Leeds United 6-0 Stoke City
Championship match report: Joel Piroe scored four goals and the latest member of the Gray dynasty rolled off the assembly line as Leeds all but secured promotion to the Premier League. Louise Taylor reports from a jubilant Elland Road …
Doncaster go top of League Two
Rovers win over Colchester United takes them a point clear of Port Vale, who could only draw at home to Grimsby. Bradford’s draw at Chesterfield leaves them in the third automatic promotion spot.
Walsall, AFC Wimbledon, Notts County and Grimsby are in the playoff places, but Colchester, Salford and Chesterfield will all be hopeful of gatecrashing that particular party.
At the bottom of the table, Morecambe have been relegated to the National League and look likely to be joined by Carlisle, who are four points behind Tranmere Rovers. The side from Prenton Park are third from bottom and hovering above the thick black line but not safe yet.
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Wrexham go second in League One
Hollywood FC go second in the table thanks to their win over Blackpool, while Wycombe’s hiding at the hands of Charlton means they drop to third, out of the automatic promtion places.
The side from the Valley go fourth (with a game against Wrexham to come on Saturday), while Stockport and Leyton Orient occupy the two remaining playoff places. Reading are knocking on the door of the playoffs and are only behind the Os on goal difference.
At the bottom of the table, Cambridge and Crawley live to fight another day but the team from the Abbey look doomed to go down with already-relegated Shrewsbury. Crawley’s win against Exeter leaves them three points behind Bristol Rovers and Burton Albion but with a slim chance of staying up.
Leeds on verge of promotion
The Championship: Leeds are top and will be promoted today unless Sheffield United beat Burnley in the late kick-off.
The Blades, Sunderland, Bristol City and Coventry currently occupy the playoff places, with Middlesbrough and Millwall three points behind them in seventh and eighth. Blackburn are next but will need a miracle to make the top six.
At the bottom, Plymouth, Cardiff and Luton occupy the relegation places. Only goal difference is keeping Derby out of the drop zone, while Hull have a two point cushion above them. Oxford United, Preston and – to a lessser extent – Stoke City, are all still sweating over their survival.
League Two results
Newport County 0-0 Walsall
Accrington Stanley 1-1 Carlisle
Barrow 0-0 Tranmere Rovers
Chesterfield 3-3 Bradford City
Crewe Alexandra 0-1 MK Dons
Doncaster Rovers 3-0 Colchester
Gillingham 1-0 AFC Wimbledon
Harrogate Town 3-1 Fleetwood
Morecambe 1-3 Salford City
Notts County 1-2 Cheltenham
Port Vale 2-2 Grimsby Town
Swindon Town 0-1 Bromley
League One results
Barnsley 1-1 Peterborough United
Blackpool 1-2 Wrexham
Bristol Rovers 0-1 Stevenage
Burton Albion 1-2 Birmingham City
Cambridge United 1-2 Leyton Orient
Crawley Town 3-1 Exeter City
Lincoln City 4-2 Bolton Wanderers
Mansfield Town 1-5 Reading
Northampton 4-1 Shrewsbury Town
Stockport County 2-1 Huddersfield
Wigan Athletic 1-0 Rotherham
Wycombe Wanderers 0-4 Charlton
Championship results
Cardiff City 1-1 Oxford United
Hull City 2-1 Preston
Leeds United 6-0 Stoke City
Luton Town 3-1 Bristol City
Milwall 3-1 Norwich City
Plymouth Argyle 3-1 Coventry
Portsmouth 1-0 Watford
QPR 1-2 Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Middlesbrough
Sunderland 0-1 Blackburn
West Brom 1-3 Derby County
Burnley v Sheffield United (5.30pm BST)
The bottom of the Championship
Wins for Hull City, Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle and Derby County mean it’s still all to play for at the foot of the second tier. Cardiff City could only draw with Oxford United in Aaron Ramsey’s first game in interim charge of the Welsh club. Everyone from Stoke City in 17th place down is still in danger …
Leeds smash sorry Stoke
Championship: Joel Piroe scored four as Leeds United hit Stoke City for six at Elland Road. Promotion looks a formality and they’ll go up this evening unless Sheffield United beat Burnley at Turf Moor in today’s 5.30pm (BST) kick-off.
