And that’s all from me. May I usher you towards Scott Murray’s Crystal Palace v Burnley liveblog, as this most underwhelming of top-flight afternoons continues. Bye!
Some match reports for you:
And that game has just finished, 2-1 the final score. Real go three points clear in La Liga, with Barcelona playing this evening.
Meanwhile in Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty, Daniel Parejo equalised for Valencia in the 82nd minute and then Marcelo put Real 2-1 up in the 86th.
The game at Leyton Orient remains suspended:
We've finally had a PA announcement asking for fans to leave the pitch so that, "play can resume." That seems optimistic.
— Iain Macintosh (@iainmacintosh) April 29, 2017
Meanwhile at the head of League Two, Plymouth’s victory over Crewe puts them at the top of the table with a game to play. Doncaster are a point further back with goal difference superior by six, and Portsmouth are a point behind them with goal difference superior to Doncaster’s by three. The key games next Saturday:
Grimsby Town v Plymouth
Hartlepool v Doncaster
Portsmouth v Cheltenham
Luton and Exeter seal League Two play-off spots
With (deep breath) Carlisle, Blackpool, Stevenage, Cambridge, Colchester, Wycombe and Mansfield all scrapping it out for the remaining two!
Championship play-off teams confirmed: Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield, Fulham
Leeds have drawn 3-3 at home to Norwich, a fabulous fightback to be sure, but the result means they can no longer break into the top six.
Wigan are relegated from the Championship
Their game at Reading isn’t over yet, but their chances of survival are: Blackburn and Birmingham have both won, so their result no longer matters. And anyway, they’re losing 1-0.
Sunderland are relegated from the Premier League
Final score: Sunderland 0-1 Bournemouth
The referee whistles the final nail into Sunderland’s relegation coffin. Or something.
Updated
Final score: Southampton 0-0 Hull
It’s all over at St Mary’s, and Hull have a precious point!
@Simon_Burnton oh, a penalty (saved) pic.twitter.com/FPvVgbMWJT
— Dr G (@paddlepeddletri) April 29, 2017
Well they made us wait for it, but that was an exciting couple of minutes.
Southampton get a penalty! And it's saved!
Southampton get a penalty, and if they had scored it Sunderland would have lived to fight another day. But they didn’t - because though Tadic’s shot was pretty decent Jakupovic pulled off a sensational stop!
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GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Bournemouth!
Josh King has a tap-in, and taps in! Sunderland’s race is nearly run!
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Leyton Orient are 3-1 down at home to Colchester, but the game has been at least temporarily abandoned amid burning flares and pitch-invading fans:
Os fans have had enough they are on the pitch! Players down the tunnel! #lofc pic.twitter.com/JbE7qS8lnx
— GuardianOrient (@GuardianOrient) April 29, 2017
At Sunderland, Bournemouth have a penalty appeal as King falls down with a defender near him (it looked pretty soft from where I’m sitting, but Paul Merson on Sky thought it should havebeen given), and then Sunderland win a corner which is cleared to the edge of the area, from where a low driven shot is thrashed goalwards but well saved!
Nathan Blissett has put Plymouth 2-1 up, and now they go top!
This is all the match report you need from Southampton 0-0 Hull:
@Simon_Burnton this is dreadful pic.twitter.com/I9bt4c18z5
— Dr G (@paddlepeddletri) April 29, 2017
In League Two, the leaders Doncaster are losing 2-1 at home to Exeter, previously third-place Portsmouth are 1-0 up at Mansfield, and Plymouth have just scored an equaliser at home to Crewe, meaning that as it stands the top three are separated by just one humble point.
Craig Gardner has scored from the spot, making it Birmingham 2-0 Huddersfield. And it’s now Leeds 3-3 Norwich. An incredible turnaround, but they still need another!
Birmingham, having missed a penalty already today, have another! Meanwhile...
78' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!! pic.twitter.com/kcHCVXytSQ
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 29, 2017
Some handbags at Sunderland, at the end of which Borini and Arter are both booked. “All this hand wringing about five games and only one goal,” writes Andrew Morrissey. “Bloody luxury - try being a Boro fan!”
Still just one Premier League goal today.
HELP! #prayformotd
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 29, 2017
Great chance for Sunderland! George Honeyman has the shot, from an acute angle after Defoe’s nice little reverse pass, but Boruc beats it away!
For some reason I neglected to mention the fact that Blackburn are now beating Aston Villa, Danny Graham scoring in the 54th minute, so they are now level on points with Nottingham Forest, and one more goal either for them or QPR would put them level on goal difference as well!
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Whichever Leeds United office-dweller had this clever idea, a few weeks back when the play-offs looked a certainty, must be feeling pretty sheepish now:
As a clear statement of our intent to gain promotion, in the event that the club does not reach at least the Play-Offs in the 2016/17 season, we will offer all Season Ticket holders who purchase their Season Ticket before the May 31 deadline a 25% refund on their Net Season Ticket price*.
In addition, should general admission Season Ticket sales surpass 15,000 by July 31, 2016, and the club does not reach at least the Play-Offs, the Season Ticket refund, for qualifying Season Ticket holders only (see below), will increase to an incredible 50% of the Net Season Ticket Price.
QPR have scored again, and are looking set fair for safety. Blackburn could do with them scoring a few more, which would help their chances of overhauling Nottingham Forest, Rangers’ opponents today.
Great photos here:
WHAT A DAY! @georgewoodphoto was there and there's more of his images on our Facebook page. #GAFC pic.twitter.com/ZzGkjZ2ckq
— Guiseley AFC (@GuiseleyAFC) April 29, 2017
How it’s still goalless at Sunderland I have no idea. Anachebe blasts a shot goalwards which is well saved, and then Bournemouth run upfield and over-elaborate as they enter the penalty area, turning a fine goalscoring chance into a shot blasted into a defender’s legs.
GOAL! It’s Leeds 2-3 Norwich! Now they only need to score one more to have a ridiculously slim chance of actually making the play-offs after all!
Another big goal at the bottom of the Championship: QPR have taken the lead against Nottingham Forest.
49' GET IN! @CWashington1992 latches onto @MassLuongo's pass and cooly slots past Smith. #QPR lead! (1-0) #QPRNOT https://t.co/gEjhWb7I7D
— QPR FC (@QPRFC) April 29, 2017
Peeep! The second halves are under way!
While the Championship play-off positions look like they’re all sorted, in League Two there are, as it stands, seven teams separated by two points with two places to fight for and one and a half games to play.
As it stands in the Championship the day would end with Blackburn needing to win at Brentford next Sunday, and for Nottingham Forest to lose at home to Ipswich, and to turn around a goal difference that’s inferior to Forest’s by the tune of four (having scored 10 fewer goals), if they are to stay up.
“I would say we could be looking at a final total of no goals in the four Premier League 3 o’clock kickoffs,” wrote JR in Illinois, shortly before Jamie Vardy spoiled his fun, “but I just can’t imagine anyone not scoring against Sunderland the way they’re playing. Mercy, they stink.” It is a fair summary.
Fulham get a stoppage-time penalty at home to Brentford! And it’s saved! And so is the follow-up! The Cottagers have been awarded 13 penalties this season, and have scored a miserable four!
Now it’s Leeds 1-3 Norwich. Chris Wood again the goalscorer.
The half-time whistles are being blown around the land. Not, though, at Reading, where they are playing nine minutes of first-half stoppages.
It’s Leeds 0-3 Norwich, and Leeds’ season is over.
Cristiano Ronaldo has given Real Madrid the lead against Valencia and sent them vaulting back to the top of the league. And he’s broken yet another record in doing so:
Ronaldo sets a new record for most goals in Europe's top six leagues combined: 367. Jimmy Greaves had 366. (ESP, ENG, GER, ITA, FRA, POR)
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) April 29, 2017
GOAL! West Brom 0-1 Leicester!
