The leaders have started well in Wales.

There's an early chance for George Maris from Davis Keillor-Dunn's cross but his header clears the bar.

The referees have their whistles ready at 20 venues across the country.

As each Saturday ticks by, the stakes are raised. Who is going to be celebrating by 5pm?

Owain Gwynedd Griffith
BBC Final Score at Rodney Parade

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Mansfield come here with statistically the best attack and defence of the league - scoring 20 goals in February and 25 since the turn of the year.

Arsenal the only other professional teams in England able to match the latter.

That said, the Newport fans are quietly confident of a win - one reason - Will Evans.

The former League of Wales man has scored 23 goals in all competitions this season.

One change for The Exiles - Seb Palmer-Holden in for Zanzala and it's four changes for the Stags as Hiram Boateng, George Maris, Tom Nichols & Ollie Clark start.

Charlotte Richardson
BBC Final Score at Fratton Park

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The sun is out on the south coast as Portsmouth return to fortress Fratton Park for the visit of play-off hopefuls, Oxford United.

No team has picked up more points at home in League One this season than John Mousinho’s side.

The Pompey boss welcomes the club he finished his playing career at with the hopes of extending Portsmouth’s lead at the top of the table further.

For Oxford United, a series of draws has seen them drop out of the top six, two points adrift of the play-off pack, victory here for the first time in eight years would be timely and incredibly significant.

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With Derby and Bolton both hitting the buffers during the past week, the Barnsley express is hurtling along at full steam and poised to take advantage of any further slip-ups today.

The Tykes have won three of their last four games and, if they can collect another three points against Wycombe at Adams Park, could even force their way into second place on goal difference.

The race for the play-offs is also gathering pace, with fifth-placed Peterborough at home to Exeter and Stevenage, having regained possession of sixth spot after their recent wobble, travelling to in-form Lincoln.

The Imps have recorded five victories in six games to climb to 10th – and another would give Michael Skubala’s side genuine hope of closing the gap to the top six.

At the other end of the table, bottom side Carlisle finally snapped their eight-match losing sequence by winning at Burton in midweek – but remain 13 points adrift of safety as they host Reading, hovering perilously among the bottom four themselves.

Just below the troubled Royals in the table, Cheltenham could increase the pressure on their rivals if they win at home to Burton.

Robins boss Darrell Clarke has taken Town from one point to 33 - three from current safety - and says staying up would be his biggest achievement in football.

Elsewhere, 23rd-placed Fleetwood take on Wigan at Highbury Stadium, and Charlton will aim to back up their first win under Nathan Jones at Derby on Tuesday as they travel to Northampton.

To complete the action, Leyton Orient host Bristol Rovers, while Shrewsbury host Blackpool, formidable at Bloomfield Road but indifferent on the road.

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Two defeats in north west derbies at Blackpool and Wigan have slowed Bolton's charge towards League One promotion.

They have had Portsmouth in their sights for most of the last two months, but a run of 15 points from 10 games has stalled their progress.

The gap to Pompey is now seven points with only one game in hand and Derby, Barnsley and even Peterborough will fight hard for that second spot.

Bolton's last win was a 2-1 success at Cambridge 11 days ago in a rearranged game, and they will hope for a double over their opponents, who have Barry Corr in temporary charge after manager Neil Harris returned to Millwall.

With home boss Ian Evatt avoiding a touchline ban for a red card earlier this month, he will aim to drive his side on to victory from the sidelines.

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For however long Derby remain in the third tier, pressure will always be on them - as the likes of Sunderland and Sheffield United can confirm.

So Tuesday's shock loss at home to strugglers Charlton, three days after defeat at promotion challengers Barnsley has rattled a few cages in the east Midlands.

After the Charlton game, manager Paul Warne demanded an upturn in performances after a fourth league defeat at Pride Park this season.

Four days on and they are on home turf again for the visit of Port Vale. The Valiants are stuck in the bottom four, so Derby fans may view this as a home banker.

Three points are essential, but as much as anything, Warne will want to see a display from his players that shows they are ready to fight tooth and nail for an automatic promotion spot.

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As Portsmouth ground out a goalless draw away to Charlton last Saturday, a fair question was whether it was a point gained or two lost for the League One leaders.

As the afternoon and week wore on, the result got better and better as both Derby and Bolton, their closest pursuers lost successive games.

The gap is now seven points to both with equal games as the Rams and one more than Bolton.

It is effectively a two-game margin over Bolton and three over Derby, which is a more than useful cushion at this stage.

