David Button has just kept Reading level with a terrific save to deny Liam Sercombe.

Cheltenham - after two wins this week - have started this one on the front foot.

Barrow keeper Paul Farman gets down well to deny Shaun Whalley with his leg after a run into the box and low drive.

Whalley has already been booked after a challenge inside two minutes too.

Peter Rhoades-Brown
Former Oxford United and Chelsea winger on BBC Radio Oxford

I missed it!

You know when you're walking up the stairs and you hear a big cheer from the crowd, well I knew it wasn't Derby fans.

What a start.

Oh, dear Peter... let's hope it's not the only goal for you

Odin Bailey has come close to an opening goal for the visitors after pinball in the Bantams box following a Hatters corner, only to lash over the bar amid the melee.

Leaders starting on the front foot.

Mick Gooding
Ex-Reading player/manager on BBC Radio Berkshire

It was a shocking start to the season and we are still stuck in the relegation zone, but give Reading credit, they are making strides to get out of the bottom four.

Not long to wait for the first chance of the night at London Road (sorry, Weston Homes Stadium).

A ball drops to Barnsley defender Jordan Williams, but his volley flashes just over the bar.

It could be a long trip back up the M6 for those Carlisle fans!

Liam Morrison has put Wigan 2-0 up now. This could be a good warm-up for the Latics' next fixture at the DW Stadium.

The small matter of Manchester United in the FA Cup on 8 January!

The lights have gone out on 2023 a bit early at the Lamex, and kick off between Stevenage and Cambridge has been delayed.

The club say an engineer is on their way to fix the floodlights, so hopefully that League One clash one gets going ASAP.

We'll keep you updated.

The lousy weather has continued, but it has not stopped thousands of fans from getting to matches tonight.

They're ready, the players are ready and so are we!

It's the last fixture of 2023 and the season is well and truly developed at top and bottom of League One and League Two.

Get in touch with anything that catches your eye or things your club have to do in 2024.

Use the #bbcefl hashtag on X (formerly Twitter).

Stockport are guaranteed to start 2024 on top of League Two, but the chasing pack are snapping at their heels. Wrexham lead that charge, and could move to within a point of the top with victory tonight. The reverse fixture in August saw the Welsh side claim their first win since returning to the EFL with Hollywood owners. It’s up to Walsall to rip up the script tonight.

Mansfield Town put their unbeaten and best defensive home record on the line again against Doncaster Rovers at Field Mill, and Nigel Clough’s side are one of three who could end the night second.

Crewe Alexandra will hope to end their longest winless run of the campaign so far (five) away at Newport, but both MK Dons, the only side in the division to not taste defeat in the last six, and Wimbledon could leapfrog the Railwaymen by the end of play this evening. Crawley are the visitors to Stadium MK, with struggling Colchester making the trip to Plough Lane.

Fortunes should change for either Swindon or bottom of the league Forest Green Rovers tonight. The pair have taken one point from a possible 24 in their last eight games combined. The league’s top scorer Jake Young would love to add to his tally of 16 and what better place to do so than a local derby. The Robins won the reverse fixture in the 94th minute in August.

Following a 5-1 thrashing at home on Boxing Day, Salford have a chance to make amends in front of their own faithful tonight against fellow strugglers Grimsby, now the only side to have not won away from home so far this season. That’s because Sutton claimed their first win of the campaign on the road last time out at Wimbledon. They can make that two in a row at Gillingham this evening.

Tranmere Rovers have eased their relegation fears with four wins in their last six and scored five at Salford three days ago. Harrogate Town stand between Rovers and consecutive away wins for the first time this calendar year. Better late, than never….

Image source, Getty Images

It seems that when the clocks went back on 28 October, so did Notts County, losing six of their next eight matches in League Two.

Three goals in a 20-minute burst did, however, get things back on track on Boxing Day, ensuring a 3-0 win over Doncaster which ended a run of three straight defeats and took them back up to fifth.

Tonight the Magpies host Morecambe who lie eight places below them but could close the gap to just four points with a win tonight, and have two games in hand to boot.

Morecambe allowed an early 2-0 lead to slip to a 2-2 draw at Bradford on Tuesday but won their previous away game 5-0 at Doncaster – though it was their only win in their last eight league games.

