Summary

  • Watford win 2-0 at Wigan to go top on goal difference

  • Middlesbrough also on 72 points after win at Derby

  • Norwich clinch dramatic draw at Huddersfield

  • Play-off chasing Brentford, Ipswich and Wolves all win

  1. Postpublished at 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    So, kick-off time is looming. To whet your appetite here's a few facts about this evening's visitors to the iPro Stadium.

    Boro fact
  2. Other live BBC coveragepublished at 19:44 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Of course, on top of this evening's Football League action, there's also the small matter of Arsenal trying to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit in the last 16 of the Champions League.

    If a bit of European footy takes your fancy, then you can join Tom Rostance here.

    Unfortunately, because of a rights issue, we are unable to broadcast Football League commentaries on the BBC Sport website.

    However, there will be coverage of the matches being played in your area this evening on your BBC local radio station.

    You can follow all of tonight's action on Midweek Final Score, which you can view by pressing the play button at the top of the page.

    And if Conference football is your thing then we've got a number of online commentaries available.

  3. Postpublished at 19:42 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    There's a near full programme in League One and League Two as well as those divisions build to a crescendo.

    League One leaders Bristol City host Crewe and will be hoping to extend their 11-point lead at the top if they win and second-placed Preston slip up against in-form Peterborough.

    Fellow promotion hopefuls Swindon and MK Dons both have tricky-looking away games at Doncaster and Oldham respectively.

    League Two leaders Burton aren't in action until Wednesday so second-placed Wycombe and Shrewsbury, in third, will be hoping to put pressure on the Brewers with victories over Accrington and Morecambe.

    At the other end of the table, the bottom four clubs - Carlisle, Cheltenham, Tranmere and Hartlepool - are all away from home.

  4. Join the debate at #bbcfootballpublished at 19:41 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    2morrowpeople:, external Quite confident of getting a result at Derby tonight, glad Bent isn't playing tho!!! 0-2 Bamford & Vossen. Come on Boro!

    Gregory P:, external Injuries to key players at the wrong time have hurt Derby. Best get this week over and go again after the international break.

  5. Postpublished at 19:39 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Millwall: Forde, Cummings, Nelson, Hooiveld, Harding, O'Brien, Abdou, Williams, Woolford, Taylor-Fletcher, Gregory.

    Substitutes: Archer, Beevers, Upson, Gueye, Fabbrini, Fuller, Maierhofer.

    Brighton: Stockdale; Bruno, Halford, Greer, Bennett, Calderon, Holla, Kayal, Stephens, Best, Mackail-Smith.

    Substitutes: Walton, Hughes, Ince, Teixeira, Ledesma, LuaLua, O'Grady.

  6. Postpublished at 19:38 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Struggling Brighton travel to 23rd-placed Millwall tonight having not won away from home since 10 January and Seagulls boss Chris Hughton has been speaking to BBC Sussex about the importance of the 145-mile round trip.

    Chris HughtonImage source, Getty Images

    "Every game seems to be massive at this stage of the season. I've got decisions to make about what changes I make, if any," he said.

    "With nine games to go you are always looking at those teams below us. It is tight. It is a big game because it is against a team which is below us at the moment."

  7. Postpublished at 19:36 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Millwall players look dejectedImage source, Empics

    Things are looking bleak for Millwall. After sacking manager Ian Holloway last week, caretaker Neil Harris was unable to prevent his side from a 2-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday, which left them nine points from safety.

    But the former Lions striker is not giving up hope as they welcome fellow strugglers Brighton to The Den tonight.

    "The target is to try and get a bit of belief back into the boys. We are desperate to stay in this league," he told BBC London 94.9.

    "When I took over from Ollie I said you have got to be positive.

    "We are looking at the style of play and the long-term future of the club. We are trying to put a bit of passion and pride back into the performances to let fans identify a Millwall team."

  8. Postpublished at 19:35 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Five more points.

    That's all Blackpool need from their last nine games to beat Stockport County's 26 points as the lowest ever tally in a 46-game second-tier season.

    Blackpool fansImage source, Empics
    Image caption,

    Last month, around 1,000 fans protested over the way the club is run by the Oyston family

    Manager Lee Clark, though, just wants their disastrous season to be all over, knowing that they could be relegated if they lose their next two matches.

