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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Scott Anthony

Football League: your thoughts

Michail Antonio
Michail Antonio scored Wednesday's first as Dave Jones' men secured promotion. Photograph: Pa Wire/PA

Sheffield Wednesday have secured their return to the Championship after beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 to finish in the second automatic promotion spot.

Winger Michail Antonio put Wednesday ahead from close range on 25 minutes before a Nile Ranger header secured Wednesday's promotion early in the second half sparking huge celebrations at Hillsborough.

In the thirteen games since Dave Jones was appointed manager, Wednesday have won ten and drawn three to pip neighbours and rivals Sheffield United to second place. Keeping Antonio (on-loan from Reading) and Ranger (on-loan from Newcastle) must be near the top of Jones's to-do list this summer.

Wednesday's win meant made Sheffield United's 2-2 draw with Exeter City a toughly-contested irrelevance. United had secured a point at St James's Park despite striker James Beattie being sent off early in the first half. United will face Stevenage in the play-offs, after the Hertfordshire side recorded a 3-0 over Bury. Travelling to Broadhall shorn of strike power will be tricky, yet the Blades will surely have been pleased to avoid in-form Notts County who finished level on points with Stevenage, but with an inferior goal difference despite thrashing Colchester 4-1.

League Two

To avoid falling out the league with Macclesfield, Hereford needed to beat promotion chasing Torquay and hope that Barnet failed to beat Burton Albion.

The Bulls raced into a 3-0 lead against Torquay United, and then survived a second-half fight back by Torquay to record a 3-2 win. At half-time Burton were doing their bit by holding Barnet to a 1-1 draw but a second-half strike from Mark Hughes gave Barnet the win they needed to secure their league status for another year.

Crawley took advantage of Torquay's defeat to take the third automatic promotion spot and secure back to back promotions by beating Accrington Stanley 1-0 thanks to a goal from Scott Neilson.

Crewe needed to avoid defeat Aldershot to join Torquay, Southend and Cheltenham in the play-offs. The Railwayman took an early lead through Ajay Leitch-Smith but a quick Shots brace before half-time threatened to derail their promotion hopes until a 76th minute equaliser from hot prospect Luke Murphy. In the event, Crewe's result did would not have mattered after rivals Oxford lost 3-0 at Port Vale.

For all the rest of Saturday's results click here.

For the final League One table click here.

For the final League Two table click here.

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