Notts have not won their final game of December since 2009, that was their only success in their final game of the year in the last 18 years.

The Shrimps aren’t much better, they are nine years removed from their last win at this time of year.

Will either side break their duck at Meadow Lane tonight?

Image source, Rex Features

Forget Christmas decorations, the pumpkins hadn't even come out the last time Barrow tasted defeat in a League Two match, all the way back on 3 October.

The Bluebirds did see a seven-match winning streak ended by a Stockport comeback on Boxing Day but the point did make it 13 unbeaten for Barrow – unlucky for them, or Accrington tonight?

Barrow had kept five straight clean sheets at home before the leaders came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 to stay six points ahead of fourth-placed Barrow.

Stanley are ninth but could gatecrash the play-off places tonight if they can turn around an away run which has seen them take a single point from their last four games on the road.

Will the Bluebirds get back to winning ways with a Football League win to finish December for the first time since 1967 or can Accrington score their first goal in this round of fixtures since 2019?

Image source, Rex Features

Pulses were elevated around 18:00 GMT when referee Lewis Smith announced there would be a pitch inspection at a soggy Valley Parade but thankfully we are all systems go for one of the biggest games of the evening.

The League Two leaders and highest scorers Stockport have a six point cushion in the race for automatic promotion but after winning six straight away games, County have taken two points from their last three combined and had to salvage a 2-2 draw at Barrow on Tuesday.

They were not the only side to come from 2-0 down to earn a point, Bradford did the same in their game at home to Morecambe.

It ended a four-match winning run, during which they had only conceded once, but did make it five games without defeat.

The last two meetings between these sides have been drawn, but even if the scores are level, whatever you do, don’t take your eyes off this one after the 86th minute, there have been goals after that time in four of the last five Hatters games.

Table-toppers Portsmouth will look to break the 50-point mark away at Exeter and bounce back from taking just one point from their last two matches. Pompey are yet to go three games this campaign without a win and take the best away record in the division to St James’ Park. The hosts are looking to climb out of trouble, but to do that they’ll need to improve on the worst home goalscoring record in the league (six).

Third-placed Bolton are looking to close the gap and take the best away defence in League One to Fleetwood, the side with the worst home record.

Cambridge make the 32-mile trip down to Hertfordshire to play Stevenage, who could go from sixth to second tonight if results go their way.

The last time Blackpool ended their calendar year with a victory they were in the Premier League but they can change that against Port Vale tonight. A good omen for the Tangerines? The home side hasn’t won this fixture since 2015.

We could be in for a feisty affair in East London, where Leyton Orient host out-of-form Wycombe. The O’s have ended the last two fixtures between the sides with 10 men, and might want to see out the 90 with 11 this time around.

Elsewhere, Shrewsbury, who have scored just three goals on the road all season, head to managerless Burton, while Bristol Rovers – fresh from beating top of the table Portsmouth last time out – host Charlton.

Lincoln and Northampton, two sides thinking they can make a run at the play-offs in 2024, face off at Sincil Bank.

Image source, Rex Features

Given that this is the first season that Cheltenham Town and Reading have been stuck in the same division, it feels odd to have them lumped together in a relegation battle.

Yet that is the case for both after a troubled first few months of the campaign.

Reading's off-field struggles have affected things on it, while a dreadful start left the Gloucestershire outfit playing catch up.

The Robins have been stuck in the bottom four since a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture in August, the Royals since mid-September, but tonight offers an opportunity.

Three points for either coupled with defeat for Exeter City at home to leaders Portsmouth would see them jump out of the relegation zone heading into the new year.

And that would be welcome news.

Image source, Rex Features

Two sides firmly in the League One promotion picture meet with barely a seat to be had at the Kassam Stadium.

It is fifth against fourth as Oxford United welcome Derby County, with the two sides separated only by goal difference.

It says everything about how close things are in the top six that both sides could end the night in the top two or end up outside the play-off spots.

It is only two wins in seven league games under Des Buckingham for the Us, whereas Derby have collected 22 points from a possible 24.

Spotlight will always be on the Rams at this level and while it is undoubtedly fine form, beating a rival for promotion will make everyone sit up and take notice about their intentions.