Forest Green aiming to steer further away from drop zone
Forest Green v Sutton (15:00 GMT)
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A good old proper relegation scrap this one at the foot of League Two.
Forest Green sit a point just above the drop zone welcome bottom of the table Sutton United.
Steve Cotterill's Rovers side go into this in good form and will be looking to making it three wins on the spin winning their last two games 2-0.
They are unbeaten across their three Football League games against
Sutton (W2 D1) and will be looking to claim a first league double
against the south London side in the EFL after winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in
September.
Sutton are in desperate need of points. Their only win since Boxing Day was 4-3 at Notts County in February.
They go into today's game with no wins in their last three games with their last outing a 1-0 loss at Crewe.
Steve Morison's side have
failed to keep a clean sheet across their last 15 league games, the longest
ongoing streak of any side currently in the Football League.
A big game in the push for promotion
MK Dons v Crewe (15:00 GMT)
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A battle of the promotion chasers here.
Both MK Dons and Crewe sit level on 64 points. Crewe have a game in hand in 4th and MK Dons in 5th.
The Dons have a good recent home record, winning five of six at Stadium MK. They have
lost just one of their last 14 home league games (W10 D3), scoring 30 goals in
that time and netting at least one in each match.
However, a defeat a Grimsby in the week was a setback with them missing the chance to go into today's game with three wins on the bounce.
They have
won just two of their last seven league games against Crewe (D1 L4),
failing to score in four matches during that run.
Crewe stopped a run of two defeats in a row on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Sutton.
Lee Bell's side have lost just one of their last seven away league games (W4 D2),
though that sole defeat did come during their last outing on the road in a 2-0
loss to Doncaster Rovers.
The Railwaymen will be looking to do the double over today's opponents after they won the corresponding fixture 3-1 at Gresty Road in September.
League leaders Mansfield to get back on track?
Bradford v Mansfield (15:00 GMT)
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League Two table toppers Mansfield will be looking to get back on track after their defeat at Tranmere on Tuesday.
The Stags who are two points clear at the summit are
unbeaten in their last two away league games against Bradford drawing 1-1 there last season with Alfie Kilgour scoring a stoppage time equaliser.
Nigel Clough's side have lost three of their last eight away league games played on a Saturday
(W4 D1), as many losses as in the Stags’ 21 such matches prior.
Bradford also tasted defeat on Tuesday with Graham Alexander's side losing 2-0 against lowly Forest Green.
The Bantams who sit 13th in the table have
lost just one of their last seven league games against Mansfield (W4 D2),
scoring 2+ goals in three of those matches, though none of those have come at
Valley Parade.
League One round-up
#bbcefl
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Getting three points at home to a struggling Cheltenham side will be important for Barnsley today, if they are to keep pace with the battle for automatic promotion.
The Tykes are fifth in the League One table, five points off second-placed Derby, who play third-placed Bolton, naturally meaning at least one of them will drop points.
Behind Barnsley are Stevenage, who host Leyton Orient as they look to hold onto the final play-off place.
But Blackpool, Oxford and Lincoln can all claim the Boro's spot if results go their way.
Neil Critchley's team travel to Wigan, and Oxford are at relegation-threatened Port Vale, but the Imps have the toughest fixture of the chasing trio as they host Bristol Rovers, who have won three out of their last four away games.
Burton Albion can pull themselves a healthy eight points clear of the drop zone if they win at Exeter City, who have taken victory in just one of their last six home league games.
Testing week for Royals ends with Cambridge examination
Reading v Cambridge (15:00 GMT)
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The dessert of our three-course League One meal is a tasty-looking
clash between beleaguered Reading, swirling about the sale of their training ground to local rivals Wycombe and rumours of a takeover, and Cambridge, who have had a similarly
torrid time of it, on the pitch at least.
The Royals are two points and two places above United, though
have played a game more, but both clubs are far closer to the drop-zone than
they would like at this stage of the season.
Garry Monk is awaiting his first win since succeeding Neil
Harris in charge of the visitors and saw his side thumped 6-0 at Lincoln on Tuesday, their fifth defeat in
six games.
Cambridge did win the reverse fixture against the Royals in September but have
never won at Reading in the league, a run of 10 games during which they claimed
just two points, and haven’t scored on their last three visits.
They’ll also likely be dreading facing former Us striker Sam Smith
who has scored in each of his last four Royals games.
Fourth v first as Pompey seek to tighten grip on promotion
Peterborough v Portsmouth (15:00 GMT)
Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features
There's plenty on the line at London Road this afternoon.Image caption: There's plenty on the line at London Road this afternoon.
It feels slightly unfair on League One leaders Portsmouth that their
trip to fourth-placed Posh is not even the biggest game of the day in the
division.
John Mousinho's men have an incredible record on the road, losing just
two of their last 25 away games, taking 47 points, but they don’t tend to have
much joy at London Road, winning only two of their last 11 games and on the
last four visits in a row in all competitions.
Pompey's defence have kept five clean sheets in their
last six away games, including the last three in a row, but they’ve only mustered five
goals themselves, failing to register in their last two.
Each side have won five and drawn one of their last 11 meetings
across the past six seasons but with such evenly matched sides, something surely has to give this afternoon?
