THE CHAMPIONSHIP
• Four teams on 66 points after 36 games – is there a tighter division than the second tier at present? Bournemouth returned to the top courtesy of their convincing win over Fulham on Friday night but Derby failed to recapture top spot by throwing away a two-goal lead in injury time to draw 2-2 at home to Birmingham. Watford failed to capitalise, also drawing 2-2 at Wolves, while Middlesbrough suffered defeat at Nottingham Forest.
• Norwich moved into fifth with an impressive 4-1 victory over Millwall, who appear doomed. They are eight points from safety, along with Wigan, who could not build on their surprise midweek win over Norwich against Leeds. Blackpool are 17 points from safety after their 22nd defeat of the campaign came against Sheffield Wednesday. Ipswich and Brentford, both fighting for a play-off spot, drew 1-1.
LEAGUE ONE
• Bristol City show no signs of easing up, a 2-1 win at Crawley moving them 10 points clear of second. They have a 12-point cushion to third. Preston moved up into second thanks to a third straight win over MK Dons after second-half goals from Callum Robinson and Joe Garner. Swindon moved third after a 3-0 victory at home to Notts County, while Fleetwood hurt Sheffield United’s slim chances of a top-two finish by winning 2-1 at Bramall Lane. Doncaster occupy the final play-off spot after drawing 1-1 at Gillingham, but only on goal difference after Barnsley beat Walsall and Peterborough defeated struggling Leyton Orient.
• James Hayter scored an injury-time winner against Oldham to boost Yeovil’s survival hopes in a game which would have seen Gary Johnson face his son, Lee, in the dugout if both had not left the clubs last month. Yeovil remain at the foot of the table, though, three points off safety. Coventry City are teetering immediately above the drop after losing to the odd goal in five at home to Port Vale.
LEAGUE TWO
• Burton are the new leaders after winning 1-0 at Hartlepool, who look consigned to dropping out of the Football League, and Shrewsbury were pegged back by a last-gasp leveller against Cambridge. Wycombe are third after drawing 2-2 at fourth-place Southend. Luton, in fifth, were beaten 3-2 by Morecambe while Bury – defeated by Oxford United – and Plymouth – 2-0 victors against Northampton – occupy the other play-off positions in front of Stevenage and Newport, whose meeting ended 2-1 to the hosts.
• While Hartlepool are nine points from safety, there’s a tight battle shaping up between four teams for the second relegation place. Tranmere reside there presently having suffered a 3-2 loss at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, but they are only a point behind Cheltenham who dew 1-1 at home to Mansfield and two off Carlisle and York, who were defeated by Exeter and AFC Wimbledon respectively.
