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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
John Brewin

Football League: Cardiff keep up promotion chase, Bury relegated

Junior Hoilett celebrates scoring Cardiff’s second goal at Carrow Road.
Junior Hoilett celebrates scoring Cardiff’s second goal at Carrow Road. Photograph: Adam Holt/Action Images

Championship

Cardiff kept their hopes of automatic promotion alive with a win at Norwich which was late in coming after a previously close-fought contest. The 2-0 victory, which arrested Cardiff’s slide after two successive defeats, came via strikes from Kenneth Zohore in the 86th minute and Junior Hoilett in the third minute of added time.

In Saturday’s earlier kick-off, Sheffield United drew 1-1 with Millwall. The two sides, both hoping for a late surge into the play-off positions, had a quick second-half exchange of goals, with Blades’ Leon Clarke scoring in the 74th minute and Steve Morison equalising two minutes later. Millwall managed to end the day in sixth, with Blades back in ninth.

Derby failed to climb back into the top six after a 3-1 defeat at Burton, which helped to haul Nigel Clough’s team off the bottom. Had Burton lost, they would have been relegated but instead, strikes from Liam Boyce, Luke Murphy and Lucas Atkins were enough to see off their local rivals, for whom David Nugent scored.

Sunderland dropped to the bottom of the table despite a spirited performance at Reading. After Liam Kelly had converted a penalty conceded by a foul from Sunderland goalkeeper Lee Camp, Paddy McNair and Lee Cattermole scored rare goals for Chris Coleman’s team. Cattermole’s header was the captain’s first for 104 matches. But then came Yann Kermorgant’s late equaliser, heading in a Chris Gunter cross.

Championship

Barnsley 2-2 Bolton, Burton 3-1 Derby, Hull 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough 2-1 Bristol City, Norwich 0-2 Cardiff, Nottingham Forest 2-1 Ipswich, QPR 1-2 Preston, Reading 2-2 Sunderland, Sheffield United 1-1 Millwall. Late kick-off: Fulham 1-1 Brentford.

League One

Blackpool 2-1 Fleetwood, Bristol Rovers 1-1 Blackburn, Bury 2-3 Northampton, Charlton 0-1 Scunthorpe, MK Dons 1-2 Doncaster, Oldham 1-1 Gillingham, Oxford 2-0 Southend, Peterborough 0-1 Rochdale, Plymouth 0-0 Portsmouth, Walsall 2-3 Wimbledon, Wigan 0-0 Rotherham.

League Two

Accrington 1-1 Exeter, Cheltenham 0-1 Forest Green, Chesterfield 0-1 Mansfield, Colchester 1-3 Notts County, Crawley 1-2 Coventry, Grimsby 2-2 Barnet, Luton 3-1 Crewe, Morecambe 1-1 Carlisle, Newport 2-1 Swindon, Port Vale 1-0 Lincoln, Stevenage 0-2 Cambridge, Yeovil 0-1 Wycombe

Barnsley, meanwhile, stayed in the bottom three despite a late equaliser from Oli McBurnie denying Bolton. The Tykes had led from the 22nd minute for an hour until Adam Le Fondre equalised from the penalty spot. Craig Noone looked to have secured three points for Bolton before McBurnie’s intervention in the 93rd minute.

Ipswich, without a manager after the departure of Mick McCarthy, looked on course for victory at Nottingham Forest after Grant Ward’s goal, but a late salvo from Ben Brereton and Joe Lolley, their goals coming in the 89th and 95th minute, secured a 2-1 home win.

League One

Bury dropped through the relegation trapdoor after losing 3-2 to Northampton at Gigg Lane. It was Ash Taylor who did the damage with two goals. Taylor’s 88th-minute second came as Bury looked to be holding on to their League One status by claiming a point. They had twice equalised through Peter Clarke and Danny Mayor after Taylor’s first and a goal from Sam Hoskins. The Shakers suffered demotion with four games of the season to go.