However, head coach John Mousinho will know the lead is far from insurmountable and he will want complete focus ahead of today's home game with Oxford, the club Mousinho retired from last year to take the Fratton Park job.

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Crewe have won seven of their last 10 games - and, on paper, Lee Bell's side have the perfect opportunity to climb into the top two today at home to Morecambe.

Third-placed Alex have been defeated only once since Boxing Day, although that did come on their own turf, when they surrendered a half-time lead to lose 3-2 to Salford.

Morecambe, in 12th place, are part of a heavily congested pack chasing the prize of a play-off spot, but have failed to win any of their last three games.

Walsall, who start the day in possession of the final play-off place, travel to Doncaster, while Gillingham – just behind them on goal difference – are also on the road at Salford and Harrogate travel to Swindon.

Meanwhile, bottom side Sutton could haul themselves off the foot of the table away to Tranmere if they can follow up their midweek 4-3 triumph over Notts County.

Mansfield head to south Wales knowing they can pull out a little gap at the top after rivals Stockport - with whom they are level on points - saw their clash at Colchester rained off.

The Stags have been in rude health of late after their four-match winless bump in the road in January - they have won four of the last five and racked up a staggering 19 goals in the last four.

But their recent away form will offer Newport some encouragement. Nigel Clough's side have lost two of their last three away league games, as many as in their 24 previous away matches combined.

County themselves have been in fine touch, winning six of their last eight in the league to leave themselves just two points outside the play-off places in 10th.

Graham Coughlan's men have lost just one of their last 10 league games at Rodney Parade, while leading scorer Will Evans has found the net in six of his last seven appearances.

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Ronan Curtis has made himself an AFC Wimbledon hero with a 94th minute winner in the grudge match against MK Dons in League Two's early kick-off.

The reformed Dons are now just one point outside the play-off spots, while the franchise Dons stay fifth, three points off the automatic places.

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Wrexham will be looking to home comforts as they look to kickstart their stuttering promotion charge and avenge their away defeat to Accrington in November.

Phil Parkinson's fourth-placed side remain just three points off top spot and a point outside the top three automatic promotion places despite a winless three-match run.

They look a different prospect at home, winning nine of their last 10 league matches at the Racecourse, and boast the best home record in League Two.

Stanley have slipped to 15th after back-to-back defeats and one win in six, but in the congested queue for the play-offs they are just five points off the top seven.

Accrington have won their last two at the Racecourse, although their last visit did come in 2008 so perhaps not the most reliable yardstick to measure today's clash.

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File this one firmly in the drawer marked relegation six-pointer.

Forest Green sit second-bottom in the relegation mire, but victory at Blundell Park would move them level on points with Grimsby.

They would need a six-goal winning margin to climb above the 22nd-placed Mariners and out of the relegation places. Unlikely but maybe not impossible.

Town have been on a wretched run, picking up one point from their last six at home, and in that run they have twice conceded five goals - to Notts County and Doncaster - and six against Walsall.

While Grimsby are without a league win in seven, since 29 December, and have not won at home since 9 December, Forest Green have found a little form.

Rovers have won two of their last four matches under Steve Cotterill - as many as they’d managed in their previous 24 league games - and on Tuesday came within a few minutes of beating promotion-chasing Wrexham.

• Crewe v Morecambe
• Grimsby v Forest Green Rovers
• Newport v Mansfield
• Salford v Gillingham
• Swindon v Harrogate
• Tranmere v Sutton
• Walsall v Doncaster
• Wrexham v Accrington

• Bolton v Cambridge
• Carlisle v Reading
• Cheltenham v Burton
• Derby v Port Vale
• Fleetwood v Wigan
• Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers
• Lincoln v Stevenage
• Northampton v Charlton
• Peterborough v Exeter
• Portsmouth v Oxford
• Shrewsbury v Blackpool
• Wycombe v Barnsley

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The overnight rain and snow across parts of the country have already put paid to several games.

In League Two, Stockport's hopes of regaining the lead have gone soggy. Their trip to Colchester is off because of a waterlogged pitch at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Same story too at the Broadfield Stadium where Barrow were planning to keep the pressure up on their fellow play-off chasers at Crawley.

While for the second Saturday running, Bradford have had a match postponed within two hours of kick-off, this time at home to Notts County.

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Yes, we've made it through the long winter months! The possibility of a bit spring sunshine, lighter nights, oh and yet more rain!

As the calendar ticks into March, the finishing line in the EFL campaign kicks into view.

But who is gasping for the line and going backwards? Who is on a late burst? And who is tucked into the pack with plenty left in the tank?

Let's see how another 90 minutes of EFL action shapes up this afternoon!