In a contrast of emotions, this final day of the season has been one to remember for Plymouth, Peterborough and Cambridge United.

For Argyle, their season ended with the League One title, while Posh could now join them in the Championship next season after snatching that final play-off place.

And not far from London Road, Cambridge secured their place in the third tier for next season.

We'll be back with the final day of the League Two and Championship season tomorrow. Until then, goodbye.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Rex Features

For everyone involved with Derby County, Accrington Stanley, MK Dons and Morecambe it's been a painful day.

The Rams will start next season still in League One after missing out on the play-offs to Peterborough following defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.

And it will be League Two football for Stanley, the Dons and the Shrimps after they were unable to get the results they needed to stay up.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Derby County manager Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby:

"I don't think it's today's performance that hasn't got us in.

"We dropped points we shouldn't have dropped which I'm hugely disappointed with, but I thought our performance today was excellent.

"It was the best away performance we've had, against a top six team, and I know I'm biassed, but I thought for large periods we were the better team, both with 11 and 10.

"We weren't far away from a pretty perfect away performance, but unfortunately we've come up short.

"You're standing clapping the fans who have been kind enough to stay behind and you can see Sheffield Wednesday against Peterborough which is difficult to take.

"It's hard for the players - there's a lot in tears in the dressing room as you can imagine, but hopefully we can keep the large majority of them for next season, improve where we can and have a real go."

John Coleman
Accrington Stanley manager told BBC Radio Lancashire

"I'm pleased for the players.

"We have given it our all and thoroughly deserved to win today.

"Over the course of the season though we haven't been good enough and we have to accept that with dignity.

"We have to try and get ourselves back on an even keel and steady the ship and go again next season.

"It's going to be tough in League Two and we have to be prepared for the battle.

"We now need to focus our efforts on restructuring the squad and getting players in who can compete regularly in League Two.

"And make sure we don't go down that slippery pole.

"Players can expect to know about their futures next week.

"Hopefully we can give our fans something more to cheer about next season."

Derek Adams
Morecambe manager told BBC Radio Lancashire

"We tried our best. They scored a quick goal into the second half and then got a second and we found it difficult after that because we're chasing the game.

"There was big holes all over the pitch, but that's what happens.

"But the players gave their all, not only today, but over the season.

"It's not losing today, it's losing all over the season that it happened, but all I can say is that the players have given their best."

Derek Quinn
BBC Radio Lancashire Sport

"The first half was excellent, 0-0 at the break, and a chance to turn things round and step things up in the second half.

"But they started the second half really, really poorly.

Exeter had obviously had a bit of talking-to by Gary Caldwell and took advantage of Morecambe's defensive failings at the start of the second half."

Mark Jackson
MK Dons head coach told BBC Three Counties Radio

"We are extremely down and gutted.

"Words can't describe how we are feeling at the minute.

"It's a disappointing end to the season.

"The players left it all out on the pitch today and I couldn't ask any more from them.

"Our supporters were great and really pushed us but we just couldn't get it over the line.

"It was in our hands to win it and we wanted to be really offensive.

"I thought we were solid at the back and we ultimately needed to push forward, but Burton defended really really well.

"I feel for all the fans.

"It's just heartbreaking for everyone involved.

"I'm not sure where this leaves me, I came to the club in a difficult situation and I knew that.

"I'm confident in my ability as a manager and a coach but we will see what happens."

Adam Bolder
Fomer Derby County midfielder on BBC Radio Derby

"For as many chances as we had I never thought we really went for it today.

"You've got to get a goal, you've got to get a goal, forward, forward, forward.

"They had chances, but I just didn't feel as though there was enough heart."

Darren Ferguson
Peterborough United manager

"We got the result we needed and we got a favour off Sheffield Wednesday so it went exactly to plan.

"We started really well, I talked all week about getting an early goal and making Derby nervous. I thought first half we were really good.

"It was a very good performance.

"Ironically the team that did us a favour we've now got to try and beat them."

Francis Green
Ex-Peterborough forward on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Image source, PA Media

"It's great. I didn't see it coming, I didn't think we were good enough to get in the play-offs.

"But we're in there now and it's an opportunity for us to do something.

"All of a sudden the momentum could change. I know Sheffield Wednesday are a very good team, but the fact of the matter is when we played them and we can keep certain players quiet so it's an opportunity."

Lilifer: A Southampton girl in living in Cornwall with a soft spot for Plymouth. Made up they are champions. Looks like I won’t have to go far to see Southampton play next season if they get relegated

Joe Edwards
Plymouth Argyle captain on BBC Radio Devon

Image source, PA Media

"We have finished on top with 101 points, this is the best feeling, we are the best team in this league.

"We do make it hard for ourselves sometimes, but we have come back from being behind in games so many times, credit to the squad."

Kevin Nancekivell
Plymouth first team coach on BBC Radio Derby

"Fantastic day, fantastic season, this is 100% my best day with the club.

"To go up as champions with 101 points is an unbelievable achievement, we are absolutely buzzing.

"We've had some big challenges from some big big clubs and have probably gone under the radar a little without any recognition.

"But today we proved we are the best."

Dan Wheeler
BBC Sport

By any stretch, MK Dons' demise this season has been alarming.

After missing automatic promotion to the second tier by one point and losing in the play-offs last season, hopes would have been high of another tilt at the Championship this term.

