13.12.2024

Rochdale pull off great escape, Barnet drop out of Football League

Joe Thompson’s second-half winner completed Rochdale’s fairytale escape from relegation as they saw off play-bound Charlton to leapfrog Oldham on the final day.

League One

Rochdale were 11 points from safety in February – albeit with games in hand – but Thompson, playing again after overcoming cancer twice in three years, scored to complete a dramatic escape from relegation.

Oldham drew at already-relegated Northampton, taking the lead through Sam Edmundson only to end the first half behind. Thomas Haymer’s equaliser was set to keep them up until Thompson struck for Rochdale. The Latics, inaugural members of the Premier League in 1992, drop into the fourth tier for the first time since 1971.

Promotion and relegation: how they stand

Premier League

Champions: Manchester City

Europe: Manchester United will finish in the top four, with Liverpool and Tottenham favourites to join them. Chelsea are five points behind Spurs in fifth with a game in hand. Arsenal and Burnley are heading to the Europa League, the Clarets returning to Europe after 51 years away.

Relegation: Stoke City
were relegated after their defeat to Crystal Palace – but West Brom shocked Spurs to stay alive. Southampton are level on points with Swansea, who they play in their penultimate match. Huddersfield are two points clear and still looking over their shoulders.

Championship

Champions: Wolves

Automatic promotion: Cardiff need a home win over Reading to seal promotion, with Fulham hoping to pounce on any slip-up against Birmingham on the final day.

Play-offs: Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, with Derby leading the race to join them. Preston can still force their way into the top six while Millwall have only a mathematical chance.

Relegation: Sunderland will finish bottom with BurtonBolton and Barnsley separated by a point. Barnsley can secure survival with a win at Derby on the final day, while Burton go to Preston and Bolton host Nottingham Forest.

League One

Champions: Wigan (pictured)

Promoted: Blackburn

Play-offs: Charlton v Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe v Rotherham.

Relegated: Oldham, Northampton, MK Dons, Bury.

League Two

Champions: Accrington Stanley 

Promoted: Luton Town, Wycombe (pictured)

Play-offs: Lincoln v Exeter, Coventry v Notts County

Relegated: Barnet, Chesterfield.

National League: Macclesfield Town have secured the only automatic promotion spot, with one from Tranmere, Sutton United and Boreham Wood to come up via the play-offs.

Premiership: Celtic sealed their seventh straight title by beating Rangers, who are fighting for European places with Aberdeen and Hibernian. Relegation looks to be between Partick and Ross County.

Championship: St Mirren are champions, with Livingston and Dunfermline playing off for the right to face the 11th-placed Premiership team. Brechin are relegated.

League One: Ayr United are champions with Alloa and Dumbarton in the promotion play-off final. Albion are relegated.

League Two: Montrose are champions with Peterhead and Stenhousemuir in the play-off final. Cowdenbeath face a relegation play-off with Cove Rangers.

Will Grigg’s 19th goal of the season earned victory for Wigan at Doncaster to seal the League One title. Blackburn won 2-1 against Oxford but had to settle for second place despite accruing 96 points.

Charlton finished sixth as Plymouth failed to find the big win they needed to scrape into the play-offs, instead slumping to a 5-2 defeat at Gillingham. Scunthorpe drew 1-1 with Bradford to finish fifth and will play Rotherham, who beat Blackpool 1-0, in the play-offs. Third-placed Shrewsbury lost 1-0 at home to relegated MK Dons.

League One results

AFC Wimbledon 2-2 Bury, Blackburn 2-1 Oxford Utd, Doncaster 0-1 Wigan, Fleetwood 2-0 Walsall, Gillingham 5-2 Plymouth, Northampton 2-2 Oldham, Portsmouth 2-0 Peterborough, Rochdale 1-0 Charlton, Rotherham 1-0 Blackpool, Scunthorpe 1-1 Bradford, Shrewsbury 0-1 MK Dons, Southend 0-0 Bristol Rovers

Play-offs:
Charlton Athletic (6th) v Shrewsbury Town (3rd)
Scunthorpe United (5th) v Rotherham United (4th)

League Two

Barnet have been relegated from the Football League for the third time in their history despite a last-day 3-0 victory over Chesterfield at the Hive.

John Akinde’s goal just before half-time set Martin Allen’s side up for the win they needed, with Richard Brindley and Alex Nicholls adding late goals against already-relegated opponents.

The win proved to be in vain as Morecambe picked up a 0-0 draw at Coventry. Both teams needed a point to achieve their respective goals – safety for the visitors, and a play-off place for Coventry. The Sky Blues also secured their first top-six position in any division since 1970.

Lincoln City also secured a play-off spot in their first season back in the fourth tier with a 1-1 draw against Yeovil. Exeter will face the Imps in the semi-finals after wrapping up fourth place, Robbie Simpson getting the winner against Colchester. Notts County will play Coventry after drawing 0-0 with promoted Luton.

Mansfield needed a win to have any chance of sneaking into the top seven but fell behind early to Crawley and could only draw, with Kane Hemmings equalising just past the hour. Swindon beat the champions, Accrington Stanley, 3-0 at the County Ground and finished ninth.

Finishing with a flourish were Cambridge, who thrashed Port Vale 5-0 with five different scorers, and Grimsby, who continued their good end-of-season form with a 3-0 win at Forest Green, JJ Hooper getting a hat-trick.

League Two results

Barnet 3-0 Chesterfield, Cambridge 5-0 Port Vale, Carlisle 1-1 Newport, Coventry 0-0 Morecambe, Crewe 2-1 Cheltenham, Exeter 1-0 Colchester, Forest Green 0-3 Grimsby, Lincoln 1-1 Yeovil, Mansfield 1-1 Crawley, Notts County 0-0 Luton, Swindon 3-0 Accrington, Wycombe 1-0 Stevenage.

Play-offs:
Lincoln City (7th) v Exeter City (4th)
Coventry City (6th) v Notts County (5th)

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