The League 2 season continued with the latest round of games played over the weekend.
Doncaster sealed an instant Championship return – promotion, as probable champions, was confirmed. Whereas Plymouth and Portsmouth are on the brink.
Bottom-side Leyton Orient are all but relegated as Newport close in on Hartlepool with the Exiles aiming to pull-off a remarkable escape to stay in the Football League.
Here’s a round up of the League 2 action from the other games.
Results
Saturday 8th April 2017 – LEAGUE TWO
Accrington Stanley 3-2 Crewe Alexandra 15:00
Barnet 0-1 Luton Town 15:00
Blackpool 1-3 Grimsby Town 15:00
Cambridge United 3-0 Leyton Orient 15:00
Carlisle United 1-2 Notts County 15:00
Colchester United 4-0 Stevenage 15:00
Crawley Town 1-2 Plymouth Argyle 15:00
Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Mansfield Town 15:00
Exeter City 0-1 Newport County 15:00
Morecambe 1-1 Hartlepool United 15:00
Portsmouth 3-1 Yeovil Town 15:00
Wycombe Wanderers 3-3 Cheltenham Town 15:00
Accrington’s quite remarkable push from relegation strugglers to a potential play-off challengers is still on after a win over Crewe, making it 13 unbeaten. Two down at half time, Stanley came back to record a 3-2 victory – closing to within four points of the top seven. Alexandra have now lost back-to-back games.
The miserable end to the season for Barnet continued when the Bees were beaten – for a third time in four games – by promotion chasing Luton. A 1-0 victory for the Hatters sees them in fourth, six points clear of seventh but eight behind third-placed Portsmouth.
Blackpool missed the chance to move ahead of Exeter and Carlisle into a play-off position, up sixth, when beaten 3-1 by Grimsby at Bloomfield Road. Defeat for Pools made it back-to-back defeats – Blackpool stay two points off the top seven, in eighth. The Mariners win was a first in five.
Cambridge moved to within two points of a play-off place by seeing off struggling Leyton Orient 3-0 at the Abbey Stadium. Bottom of the league Orient, 10 points from safety, are almost certain to drop out of the Football League with just five games to play – but this is the least of the O’s problems…
A first win in eight took Carlisle back into a play-off position a last week, which was retained despite the Cumbrians’ seventh defeat in 10 against Notts County. Two goals in the final five minutes saw the Magpies come from behind to record a 2-1 victory at Brunton Park.
Colchester’s rampant first half showing, they scored four goals in 27 minutes, saw then to a 4-0 thrashing of promotion hopefuls Stevenage. The U’s are now two points off the top seven with Boro – five points clear of the play-off chasing pack – having their automatic bid damaged, Portsmouth are now nine clear.
10 man Crawley couldn’t hold on against promotion chasing Plymouth. The Red Devils had been a goal up but they couldn’t see the game out, the second-placed Pilgrims equalised in the second half – but prior to the red card, with the added time winner for the Devon side leaving them on the brink of automatic promotion.
Doncaster secured an instant Championship return as a 1-0 win over play-off hopefuls Mansfield confirmed automatic promotion. A fifth win in six maintains the six point advantage over second-placed Plymouth meaning Donny are also close in on the League 1 title.
A delayed kick off meant Exeter had the advantage of finishing after their play-off rivals. However, it couldn’t prevent the Grecians – who remain in the top six, fifth and two points clear of seventh – from slipping to a first defeat in five against Newport. This 1-0 win – a second successive victory – moved the Exiles to within three points of third bottom Hartlepool, and potential Football League survival.
Fellow strugglers Morecambe and Hartlepool shared the points in a 1-1 draw at the Globe Arena, ending losing runs for both – it has been seven for the Shrimps with Poolie losing the previous three.
Portsmouth, third, edged closer to automatic promotion following a 3-1 win over Yeovil. Pompey, who have a goal difference bettered only by already promoted Doncaster, hold an eight point cushion on fourth-placed Luton with five to play.
A six-goal thriller at Adams Park, Wycombe had come from two down to lead Cheltenham, ended in a 3-3 draw. The Chairboys’ play-off hopes would have obviously benefited from a win – as it is they’re three points off the top seven.
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