LEAGUE’S UPS AND DOWNS

CHAMPIONSHIP

Reading (85 points) need four points for automatic promotion and have Nottingham Forest (h), Crystal Palace (h) and Birmingham (a) to play. Southampton (82) play Peterborough (h), Middlesbrough (a) and Coventry (h) while West Ham (79) face Bristol City (a), Leicester (a) and Hull (h). The play-off places are being chased by Birmingham, Blackpool, Cardiff and Middlesbrough. Doncaster are relegated and look set to be joined by Portsmouth.

LEAGUE ONE

Charlton gained promotion after beating Carlisle and should take the title while Sheffield United, who still have

MK Dons (a), Stevenage (h) and Exeter (a) to play, are in a bitter battle for automatic promotion with rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who still have to play Carlisle (h), Brentford (a) and Wycombe (h). Chesterfield, Exeter and Rochdale look doomed to relegation.

LEAGUE TWO

Swindon (89) are on the brink of automatic promotion and are well clear of Shrewsbury (81) and Torquay (80) in second and third so should claim the title. At the bottom the battle to avoid slipping out of the League is between Barnet, Hereford and Macclesfield.

CONFERENCE

Fleetwood reached the Football League for the first time in the club’s history when nearest rivals Wrexham drew at home with Grimsby. Wrexham and Mansfield look safe for the play-offs while Kidderminster, York, Southport and Luton (71) will fight it out for the other two places.