The last several weeks in England’s third division have been thrilling. While Derby County and Bolton Wanderers are fighting for the second automatic promotion position, Portsmouth looks to be heading for Championship action. In their Saturday matchup at Pride Park, the Rams prevailed, providing Paul Warne’s team with a four-point advantage. Both teams still have seven games remaining.
Barnsley, who is in fifth place, and Peterborough United, who rebounded from their February slump, appear to have done enough to secure a spot in the play-offs for the second year running. That sixth position, however, is up for discussion. Although Oxford United now holds the position, Lincoln City has unexpectedly begun to pursue it, and Stevenage, Blackpool, and Leyton Orient are still being discussed.
The bottom half of the table is just as exciting; Carlisle United is all but out, but the final three relegation spots are all up for grabs. The teams most likely to go down to League Two are Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood Town, and Port Vale; however, both the Valiants and the Robins have played fewer games than their opponents, so Burton Albion and Cambridge United are nervously watching them.