    "I wish the season was done, I wish it was over now and I could just start the rebuilding job straightaway," Clark told BBC Radio Lancashire.

    "I feel sorry for them [the fans]. It's been a shocking season for them from the first day of pre-season until now. They're loyal to the club. I've got a lot of time for football fans, it's how I grew up myself so I feel for them."

  9. Postpublished at 19:34 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Late team news drama at Bloomfield Road where Blackpool's Charles Dunne has been taken ill during the warm up and is replaced in the team by David Ferguson. Connor Oliver replaces Ferguson on the bench.

    Blackpool: Lewis, Barkhuizen, Hall, Clarke, Ferguson, Perkins, Addison, Jacobs, Orlandi, Telford, Madine.

    Substitutes: Parish, O'Dea, Aldred, Oliver, Osayi-Samuel, Cubero, Delfouneso.

    Charlton Athletic: Henderson, Solly, Fox, Gomez, Johnson, Gudmundsson, Diarra, Cousins, Eagles; Watt, Church.

    Substitutes: Dmitrović, Wilson, Bikey-Amougou, Bulot, Buyens, Lennon, Lepoint.

  10. Postpublished at 19:31 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Guy LuzonImage source, Getty Images

    A run of five wins from their last seven have surely secured safety for 12th-place Charlton, whose head coach Guy Luzon had to negotiate a tricky start to life at The Valley.

    He told BBC London 94.9 ahead of their trip to rock-bottom Blackpool: "I always think positively as to how we can improve and play better. We need to play with more aggression and a better tempo.

    "When I arrived at the club it was two months without a win. There was bad momentum and our target was to stay in the league.

    "Now it is not the issue. We need to continue to play positively and attack."

  11. Postpublished at 19:30 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Ipswich make one change with goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski coming in for Dean Gerken who suffered concussion against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

    Ipswich: Bialkowski, Parr, Mings, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Murphy, Tabb, Sears, Bishop.

    Substitutes: Kenny, Clarke, Anderson, Chaplow, Bru, Varney, Wood.

    Bolton: Amos, Vela, Mills, Dervite, Ream, Trotter, Coke, Walker, Rochinha, Gudjohnsen, C Davies.

    Substitutes: Bogdan, Moxey, Hall, Twardzik, Bannan, Threlkeld, Le Fondre.

  12. Postpublished at 19:29 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    On-loan Bolton striker Adam le Fondre seems to be enjoying himself at the Macron.

    Adam Le FondreImage source, Getty Images

    The 28-year-old scored only three times in the first half of the season for Cardiff City, but his brace in Wanderers' 2-0 win over Millwall on Saturday took his tally to five from his last eight appearances for the Trotters.

    Mid-table Bolton are at play-off chasing Ipswich tonight but Le Fondre told BBC Radio Manchester he is full of confidence.

    "When I went to Cardiff I think my first game was out on the right wing, and I think that took a lot out of me," he said.

    "There were others games where I came on, on the left wing or right wing and I just think it just all took the toll on me and I never really found my feet there.

    "I've come in and the gaffer has said 'just do what you do, I can't coach what you do.' I'm buzzing with that and that's all I want."

  13. Postpublished at 19:28 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright at Molineux: "An attacking line-up from Wolves boss Kenny Jackett tonight, with Benik Afobe, Rajiv van La Parra, Bakary Sako and Nouha Dicko all starting.

    "Afobe will be keen to find the net - he and Tottenham's Harry Kane are the top scorers in England's top four divisions with 26 apiece."

  14. Postpublished at 19:28 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Two changes for Wolves, who bring in Scott Golbourne at left-back and Nouha Dicko up front to partner Benik Afobe.

    Two as well for the Owls, with former Manchester United defender Marnick Vermilj and Jacques Maghoma coming into the starting XI.

    Wolves: Kuszczak, Doherty, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne, van La Parra, McDonald, Price, Sako, Afobe, Dicko.

    Substitutes: McCarey, Edwards, Henry, Evans, Doyle, Ebanks-Landell, Hause.

    Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Hutchinson, Lees, Dielna, Vermijl, McGugan, Helan, Maghoma, Maguire, May, Nuhiu.

