Pilgrims secure the title with final-day win at Port Vale
PLYMOUTH Argyle were crowned League One champions after coming from behind to win 3-1 at Port Vale on the final day of the season.
James Plant gave Vale the perfect start when he raced through to fire past keeper Callum Burton in the third minute.
But midfielder Adam Randell restored parity with a low rightfooted shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box before Joe Edwards fired the Pilgrims ahead four minutes later. Substitute Finn Azaz made sure the title would head to Devon when his shot from the edge of the box nestled in the top corner.
The win meant Argyle ended the season on 101 points, three clear of Ipswich Town, who drew 2-2 at Fleetwood Town, to clinch a return to the Championship for the first time since 2010.
Vale end the season in 18th place, having won just three times since mid-January.
Peterborough snatched the final League One play-off place with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Barnsley, as Derby fell to defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
Starting the day needing a victory, and hoping sixth-placed Rams would slip up at Hillsborough, Posh were off to a great start when former Bristol Rovers man Jonson ClarkeHarris scored his 28th goal of the season to give them the lead.
When news came through during the first half that Derby had gone behind and had a man sent off, Posh dug deep to resist a Barnsley fightback.
The Tykes, already sure of a play-off semi-final against Bolton, pressed forward in the second half but Jack Taylor netted a second goal for the visitors to grab sixth spot ahead of Derby and set up a play-off clash with Wednesday.
Jay Stansfield’s hat-trick sealed Morecambe’s relegation from League One as he led Exeter City to 3-2 victory over the Shrimps at St James Park. The game came to life in seven second-half minutes after a flat first half, as Stansfield - on his final appearance at his boyhood club from his loan at Fulham - fired Exeter ahead. Cole Stockton replied soon after following a defensive error, but Stansfield blasted home left-footed from 10 yards after a Morecambe mistake to see Exeter retake the lead, before hitting a right-footed effort from 12 yards for an emotional third to end his time at St James Park in style. Stockton scored a consolation goal in the last of 14 minutes of stoppage time.
Morecambe were relegated with Accrington and Milton Keynes Dons after Cambridge United’s 2-0 win over Forest Green saw them survive. Exeter ensured they did not register a club-record seventh successive league defeat as they ended their first season back in League One in 14th place.