The Football League Ups and Downs

[RoyalChicagoFC]

See preceding page for the division table after 45 rounds...

2': Blackpool 1-0 Watford/Blackpool probably won't need points thanks to goal-difference edge, but Watford now vulnerable to chasing pack of Wolves, Ipswich, Blades

4': Charlton 1-0 Coventry/Danger for the visitors with hosts playing for nothing

7': Palace 1-0 Burnley/Carlisle sent off for professional foul, and Palace convert from the spot to move in front of Watford into fifth

8': Bristol City 1-0 Preston/Hosts looking to ice fourth spot, the best they could do; sixth at worst

9': Wednesday 0-1 Norwich/Danger for Wednesday, but still clear

10': Palace 2-0 Burnley/Man advantage pays immediate dividend

16': Bristol City 2-0 Preston/Consolidation

19': Charlton 2-0 Coventry/Oh dear

20': Charlton 2-1 Coventry/Game on

23': Wednesday 1-1 Norwich/Hosts level from the spot and looking for more

23': Southampton 0-1 Sheff Y'all/Blades have to win and hope and sit provisional sixth with Wolves and Ipswich drawing their respective matches; Watford into seventh, and 'Aints really up against it now

37': QPR 0-0 West Brom/Albion to play it out against ten men (Rowlands off for professional foul)

37': Palace 3-0 Burnley/Just gets better and better for Colin & Co.

42': Southampton 1-1 Sheff Y'all/'Aints still set for the drop with Leicester drawing at Stoke; Blades back into ninth, Watford sixth and still trailing

45': Tweeeet! Status quo ante as regards placings, save for Palace into fifth and Watford replacing them in sixth

48': Charlton 3-1 Coventry/Coventry okay so long as 'Aints and Foxes don't both win

51': Bristol City 3-0 Preston/Congratulations on a fourth-place finish

53': Wednesday 2-1 Norwich/Looking very good now for Owls

53': QPR 0-1 West Brom/Albion's grip on the title tightens

53': Southampton 2-1 Sheff Y'all/'Aints out of jail, past Coventry and Leicester; the latter now 22nd

60': Blackpool 1-0 Watford/Henderson sent off for a second booking; Watford still sit sixth

61': Palace 4-0 Burnley/And it's not as though they had goal-difference worries

62': Blackpool 1-1 Watford/...and now Watford are level

65': Southampton 2-2 Sheff Y'all/'Aints back in the soup; Leicester's heads back above water

65': Palace 5-0 Burnley

69': Southampton 3-2 Sheff Y'all/'Aints free again; Leicester on the brink

70': Ipswich 1-0 Hull/Ipswich looking to hold this and hoping Blackpool reclaim the lead over ten-man Watford

76': Wednesday 3-1 Norwich/Safety for Owls

77': QPR 0-2 West Brom/Champions of the, er, Championship

80': Southampton 3-2 Sheff Y'all/Stern John sent off for picking up a second booking to go with his brace

86': Charlton 4-1 Coventry/If Leicester score at Stoke, then Sky Blues are down

87': Wednesday 4-1 Norwich/Easy, boys --"by how many" was never the issue here

87': Wolves 1-0 Plymouth/Wolves need either for Watford to concede at Blackpool or to score two more of their own in a hurry in order to pip Watford on GD...

FT: Palace 5-0 Burnley/Palace in the playoffs

FT: Ipswich 1-0 Hull/Hull finish third; Ipswich need Watford and Wolves to concede late

FT: Blackpool 1-1 Watford/Watford in the playoffs, finishing sixth; Wolves, Ipswich and Blades fall short

FT: Southampton 3-2 Sheff Y'all/'Aints are safe with Coventry getting crushed

FT: Stoke 0-0 Leicester/Stoke promoted, finishing second; Leicester relegated, Coventry safe

FT: Charlton 4-1 Coventry/Good enough on this day

FT: Wolves 1-0 Plymouth/Wolves finish on level points with Watford, but their GD of +5 is one less than Watford's (and if they'd finished level on GD, Watford had a significant edge in goals scored)