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A huge win for Plymouth Argyle
Championship: The Pilgrims beat Coventry City 3-1 at Home Park to make it four wins in eight games and keep their slender hopes of staying in the second tier alive.
Morecambe are relegated
League Two: A 3-1 defeat at the hands of Salford City consigns Derek Adams’ beleaguered side to the National League.
League Two: Port Vale have come from two goals down against Grimsby to level proceedings at 2-2 deep in added time. It’s a scrappy goal but they won’t mind. It takes them second in the table as things stand.
Championship: It’s another big day for the Gray Dynasty at Leeds United as 16-year-old Harry comes on to make his debut for the club in front of his proud grandad Eddie, an Elland Road legend. Leeds lead 6-0 against Stoke in that one.
Elsewhere, Sheffield Wednesday have gone 2-1 up against Middlesbrough through Anthony Musaba, while Derby County have gone 3-1 up against West Brom in their drive to survive.
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League One: An Oliver Norwood penalty gives Stockport County a 2-1 lead against Huddersfield to leave them fifth in the live table.
League Two: The Football League jig looks well and truly up for Morecambe, who will be relegated if they lose against Salford City today. Kelly N’Mai has just put the Class of 92 Lot 3-1 up and there’s only four minutes of regulation time remaining.
League One: Leyton Orient come from behind to lead Cambridge United 2-1 through Jamie Donley. The Us will go down this afternoon if they lose and results elsewhere don’t go their way.
Championship: Club skipper Cameron Brannagan scores for Oxford United to make it 1-1 against Cardiff City in South Wales. As things stand, Oxford are three points clear of the drop zone.
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League Two: Port Vale pull one back against Grimsby but still trail 2-1 at Vale Park. They need to win to go up this afternoon.
Championship: Adam Armstrong pulls a goal back for West Brom, who trail relegation strugglers Derby County 2-1 at the Hawthorns.
At the Den, Mihailo Ivanovic has scored his second of the game to give Millwall a two-goal cushion over Norwich City and nudge his side to within three points of a playoff spot in the live table.
Championship: It’s another huge goal at the foot of the table, where Luton have gone 3-1 up against Bristol City. Isiah Jones has scored their latest.
League Two: In a massive game at the bottom of the Football League, Accrington Stanley go a long way towards securing their safety by taking a one-goal lead against Carlisle. Sonny Aljofree scores the goal that could save his team and consign Carlisle to the National League, depending on results elsewhere.
Championship: Joe Gelhardt scores his second penalty of the game to put Hull City 2-1 up against a Preston side who are getting dragged right back into a relegation fight they had been pretty confident of avoiding.
League One: Oliver Rathbone consolidates Wrexham’s second place in the division by scoring their second goal of the game without reply against Blackpool. Meanwhile at Adams Park, Charlton Athletic have gone 4-0 up against Wycombe.
GOAL! Leeds 6-0 Stoke City
Championship: Wilfried Gnonto connects with a cross to nod home from close range. Not even Leeds can mess this one up and if Sheffield United don’t beat Burnley tonight, the side from Elland Road will be promoted to the top flight.
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League One: Matt Godden capitalises on a monumental blunder from Wycombe goalkeeper Will Norris to tap home from a yard out and put his side 3-0 up at Adams Park.
Elsewhere in the race for promotion, Wrexham have gone 1-0 up against Blackpool courtesy of a fine James McClean strike at Bloomfield Road.
Championship: Carlton Morris scores his first goal of 2025 to put Luton Town ahead again at Kenilworth Road, where they lead Bristol City 2-1.