    Substitutes: Kirkland, Buxton, Mattock, Lavery, Lee, De Havilland, Melo

  15. Postpublished at 19:24 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Sheffield Wednesday are a team deep in the mire of mid-table, virtually safe from relegation but with no more than an outside chance of making the play-offs.

    With that in mind, manager Stuart Gray might blood a few youngsters between now and the end of the season.

    Stuart GrayImage source, Getty Images

    "We want to give younger players a chance," he told BBC Radio Sheffield. "But it's about choosing the right game because you don't want to knock their confidence.

    "I don't think anything beats a local lad making into the first team. The main thing is, if they're in this area we want them playing for this football club.

    "We don't want to be a development club for other teams, we want the players to come through and play for us."

  16. Postpublished at 19:22 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Wolves are on the hunt (pardon the dreadful pun) for consecutive promotions, and last year's League One champions currently lie in eighth going into tonight's game against Sheffield Wednesday.

    The man tasked with ensuring Wolves pack (they are getting worse) a punch is Kenny Jackett, who hopes his side don't have a howler tonight (I should go home...).

    Kenny JackettImage source, Getty Images

    "They're very direct. Physically, they're very big and will be a handful for any team in any game," head coach Jackett told BBC WM 95.6.

    "They're very well organised and their defensive record is very good. But our concentration is not particularly on them.

    "We want to concentrate on making sure that the quality of our play is as good as possible. If we do that, then we're capable of winning."

  17. Postpublished at 19:22 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Four changes for Blackburn, who bring in Matt Kigallon, Rudi Gestede, Chris Taylor and Corry Evans. Lee Williamson and Chris Brown drop to the bench.

    There's also two changes for Brentford, who bring in former Rovers midfielder Alan Judge and on-loan Everton striker Chris Long.

    Blackburn: Steele, Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Spurr, Taylor, Evans, Cairney, Marshall, Gestede, Rhodes.

    Substitutes: Brown, Eastwood, Williamson, Songo'o, Spearing, Lenihan, Mahoney.

    Brentford: Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Douglas, Jota, Judge, Pritchard, Dallas, Long.

    Substitutes: Craig, McCormack, Bonham, Toral, Gray, Diagouraga, Smith.

  18. Postpublished at 19:18 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Mark WarburtonImage source, Getty Images

    Play-off hopefuls Brentford had a bad day at the office on Saturday, suffering a 2-1 loss to a Cardiff side who saw two of their players sent off which left them sitting precariously in sixth place.

    But boss Mark Warburton is not dwelling on that defeat as they travel to a Blackburn Rovers side containing an in-demand and in-form striker Jordan Rhodes.

    "As much as you say about one game at a time the players recognise the importance significance of each and every game now. They want to get some just rewards from their work," he told BBC London 94.9.

    "We go to Blackburn now and it is important we recognise each and every game and the challenge it represents.

    "Saturday was really disappointing but we did a lot of things right. We didn't show enough quality in the final third."

  19. Postpublished at 19:16 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Huddersfield: Smithies, Hudson, Lynch, Carroll, Smith, Coady, Hogg, Butterfield, Scannell, Vaughan, Miller.

    Substitutes: Murphy, Edgar, Wallace, Holmes, Gobern, Charles, Majewski.

    Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Bassong, Whittaker, Olsson, Redmond, Howson, Dorrans, Johnson, Hooper, Jerome.

    Substitutes: Rudd, Cuellar, Andreu, Hoolahan, Loza, Tettey, Odjidja-Ofoe.

  20. Postpublished at 19:15 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March 2015

    Huddersfield Town have seemingly gone unnoticed in mid-table for most of this season, but needed Joe Lolley's equaliser at Birmingham on Saturday to end a three-game losing run.

    Chris Powell's side have slipped down to 18th as a result of that streak, and welcome high-flying Norwich to the John Smith's Stadium this evening.

    Joe Lolley of Hudderfiled (left)Image source, Empics

    "It was important to stop our losing run on Saturday. I would have preferred three points but it is something for us to hopefully build on," Powell told BBC Radio Leeds.

    "They have got themselves in the mix to be in the top two and it will be a tough proposition for us but we will have to face it head on.

    "We have got to get the points to make sure that we remain a Championship side. We need to take something from these next two home games."