Why it suits the Millers to stop playing

The outstanding fixtures for the top eight clubs in League One perhaps tell why Rotherham United are keen to stop the season now.

Rotherham, who are second and likely to be promoted back to the Championship when League One clubs get round to voting at the end of the week, have nine games left, five of which are against teams still in with a chance of promotion.

No wonder Posh don’t believe the Millers should be sent up. Posh are three points behind them in sixth place, but seven of their nine remaining games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Posh have five home matches remaining all against teams in the bottom half. Posh haven’t dropped a point at home against a team currently in the bottom half of League One all season.

“I honestly believe we would finish second behind Coventry if we were able to complete our fixtures,” Posh director of football Barry Fry said.

Remarkably, Oxford United are third courtesy of a goal two minutes from time at Shrewsbury in the last match they played. That goal completed a comeback from 2-0 down against 10 men.

If Oxford hadn’t won that game they would be eighth and outside the play-offs!”

Oustanding League One fixtures.

In table order:

1 Coventry P34 Pts 67 To play: Shrewsbury (h), Lincoln (a), Wycombe (h), Accrington (a), Posh (h),

Gillingham (a), Oxford (h), Blackpool (a), Burton (h), Wimbledon (a),

2 Rotherham P35 Pts62 To play: Southend (h), Fleetwood (a), Gillingham (h), Wycombe (a), Portsmouth (h), Tranmere (a), Doncaster (h), Bolton (a), Sunderland (h)

3 Oxford P35 Pts 60

To play: MK Dons (h), Wycombe (a), Portsmouth (h), Rochdale (a). Bristol R (h), Coventry (a), Fleetwood (h), Tranmere (a), Bolton (h),

4 Portsmouth P35 Pts 60 To play: Accrington (h), Doncaster (h), Ipswich (a), Oxford (a), Rotherham (a), Blackpool (h), Southend (a), Bristol R (h), Burton (a),

5 Fleetwood P35 Pts 60

To play: Gillingham (a), Rotherham (h), Bolton (h), MK Dons (a), Accrington (a), Lincoln (h), Oxford (a), Tranmere (a), Southend (h),

6 Posh P35 Pts 59

To play: Bolton (a), Bristol R (h), Blackpool (h), Coventry (a), MK Dons (h), Sunderland (a), Shrewsbury (h), Rochdale (a), Tranmere (h).

7 Sunderland P36 Pts 59 To play: Blackpool (a), Southend (a), Wimbledon (a), Shrewsbury (h), Posh (h),Burton (a), Accrington (h), Rotherham (a)

8 Wycombe P34 Pts 59 To play: Burton (a), Oxford (h), Coventry (a), Shrewsbury (a), Rotherham (h), Southend (a), Lincoln (a) Wimbledon (h), Gillingham (h), Accrington (a).