Chamionship: Cardiff’s Hail Mary decision to sack their manager and put Aaron Ramsey in interim charge for the last three games of the season looks set to pay off. Yousef Salech has just put the Bluebirds a goal up against Oxford United in the Welsh capital.
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Championship: Having missed a penalty that would have put them 2-0 up and looking set fair for a return to the playoff places, Middlesbrough are now drawing 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday. Josh Windass has just scored from the penalty spot to draw the Owls level.
At Loftus Road, Swansea City have gone 2-0 up against QPR thanks to Harry Darling’s thunderbolt from all of six inches out.
League Two: A win would have seen Port Vale secure promotion today but they’re losing 2-0 against Grimsby Town at home and are third in the table as things stand, still in an automatic promtion place but only two points clear of Walsall.
Championship: Bristol City make it 1-1 against Luton in short order, with George Tanner smacking home a sweet, sweet volley from the edge of the box to restore parity.
League Two: Knowing nothing less than a win will help them avoid relegation, Morecambe pull a goal back against Salford City.
Championship: The second halves are underway and on-loan-from-Leeds Joe Gelhardt wastes no time in equalising from the penalty spot against Preston.
Meanwhile at Kenilworth Road, Thelo Aasgaard sends a dipping shot from distance past Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’Leary to give Luton a priceless lead in their fight against the drop.
League Two half-times
Newport County 0-0 Walsall (R)
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Carlisle
Barrow 0-0 Tranmere Rovers
Chesterfield 0-2 Bradford City
Crewe Alexandra 0-1 MK Dons
Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Colchester
Gillingham 0-0 AFC Wimbledon
Harrogate Town 0-0 Fleetwood
Morecambe 0-2 Salford City
Notts County 1-0 Cheltenham
Port Vale 0-1 Grimsby Town
Swindon Town 0-0 Bromley
League One half-times
Barnsley 1-1 Peterborough United
Blackpool 0-0 Wrexham
Bristol Rovers 0-1 Stevenage
Burton Albion 0-2 Birmingham City
Cambridge United 1-0 Leyton Orient
Crawley Town 3-1 Exeter City
Lincoln City 2-2 Bolton Wanderers
Mansfield Town 0-1 Reading
Northampton 2-0 Shrewsbury Town
Stockport County 0-0 Huddersfield
Wigan Athletic 1-0 Rotherham
Wycombe Wanderers 0-2 Charlton
Championship half-times
Cardiff City 0-0 Oxford United
Hull City 0-1 Preston
Leeds United 5-0 Stoke City
Luton Town 0-0 Bristol City
Milwall 2-1 Norwich City
Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Coventry City
Portsmouth 1-0 Watford
QPR 0-1 Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Middlesbrough
Sunderland 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
West Brom 0-2 Derby County
Burnley 0-0 Sheffield United (5.30pm BST)
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Championship: Shane Duffy puts down his ice-cream to pull a goal back for Norwich against Millwall at the Den, where it’s 2-1 to the hosts.
Championship: Plymouth double their lead against Coventry through Ryan Hardie, only for Haji Wright to pull one back for Frank Lampard’s side almost immediately.
GOAL! Leeds United 5-0 Stoke City
Championship: The slaughter continues at Elland Road, where Joel Piroe has scored his fourth and Leeds’ fifth after the ball rebounded off the post, hit him in the face and trundled over the line despite the best attempts of one of his teammates to David Nugent it home from an inch out. When your luck’s in etc.
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Championship: Femi Azeez doubles Millwall’s lead against a Norwich City side that couldn’t be more on the beach if they’d walked out at The Den wearing sombreros and carrying lilos, buckets and spades.
Championship: Plymouth are bottom of the table but have gone ahead against Coventry City at Home Park. Mustapha Bundu shoots low into the bottom corner to give his side a priceless lead and leave them just two points from safety. The bottom five teams in the second tier are separated by just three points as things stand.