Premier League

Manchester City have won their fifth English league title after Manchester United lost at home to West Brom. Liverpool (70) and Tottenham (67) look set to join United in the top four with Chelsea seven points behind in fifth. Arsenal are just two points above Burnley in sixth, but could still reach the Champions League if they win the Europa League. Burnley look bound for Europe, unless Southampton win the FA Cup.

West Brom (24pts) are still nine points from safety despite their shock win at Old Trafford while Stoke (27pts) and Southampton (28) are losing touch with Swansea (33), Crystal Palace (34), West Ham (34), Huddersfield (35) and Brighton (35) in the fight to avoid relegation.

Championship

Wolves (pictured) have been promoted to the Premier League after Brentford's late equaliser against Fulham (82pts), who are now third behind Cardiff (83) in the race for automatic promotion, with Aston Villa (79) in fourth. There is a fierce battle for the other two play-off places with just four points between Middlesbrough, Millwall, Derby, Preston, Sheffield United, Bristol City and Brentford.

Burton beat Derby to avoid relegation and climb above Sunderland, who are six points from safety with three games to play. Barnsley (38pts) are still battling and have a game in hand on Bolton (40) and Reading (43),with Birmingham (40) still in trouble.

League One

Wigan and Blackburn have the edge in a three-horse race for automatic promotion; both sides have a five-point cushion on Shrewsbury (82pts), and leaders Wigan have a game in hand. Rotherham appear set for the top six with Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Charlton and Peterborough battling for the other two play-off spots.

Bury (pictured) have been relegated to League Two after defeat to Northampton, who boosted their own survival hopes. MK Dons and Rochdale join the Cobblers in the bottom four, but Oldham, Walsall, Wimbledon and Oxford are all in danger.

League Two

Accrington missed the chance to seal promotion against Exeter on Saturday, but Stanley and Luton (83pts) look certain to climb into League One. Wycombe (77pts) are in third, with Notts County (73) and Exeter (73) playing catch-up. Coventry (68) and Mansfield (67) occupy the other play-off places but Lincoln (67) have games in hand.

Chesterfield and Barnet are in the bottom two but have hopes of catching the four teams above them – Forest Green, Grimsby, Morecambe and Port Vale. Macclesfield are 10 points clear in the National League, with one other team set to come up via the play-offs.

Shrewsbury, who drew 0-0 with Bradford on Thursday, had their chances of catching the top two in the automatic promotion increased by both Wigan and Blackburn being held to draws. Wigan were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Rotherham while Blackburn drew 1-1 at Bristol Rovers. Blackburn were denied in injury time by a Chris Lines volley following Charlie Mulgrew’s header.

AFC Wimbledon staged a thrilling comeback to ease their relegation fears. A stoppage-time penalty from Dean Parrett sealed the comeback after Walsall had been 2-0 up, before Joe Pigott began a comeback continued by Lyle Taylor’s equaliser.

Dropping closer to the bottom of the table, Rochdale climbed within a point of fifth-bottom Oldham with a 1-0 win at Peterborough, courtesy of an Ian Henderson goal. Oldham meanwhile were also denied in injury time when Gillingham’s Tom Eaves scored a controversial penalty.

League Two

Leaders Accrington were made to wait for promotion to League One after a 1-1 home draw with Exeter. Kayden Jackson levelled an earlier Jayden Stockley goal in the 38th minute but Stanley could not find a winner. Exeter, chasing a top-three automatic promotion spot, meanwhile dropped to fifth.

Chesterfield are on the brink of dropping into the National League after their 1-0 loss to Mansfield left them seven points shy of safety with just five games remaining.

Second-bottom Barnet lost a golden chance to climb within three points of safety when their 2-1 lead at Grimsby, seized after a 79th-minute goal from Curtis Weston was cancelled out three minutes later by Mitch Rose’s penalty.

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