventh-placed Boro are still pushing for the play-offs themselves, but need a win to keep their season alive unless Cardiff fail to beat Leeds and Blackpool do likewise in their derby at home to Burnley. "Someone will miss out, and I am desperate for it not to be us because I believe what we have achieved is fantastic," said Tangerines manager Ian Holloway.
At the other end of the table, all eyes will be on Ashton Gate, where Bristol City can send Coventry and Portsmouth into League One with a win over Barnsley. "If we win 1-0 with a really poor performance, I won't care," admitted manager Derek McInnes, whose side could still ensure their survival even with a defeat should Pompey lose to Watford at Fratton Park and the Sky Blues succumb to already-relegated Doncaster Rovers at the Ricoh.
• In League One, nearly 6,000 Sheffield United fans are making the trek to Milton Keynes, hoping to see the team beat the Dons and even potentially book their return to the Championship should bitter rivals Wednesday lose at home to Carlisle. "The only thing we are concentrating on is trying to win the game. Nothing else," said Blades manager Danny Wilson, whose side will face a serious test against fourth-placed opponents, themselves a win away from guaranteeing their play-off place. Also chasing post-season action are the visitors to Hillsborough, just a point out of the top six, as well as both teams facing off at Broadhall Way, where Stevenage in seventh host ninth-placed Brentford, and Notts County – the current sixth-placed team – who entertain lowly Bury. "We know now that it is in our hands," said Magpies manager Keith Curle. "Nothing will change and we will express ourselves in the right manner."
Victories for Walsall at Exeter and Leyton Orient at home to Yeovil would relegate Rochdale, the Grecians and Chesterfield, while defeat for Wycombe at champions-elect Charlton could leave them on the brink of becoming the fourth team to fall. "We want to go there and prove why we want to stay in League One and why they are probably going down to League Two," said Saddlers winger Jamie Paterson ahead of Walsall's trip, while Exeter boss Paul Tisdale admits the team are ready for life back in League Two. "We've been making preparations for about a year now," he said. "We have to adjust our expectations because of the economic cycle we're in and the fact we're going to have to build a new side over the next two or three years."
• League Two leaders Swindon head for the Priestfield Stadium (with visiting fans, now that they've been given the all-clear to attend after a row over policing costs), where a point for the Robins – or favourable results elsewhere – will ensure their promotion. Shrewsbury could also potentially secure their ascent on the road at Accrington and end a 15-year exile from the third tier, though they need three points and help elsewhere. "It's never an easy place to go to and I'm told the playing surface won't be that clever," said boss Graham Turner, who added: "You never know what will happen to Swindon now." The race for third looks to be between Crawley Town and Torquay United, tied on 80 points (but separated by eight goals in the Sussex side's favour) and the pair both go on the road this Saturday: Crawley, at set-to-be-safe Dagenham & Redbridge and the Gulls at AFC Wimbledon. "We're probably 60-40 against sitting here today but that's not bad odds going into the last three games of the season," said Torquay manager Martin Ling.
Cheltenham can book their place in the play-offs with a win over rivals Crewe, while Oxford will hope to take advantage of the two teams around them squaring off against each other down at Plymouth. Gillingham, Rotherham and Aldershot all retain mathematical, yet rapidly dwindling dreams of the post-season. It is a little more clear cut at the bottom, where it should be two from the bottom three: Barnet, currently 22nd, visit Southend on Friday night, themselves eyeing a win to maintain an outside shot of automatic promotion. Victory for the Bees, under third-time manager Martin Allen, would leave them six points clear of the bottom two, Macclesfield and Hereford, who play on Saturday. "I can understand the supporters were upset last year," said Allen, who left Underhill just three games after his reappointment to jump ship for Notts County. "For the people who've criticised me, Barnet is the love of their life. For managers, it's a job. If better offers come along, generally people take them. The public have a general conception if you're a football manager then you're absolutely minted – I'm not." As for the teams staring relegation in the face, the Bulls host Northampton, while the Silkmen go to Bradford. "I never forget when I was a player at Brighton," said Macclesfield boss Brian Horton. "We had to win our last four games to stay up and we did it. It can be done."
Quote of the week
"The players would like to apologise for spending a few hours out on Saturday night. We have been very professional all season and we let our standards slip at such an important time of the season" - Swindon quintet Alan McCormack, Alan Connell, Raffaele De Vita, Simon Ferry and Jay McEveley release a joint statement after a night out following last weekend's win over Plymouth, which prompted manager Paolo Di Canio to declare: "If I have to bring a new team in at Gillingham [on Saturday], I will." A point for the Robins (or favourable results elsewhere) will ensure their promotion to League One and visiting fans have now been given the all-clear to attend after a row over policing costs.
Player to watch
Laurence Wilson: the Morecambe defender is set to leave the club at the end of the season, boss Jim Bentley revealing that "he wants to play at a higher level and we wish him well for the future".
Goal of the week
Mark Hudson, for obvious reasons.
'Best' bets
• Preston to beat Oldham at 11-4: while the Latics aren't mathematically secure of their League One place, their form of late has not been good enough to warrant clear favouritism against a North End side that has finally shown an upturn of form in their last three (beating Huddersfield, and drawing with Stevenage and MK Dons). Oldham ended a five-game losing run with a draw at Wycombe, but Preston are a value option.
• Torquay to beat AFC Wimbledon at 21-20: the Gulls are neck-and-neck with Crawley in the race for third in League Two and should be followed on the road against a team, already safe, that have lost 10 times on their own patch this season. A club-record 12th away success should await.
Nothing to see here dept: we'll monitor the "best bets" progress through the season, with a set stake of £10 per bet. Current loss (ahem): -£94.95. Again, there's no tipping contest this season but that doesn't stop you posting your best bet suggestions below the line. And for those who would like to take part, we have set up a private Championship Fantasy League, the pin for which is: 12647. Phil Avery is in front with Numbers Game.
What you may have missed from the blogosphere
• The 72 on why Reading deserve the glory, but forget the £100m goal:
Ian Harte's ball in. Mikele Leigertwood's side-foot finish. The goal that gave Reading a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. A goal that meant thousands of Royals fans ended up on the pitch carrying Leigertwood off it on their shoulders. That goal meant Reading were promoted to the Premier League. But that's not enough for some people … Instead, Leigertwood's goal was quickly labelled "a £100m goal", because promotion to the Premier League is apparently worth ("up to") that sort of figure these days. At the vanguard of this declaration, of course, was Sky Sports News. No longer are clubs afforded hours or days to celebrate the mere glory of promotion into the top flight before considering the veritable bounty on offer. The final whistle had barely gone at the Madejski Stadium and Sky were keen to ram the ubiquitous nine-figure sum down everyone's throats.
• The Boys from Up the Hill profile Oxford United's Wayne Brown:
His time in South Africa was clearly not wasted however, as he told the Hereford Times, "they've also taught me a different style of kicking with a very flat strike" – a technique which he has already put to good use during his time at Oxford. He left Supersport United at the end of the season and had talks to join a Serie B side in Italy, but clearly this never materialised, as he has found himself warming the bench (or not, as has often been the case) at Oxford. Now, of course, Wayne Brown finds himself in the position of coming in from the cold to fill in for Ryan Clarke, possibly in the high-pressure environment of the play-offs. Which of his nicknames will he live up to: Superman or Calamity Brown?
• You can read much more from our Football League blogosphere, which should now have been updated to include more of your recently suggested blogs.
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انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.