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League Two latest
Newport County 0-0 Walsall (R)
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Carlisle United
Barrow 0-0 Tranmere Rovers
Chesterfield 0-2 Bradford City
Crewe Alexandra 0-1 MK Dons
Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Colchester United
Gillingham 0-0 AFC Wimbledon
Harrogate Town 0-0 Fleetwood Town
Morecambe 0-1 Salford City
Notts County 0-0 Cheltenham Town
Port Vale 0-1 Grimsby Town
Swindon Town 0-0 Bromley
Championship: Preston lead relegation-threatened Hull City at the MKM Stadium after Lewis Gibson smashes a low shot through traffic when the hosts failed to clear a Robbie Brady corner.
Championship: Tyrhys Dolan cuts inside his marker and smashes the ball into the roof of the net from 14 yards out to put Blackburn 1-0 up against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Championship: Jerry Yates doubles Derby County’s lead away at West Brom, while Swansea City lead at Loftus Road thanks to a Morgan Fox own goal.
League One: Bolton pull a goal back against Lincoln courtesy of Jay Matete but still trail by the odd goal in three.
GOAL! Leeds United 4-0 Stoke City
Championship: Leeds are slaughtering Stoke City at Elland Road and have gone 4-0 up inside half an hour. Junior Firpo bags the latest from six yards out after the visitors fail to clear a cross.
Championship: The goals are flying in all over the country and down south, Colby Bishop gets the latest. He’s put Portsmouth ahead against Watford at Fratton Park.
League Two: Charlton double their lead at Wycombe with Luke Berry doing the honours to boost his side’s chances of getting automatic promotion.
League One: Crawley Town and Cambridge United are both in danger of getting relegated today but are doing all they can to cling on. Cambridge lead Leyton Orient at the Abbey Stadium courtesy of Josh Stokes’ opener, while Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has just put Crawley 3-0 up against Exeter City.
But hang on, Caleb Watts pulls a goal back for Exeter to make it 3-1 at the Broadfield Stadium.
Championship: Middlesbrough miss their penalty against Sheffield Wednesday and fail to double their lead.
GOAL! Leeds United 3-0 Stoke City
Leeds go three up, with Joel Piroe firing home from close range at the far post to complete his first hat-trick in English football. Nothing can go wrong now!!!
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Championship: Middlesbrough win a penalty against Sheffield Wednesday when Hayden Hackney is barged over by Svante Ingelsson. We’ll get back to that as Ingelsson is currently receiving treatment …
League One: Peterborough United go a goal up against Barnsley at Oakwell courtesy of Ricky-Jade Jones’ 18th goal of the season. At the LNER Stadium, James Collins scores from the spot to put Lincoln City 2-0 ahead against Bolton Wanderers.
An email: “Like every other Stoke fan who can’t get to Elland Road today, I will be spending the 90 minutes (plus stoppage time) holding my head in my hands and weeping while crying out ‘How has it gone so wrong?!’” writes Joshua Reynolds.
League One: Lloyd Jones scores for Charlton Athletic at Wycombe Wanderers to send them fourth in the table as things stand. Meanwhile at the Memorial Stadium, Jamie Reid breaks the deadlock in the 12th minute to give Stevenage a one-goal lead against Bristol Rovers.
Championship: Millwall go one up against Norwich City, with Femi Azeez sending in the cross that goes in off the knee of his apparently unwitting teammate Mihailo Ivanovic. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he meant it.
From Femi Azeez to Finn Azaz, who has put Middlesbrough ahead away at Sheffield Wednesday.
GOAL! Leeds 2-0 Stoke City
Championship: Leeds double their lead against Stoke, with Joel Piroe scoring his second in three minutes from around the same distance out after going 10 games without a goal.
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Championship: Derby have scored away at West Brom with Ebou Adams nodding in at the near post from a corner. Meanwhile at Elland Road, Joel Piroe has swept home a Manor Solomon cross from eight yards out to put Leeds a goal ahead against Stoke City.