Chairman Pete Winkelman's pledge to "renew their focus" on promotion amplified those expectations but cracks in that plan soon showed.

The loss of key players, including Scott Twine, Conor Coventry and Harry Darling, coupled with an underwhelming return from new recruits, saw the club get off to a poor start - losing their first three games - from which they never recovered.

After only one win in 11 and with the Dons next to bottom, head coach Liam Manning was sacked after 16 months in charge.

Former Leeds coach Mark Jackson came in with the club again giving a head coach their first senior management job and, although he won his first game against Forest Green, a run of two further wins in 13 games suggested a quick fix to their struggles was unlikely.

However, three wins on the spin in March put them four points clear of the drop zone and brought renewed hope of an escape only for familiar frailty to return.

The surrendering of a 4-1 lead with 17 minutes left to only draw with Barnsley left them needing to win on the final day to guarantee survival.

Brett Ormerod
Former Blackpool striker on BBC Radio Lancashire

Sometimes you've got to take a step back to go forward. It's disappointing but it's not the end of the world for this club.

They've got a good group of lads and you can see that with the workrate for each other and they've got a good manager.

Hopefully there are better days to come.

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

Morecambe surprised many when they won promotion to League One through the play-offs at Wembley two years ago, in front of a reduced crowd because of Covid.

The crowds eventually returned. As did boss Derek Adams, having initially left for a short spell with Bradford after taking the Shrimps into the third tier.

Adams worked his magic after his return, keeping Morecambe in League One on the final day of last season when many had tipped them to go straight back down to League Two.

But the realities of competing in a league with some huge names began to bite, with the club being put up for sale by owners Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring at the start of this campaign.

Whittingham and Goldring stepped down from the board shortly before rugby union side Worcester Warriors - which they also owned - went into administration, resulting in them being suspended from rugby's Premiership.

Heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury was linked with buying the Shrimps before they eventually agreed a takeover with 20-year-old businessman Sarbjot Johal.

As yet, that takeover is yet to go through, but Johal has put "significant" investment into the club to keep it afloat.

His first cash injection came after a delay in wage payments for March, compounding Morecambe's miserable season on and off the pitch, with survival eventually out of their grasp despite morale-boosting wins against Wycombe and Charlton towards the tail-end of the campaign.

Whether this relegation has an impact on his planned takeover only time will tell.

Tom Bon: As a Cambridge fan who lives a short way from the old Wimbledon ground at Plough Lane, to stay up and relegate MK Dons was oh so so sweet. Gutted I couldn’t be at the Abbey and not sure Venice knew what hit it!

Cambridge beat Forest Green 2-0 to secure their place in League One for next season

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport

Stanley's time in the third tier comes to an end after five seasons, during which they surpassed expectations to remain in the division despite being one of its smallest teams.

A surprise win against promotion-chasing Bolton Wanderers last week had given John Coleman's side a chance of staying up heading into their crucial fixture against Cambridge last Saturday.

Despite the 2-1 home defeat which left them on the brink of the drop, their end-of-season form was their undoing, having lost nine of their past 12 games before the trip to Oxford.

Promotion to League One in 2017-18 came during a season to remember, having also beaten Lancashire rivals Preston in the Carabao Cup.

The glory days continued and under Andy Holt's financially astute ownership, the club held their own among some big names in English football's third tier.

Having finished 11th in 2020-21 and 12th last season, and developing a reputation for going toe-to-toe with much bigger clubs without spending great deals of money, Coleman has taken blame for their preparations going into this campaign.

"It's going to be a long hard slog in the summer for recruitment but I've got to get it right. I didn't get it right this season and I have to take the blame for that," Coleman told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Everybody takes a defeat in life at some point. You can use it to motivate yourself and we've got to try and emulate the likes of Bristol Rovers in bouncing back up."

Despite a run to the FA Cup fourth round, when they were knocked out by Premier League side Leeds United, and the Papa Johns Trophy semi-final, they could not repeat that form in the league.

Injuries to key players, including midfielder Joe Pritchard, made their battle at the bottom even harder.

Unlike other clubs who have fallen through the divisions and out of the English Football League, Stanley can take the financial blow of relegation and will now aim to make an immediate return to third tier football.

"We've also got to be mindful of the fact that there's lots of teams in the north who have gone through the trapdoor of League One and carried on on a slippery slope," Coleman added.

"We've got to avoid being one of those teams. I don't think we will be because we're not that type of club. We're a solvent club which is run properly."

Matt Baird: Champions!!!! League One champions!!!! My God, what an amazing team and structure we've built. Couldn't be prouder to be from the city that bleeds Green!!

Plymouth are champions after today's win at Port Vale - they finished on 101 points!

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Image source, PA Media

Argyle's victory at Port Vale ends one of the most memorable seasons in the club's history.

Their 101-point tally is the second-highest in club history - one point shy of the 102 they earned when winning what is now League Two in 2002.

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher joked after last week's win over Burton that he would get a tattoo if his side broke the 100-point mark despite being "dead against them", although he did say it would be somewhere nobody could see.

This title is the first time the Pilgrims have won a league since 2004 when they also won the third tier.

The club's history has featured more downs than ups since - they were last in the Championship in 2010 and went into administration the following year as back-to-back relegations hit a struggling Home Park.

But under former owner James Brent and current majority shareholder Simon Hallett the club has improved both on and off the field - they will hope this title can help encourage the players they need to establish themselves in the second tier.