Jamie Vardy has put his side ahead at the Hawthorns! And it’s an absolute stinker from the home side, who under no pressure in the middle of their own half pass the ball to Okazaki, who hits it first-time to Vardy, who hits it first time past Foster!
Updated
Birmingham is where the action has been, though: they have missed a penalty, had a man sent off, and now they are 1-0 up, Jonathan Grounds with it.
QPR, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham and Blackburn, the four teams fighting it out for the final Championship relegation spot, are all drawing 0-0. As it stands, that would leave QPR safe.
Leeds are 2-0 down at home to Norwich, and if they don’t get a serious comeback sorted their play-off hopes are dying today.
Over at Match of the Day HQ, they’re starting to get a big concerned:
Errr, we have a 65-minute programme to fill tonight... 😡
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 29, 2017
Thirty minutes, four games, NO goals. pic.twitter.com/f9aPF5xKqU
Jermain Defoe misses a great chance! The ball is cleared by Bournemouth, headed high back into the area, and Defoe breaks the offside trap, runs onto it and volleys it straight at the keeper! From six yards, anywhere else and it was in.
Meanwhile at Southampton Tadic gets manhandled in the penalty area but doesn’t fall over so doesn’t get a penalty.
A few moments before that Sunderland had a shot, so it’s not all bad news for them. It is, however, nearly all bad news for them.
Bournemouth hit the bar and the post with the same shot! It’s an absolutely fabulous effort from Josh King, wide on the left, curling and dipping but not quite enough!
Another missed chance for the Cherries, Daniels delaying his shot for long enough for Pickford to rush out and smother it when it came. There are a lot of empty seats at the Stadium of Light, and it looks like a good place for Sunderland fans to avoid.
Sunderland are an absolute rabble. Josh King has just missed another chance, Pickford saving his shot without much trouble, but the home side are a reeking mess at the moment.
The one relegation sealed today which I am yet to mention is Granada’s. Here’s the Press Association’s stor on Tony Adams’ latest managerial misfortune:
Caretaker boss Tony Adams saw his Granada side relegated from LaLiga after suffering a 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad.
Former England captain Adams had been parachuted into the dugout from his role as sporting director by Chinese owner Jiang Lizhang following a poor run under Lucas Alcaraz.
However, Adams found it impossible turn around his team’s fortunes and a fourth straight defeat under the 50-year-old confirmed Granada’s relegation with three games of the season remaining.
Adams did at least see his side score for the first time since he took over on April 10, Adrian Ramos heading a 65th-minute equaliser from Dimitri Foulquier’s cross after former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela had put the home side in front on the stroke of half-time.
The visitors needed to win all of their remaining games to have a chance of survival but could not even hang on for a point, with Juanmi latching onto a pass from Sergio Canales to score the winner six minutes from time and condemn Granada to their ninth defeat in the last 10 games.
Another Bournemouth short corner, and this time they end up chipping the ball into the area, where Josh King launches himself at it and misses.
There’s been an important goal in the Championship, and Wigan - who need to win if they are to survive - are already one down. Yann Kermorgant has put Reading ahead.
And Sunderland could be losing already! After one minute and six seconds, a low cross following a short corner fizzes into the six-yard box, but amid a thicket of legs a Sunderland foot gets to it first!
It is kick-off o’clock!
The players are out. Nearly kick-off o’clock.
“Should Huddersfield drop points, now that a promotion playoff is guaranteed, to avoid playing against Fulham who have spanked Huddersfield 5 - 0 at home and 4 - 1 away?” Raymond Reardon emailed, presumably before he saw that team news. “A draw would help Birmingham and would allow Huddersfield to determine who they face in the playoffs with a last round win/draw/loss.” Well that does seem to be their opinion.