League Two: Ossama Ashley scores the first goal of the afternoon after three minutes at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium. He’s put Salford City one up against a Morecambe side that must win if they are to avoid relegation from the Football League.
Not long now: Fasten your seatbelts – today’s 3pm kick-offs are about to get under way.
An email: “Like every other Leeds fan who can’t get to Elland Road today, I will be spending the 90 minutes (plus stoppage time) wondering whether to pay attention to the match, go and do something else to forget about it, or hide behind the settee,” writes Jeremy Boyce.
“They’ve managed to blow it at the vital moment so many times, last season in the play-off final for instance. Has there ever been a more ‘nearly’ team ? Under Revie they were constantly going for doubles or trebles only to emerge empty handed at the end of it all.
“I have often wondered how their narrative might have turned out completely different if Peter Lorimer’s volley in the 1975 European Cup final, that was ruled out for a dubious off-side, had been allowed.
“You can say what you like about VAR, they would have sorted that one out quick time and we’d maybe have won the cup. The champagne is in the fridge, just off to do something vitally important at the far end of the garden, forgetting my phone in the kitchen.”
All that stress, just for the privilege of seeing your team get gubbed week in and week out in the Premier League next season, eh? Interestingly, Harry Gray, the 16-year-old brother of Tottenham Hotspur’s Archie, is on the bench for Leeds today and could make his senior debut for the club.
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League Two: Newport County have held Walsall in a scoreless draw at Rodney Parade despite being reduced to 10 men following the controversial dismissal of Ciaran Brennan in the 78th minute.
Walsall thought they’d won it at the death but Oisin McEntee had a goal disallowed in the 12th minute of added time, slapping the ball into the net when scoring with his head looked the easier option. It was a brilliant spot and a brave call by the linesman, although travelling fans won’t thank him for his efficiency.
The point takes Walsall back into the automatic promotion places, third above Bradford City on goal difference having played one game more.
Runaway leaders of the division at one stage of the season, the Saddlers have not won any of their past 12 games. Newport remain in 18th place but have secured their League status with this result.
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Cardiff City: The Welsh side are second from bottom of the Championship table and host Oxford United thisd afternoon. Following Saturday’s dismissal of Omer Riza, Aaron Ramsey has been given the job of keeping Cardiff up with just three games of the season remaining.
The 34-year-old midfielder has not played for Cardiff since suffering the latest in a long litany of hamstring injuries in March.
Guardian Football Weekly podcast
Some pre-match listening: Would you rather watch Leicester play football without scoring a goal for 13 hours or sit through King Lear, Hamlet and all three parts of Henry VI? Is shameless fanboying in the commentary box ever acceptable? And what – if anything - is the difference between the Guardian’s Barney Ronay and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca?
Max Rushden was in the chair as these and other questions were answered by Barney Ronay, Jonathan Wilson and Barry Glendenning on today’s episode of the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast. You can listen here and if you’re not already a subscriber you can sign up in the all the usual podcast places.
Championship: How things stand
Promotion: Burnley will be promoted this evening if they beat Sheffield United, while Leeds will join them in the Premier League next season if they beat Stoke City this afternoon and Sheffield United drop points.
Every team down to Swansea City in 11th place can still technically qualify for the playoffs, where Sunderland and one of Burnley, Leeds United and Sheffield United are already guaranteed spots. Bristol City can secure a play-off spot if they beat Luton and Middlesbrough lose to Sheffield Wednesday.
Relegation: No relegation places will be confirmed today, with a wide-ranging battle going down to at least the penultimate round of matches this coming weekend. From the bottom up, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City and Luton Town currently occupy the relegation places but teams from 16th in the table down could still end up in League One next season.
Updated
Championship fixtures
Cardiff City v Oxford United
Hull City v Preston
Leeds United v Stoke City
Luton Town v Bristol City
Milwall v Norwich City
Plymouth Argyle v Coventry City
Portsmouth v Watford
QPR v Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough
Sunderland v Blackburn Rovers
West Brom v Derby County
Burnley v Sheffield Utd (5.30pm BST)
Updated
League One: How things stand
Promotion: Birmingham City will go up as champions, while Wycombe Wanderers have a one-point lead over Wrexham in the race to the second automatic promotion spot. Both teams could still be overtaken by Stockport County and/or Charlton Athletic.
Two of Wrexham, Wycombe and Charlton are all guaranteed playoff spots at the very least, while the remaining two spots are up for grabs to any of the teams from Stockport in fifth down to Blackpool in 10th.
Relegation: Shrewsbury Town are down, while – from the bottom up – Crawley Town, Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers occupy the other three relegation places. Crawley and Cambridge could both go down today.
Crawley host Exeter needing to at least match the results of Bristol Rovers and Burton, who take on Stevenage and champions Birmingham respectively. The situation is similar for Cambridge, a point better off in 22nd after beating Huddersfield on Friday, though even defeat by Leyton Orient would not necessarily seal their fate as long as neither Burton nor Rovers wins.
As things stand, any of the sides from 15th place down – including Stevenage, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, Mansfield Town, Northampton Town and Burton Albion – could still end up in League Two next season.
League One fixtures
Barnsley v Peterborough United
Blackpool v Wrexham
Bristol Rovers v Stevenage
Burton Albion v Birmingham City
Cambridge United v Leyton Orient
Crawley Town v Exeter City
Lincoln City v Bolton Wanderers
Mansfield Town v Reading
Northampton v Shrewsbury
Stockport County v Huddersfield
Wigan Athletic v Rotherham
Wycombe v Charlton Athletic
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League Two: How things stand
Promotion: Fighting for three automatic promotion spots, the top four teams – Port Vale, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City and Walsall – are separated by just three points. Behind them, AFC Wimbledon, Notts County, Colchester United, Grimsby Town, Chesterfield and Salford City still have high, middling or extremely faint hopes of nicking automatic promotion.
Port Vale, who are guaranteed a playoff spot at least, can secure promotion today if they win, Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers both lose and AFC Wimbledon drop points. Teams from ninth to 13th – Chesterfield, Salford City, Crewe, Swindon Town and Bromley – can still make the playoffs.
Relegation: Any team from 18th place down can still end up in the relegation spots currently occupied by bottom side Morecambe and Carlisle United. From the lowest placed up, they are Tranmere Rovers, Accrington Stanley, Harrogate Town, MK Dons and Newport County.
Morecambe’s League status is hanging by a thread, one which will snap unless they beat Salford. Even that would not be enough should 22nd-placed Tranmere also win, away to Barrow. Carlisle will also be relegated if they lose to Accrington and Tranmere win.
League Two fixtures
Newport County 0-0 Walsall (L)
Accrington Stanley v Carlisle
Barrow v Tranmere Rovers
Chesterfield v Bradford City
Crewe Alexandra v MK Dons
Doncaster Rovers v Colchester
Gillingham v AFC Wimbledon
Harrogate v Fleetwood Town
Morecambe v Salford City
Notts County v Cheltenham
Port Vale v Grimsby Town
Swindon Town v Bromley
Updated
EFL Clockwatch
Greetings all and welcome to our rolling blog covering what promises to be a fascinating day with plenty of ups, downs and quite a few as-you-weres in the Football League.
As we approach the sharp end of the season with just three rounds of fixtures to go in all three divisions (with a few exceptions in League One), there’s plenty left to be decided and for better or worse, the fate of quite a few teams could be sealed today.
If you had a big night last night, there’s a good chance you’ll find the excruciating minutiae of our permutations for both ends of each table a little too taxing but we’ve been nothing if not thorough.
Fear not, we will keep you up to speed as the events of the afternoon unfold, so without further ado, let’s get on with the fun …