So if Wigan are to somehow save themselves from relegation from the Championship they need Huddersfield to beat Birmingham today. The bad news is that the Terriers, with their eyes on the play-offs, have made 10 changes.
READ: here's full #htafc team news for today's 3pm KO at @BCFC, where @Harry_Bunn starts as one of 10 changes https://t.co/5slrmerW5w (DTS) pic.twitter.com/T9AjvANzuI
— Huddersfield Town (@htafcdotcom) April 29, 2017
I agree with David.
So sad to see York City relegated from the Conference. Very good club, saved by supporters 15 years ago, feels wrong to see them fall so far
— David Conn (@david_conn) April 29, 2017
The key moment as Guiseley sealed last-ditch survival. Had this gone in, it would have been curtains:
York City and Braintree relegated from the National League
Final score: York City 2-2 Forest Green, and York have been relegated!
Updated
Into the fifth minute of stoppage time, and York have a corner. This is the last chance saloon.
Sean Newton shoots just wide for York. There is one minute of stoppage time to play.
We have an answer to the previous question: no. No he couldn’t.
York’s goalkeeper is on his way forward for a corner. He couldn’t, could he?
The tension!
The Lions players in a huddle as we await news from York. pic.twitter.com/Ec6W7FxOt9
— Guiseley AFC (@GuiseleyAFC) April 29, 2017
So Braintree, Southport and North Ferriby United are going down from the National League. Who will take the final spot? They’re into stoppage time at York, and there will be four minutes of it.
York are into the final minute, and have just made a double substitution. Is it too late?
Braintree have lost, and are tasting relegation for the first time ever:
Full time@OfficialShots 2-0 Braintree
— Braintree Town FC (@braintreetownfc) April 29, 2017
With this result it confirms we are relegated for the first time in our history.
This goal would send York City down from the National League, unless York themselves score in the next couple of minutes:
90' GUISELEY EQUALISER! Long ball forward from Danny East finds the head of a Lions player. No idea who, but right now I don't care! 1-1
— Guiseley AFC (@GuiseleyAFC) April 29, 2017
Premier League teams
Get yer top-flight team news here!
Southampton v Hull
Southampton: Forster, Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand, Davis, Romeu, Boufal, Tadic, Redmond, Gabbiadini. Subs: Long, Rodriguez, Caceres, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Sims, Hassen.
Hull: Jakupovic, Elmohamady, Ranocchia, Maguire, Robertson, N’Diaye, Clucas, Markovic, Evandro, Grosicki, Niasse. Subs: Huddlestone, Hernandez, Maloney, Dawson, Henriksen, Marshall, Bowen.
Referee: Mike Dean.
Stoke v West Ham
Stoke: Butland, Johnson, Muniesa, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Cameron, Whelan, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic, Berahino. Subs: Bardsley, Pieters, Adam, Diouf, Crouch, Sobhi, Grant.
West Ham: Adrian, Fonte, Reid, Collins, Fernandes, Kouyate, Nordtveit, Masuaku, Lanzini, Ayew, Calleri. Subs: Randolph, Cresswell, Feghouli, Snodgrass, Noble, Byram, Fletcher.
Referee: Lee Probert.
Sunderland v Bournemouth
Sunderland: Pickford, Manquillo, O’Shea, Kone, Love, Ndong, Khazri, Pienaar, Borini, Defoe, Anichebe. Subs: Mannone, Djilobodji, Lescott, Honeyman, Embleton, Januzaj, Gooch.
Bournemouth: Boruc, Adam Smith, Francis, Steve Cook, Daniels, Fraser, Arter, Lewis Cook, Pugh, King, Afobe. Subs: Gradel, Brad Smith, Stanislas, Allsop, Mings, Mousset, Ibe.
Referee: Stuart Atwell.
West Brom v Leicester
West Brom: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom, Morrison, Livermore, Yacob, Chadli, Rondon, Brunt. Subs: Marc Wilson, Myhill, McClean, Fletcher, Harper, Leko, Field.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Benalouane, Huth, Fuchs,Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy. Subs: Chilwell, King, Amartey, Slimani, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg.
As it stands, York City are staying in the National League on goal difference and Guiseley and Braintree are heading down, but it’s on a knife-edge: York are drawing 2-2 at home to Forest Green and Guiseley are 0-1 down at home to Solihull Moors, so a goal in either game could change everything.
Fancy dress fun at Cheltenham:
Hartlepool United fans gathered in Cheltenham. Good luck @Official_HUFC hope you guys stay up! 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/vMTfgGGWLx
— Fanatics of Football (@footynews129) April 29, 2017
Hello world!
And so, another Saturday dawns (or ends, I suppose, depending on where in the world you are). And it could be a big one, with the season very much approaching - and in some cases actually reaching - its conclusion. So we should probably start by establishing who is playing and what might happen when they do.
Premier League
Southampton v Hull
Stoke v West Ham
Sunderland v Bournemouth
West Brom v Leicester
What might happen:
Sunderland will be relegated if they fail to match Hull’s result at Southampton.
Championship
Barnsley v Burton Albion
Birmingham v Huddersfield
Blackburn v Aston Villa
Derby v Wolves
Fulham v Brentford
Ipswich v Sheff Wed
Leeds v Norwich
Preston North End v Rotherham
QPR v Nottm Forest
Reading v Wigan
Brighton will win the title if they beat Bristol City this evening. Meanwhile Reading and Sheffield Wednesday will secure their play-off places if they match Leeds’s result, and Fulham will guarantee theirs if they do better at home to Brentford than Leeds do against Norwich.
At the bottom, it’ll be curtains for Wigan unless they win at Reading, Birmingham lose to Huddersfield and Blackburn don’t beat Aston Villa. Blackburn will also go down if they don’t at least match whatever Nottingham Forest do at QPR. Burton and Bristol City are both a single point from guaranteed safety, and QPR will also be home and hosed unless they drop points and Blackburn win.
League One
It’s the final weekend of the League One season, but frustratingly it is not a denouement that we can savour this afternoon, because they are all playing tomorrow.
League Two
Accrington v Luton
Barnet v Grimsby
Cambridge v Crawley
Carlisle v Newport
Cheltenham v Hartlepool
Doncaster v Exeter
Leyton Orient v Colchester
Mansfield v Portsmouth
Morecambe v Wycombe
Notts County v Blackpool
Plymouth v Crewe
Yeovil v Stevenage
Doncaster will win the title if they beat Exeter and Plymouth drop points against Crewe. Meanwhile the play-off places could look much more sorted by the end of the day: Luton need a point at Accrington for their spot to be seecure; Exeter need to do better than Mansfield, Wycombe and Carlisle; Blackpool need to beat Notts County and for none of that trio to win; Stevenage could also seal their spot, if they win and none of Mansfield, Wycombe, Carlisle of Cambridge can match their result. At the other end of the table Hartlepool will go down if they don’t beat Cheltenham and Newport win at Carlisle. Both Cheltenham and Yeovil are a point from guaranteed safety.
National League
The final fixtures in the National League are currently under way, having kicked off at 12.30. Aldershot will take the final play-off place unless they lose to Braintree (who will be relegated if they don’t win) and Dover beat Barrow by a handsome margin. York, Guiseley, Torquay United and Woking are all battling against relegation, but it’s a bit complicated down there.
Foreign stuff
Real Madrid’s home game against Valencia has a 3.15pm BST kick-off (Barcelona visit Espanyol tonight). Also in Bulgaria there’s a big-ish Sofia derby, with second-place Levski hosting third-placed CSKA, though Ludogorets already have the title in the bag.
So, that’s where we’re at. It is, as Saturday afternoon football fixture lists not featuring any members of the Premier League’s top seven go, a big one. Hello! And also, welcome!
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