If it’s Pompey’s 11-match unbeaten run then that could mean the
top four are separated by as little as six points tonight.
Grand old clubs jostle for position in promotion race
Derby v Bolton (15:00 GMT)
Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features
There's more than pride at stake at Pride Park this afternoon.Image caption: There's more than pride at stake at Pride Park this afternoon.
With the possible exception of the south Wales derby, you
won’t get too many arguments if you said Derby v Bolton was the game of the day
in the entire EFL.
The Rams occupy the second automatic promotion place in League One, a
point ahead of Wanderers, and if one of these grand old clubs were to win this
afternoon it would surely put them in prime position for promotion with just
seven more games to come after today.
Paul Warne’s side have a fine record against the Trotters,
losing just two of their last 14 meetings, claiming 26 points in total and
scoring two-or-more in eight of those games.
One of those defeats did come in the reverse fixture in
September and it means if Bolton can complete the double it will be the first time they
have done so since May 1982 when Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder topped the charts with
Ebony and Ivory.
Derby go in as favourites, they have won five of their last six at Pride Park while
Bolton have not won in their last four away, but favouritism will mean nothing once the whistle blows.
League Two fixtures
#bbcefl
Here are this afternoon's League Two matches in full, with all of them getting started at 15:00 GMT.
Salford host Morecambe tomorrow, while second-placed Stockport County travel to Crawley on Monday.
Accrington Stanley
v
Notts County
AFC Wimbledon v Newport County
Barrow
v
Harrogate Town
Bradford City
v
Mansfield Town
Colchester United
v
Walsall
Forest Green Rovers
v
Sutton United
Gillingham
v
Grimsby Town
MK Dons
v Crewe Alexandra
Swindon Town
v
Doncaster Rovers
Wrexham
v
Tranmere Rovers
League One fixtures
#bbcefl
Four of the top six sides in League One are at home this afternoon.
There is a full set of fixtures today, with all kick-off times at 15:00 GMT
Barnsley v Cheltenham Town
Derby County v Bolton Wanderers
Exeter City v Burton Albion
Fleetwood Town v Charlton Athletic
Lincoln City v Bristol Rovers
Peterborough United v Portsmouth
Port Vale v Oxford United
Reading v Cambridge United
Shrewsbury Town v Carlisle United
Stevenage v Leyton Orient
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool
Wycombe Wanderers v Northampton Town
The run-in starts here...
#bbcefl
Rex FeaturesCopyright: Rex Features
It’s light before 6:30am, there are flowers popping up in
the garden and Easter eggs are once again an accepted form of daily nutrition… yes, welcome
to the business end of the football season.
Fittingly for a day which feels like the start of the run-in, we have some truly monumental games in store across
both League One and League Two this afternoon.
Leaders Portsmouth travel to fourth-placed Peterborough while
Derby, in second, welcome Bolton, sat in third, on what could be a pivotal day in
the race for promotion from League One.
There are also some huge games at the foot of the division,
while the race for promotion in League Two is also hotting-up with just five
points separating the top five sides.
Two of them meet as Crewe head to MK Dons, while leaders
Mansfield will seek to end their wobble at Bradford, and Wrexham host Tranmere knowing they could go top if the Stags slip up.
So pop the kettle on, grab a hot cross bun and settle in for
three-plus hours of EFL madness.
Live Reporting
Deepak Mahay and Alex Seftel
All times stated are UK
Forest Green aiming to steer further away from drop zone
Forest Green v Sutton (15:00 GMT)
A good old proper relegation scrap this one at the foot of League Two.
Forest Green sit a point just above the drop zone welcome bottom of the table Sutton United.
Steve Cotterill's Rovers side go into this in good form and will be looking to making it three wins on the spin winning their last two games 2-0.
They are unbeaten across their three Football League games against Sutton (W2 D1) and will be looking to claim a first league double against the south London side in the EFL after winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in September.
Sutton are in desperate need of points. Their only win since Boxing Day was 4-3 at Notts County in February.
They go into today's game with no wins in their last three games with their last outing a 1-0 loss at Crewe.
Steve Morison's side have failed to keep a clean sheet across their last 15 league games, the longest ongoing streak of any side currently in the Football League.
A big game in the push for promotion
MK Dons v Crewe (15:00 GMT)
A battle of the promotion chasers here.
Both MK Dons and Crewe sit level on 64 points. Crewe have a game in hand in 4th and MK Dons in 5th.
The Dons have a good recent home record, winning five of six at Stadium MK. They have lost just one of their last 14 home league games (W10 D3), scoring 30 goals in that time and netting at least one in each match.
However, a defeat a Grimsby in the week was a setback with them missing the chance to go into today's game with three wins on the bounce.
They have won just two of their last seven league games against Crewe (D1 L4), failing to score in four matches during that run.
Crewe stopped a run of two defeats in a row on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Sutton.
Lee Bell's side have lost just one of their last seven away league games (W4 D2), though that sole defeat did come during their last outing on the road in a 2-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers.
The Railwaymen will be looking to do the double over today's opponents after they won the corresponding fixture 3-1 at Gresty Road in September.
League leaders Mansfield to get back on track?
Bradford v Mansfield (15:00 GMT)
League Two table toppers Mansfield will be looking to get back on track after their defeat at Tranmere on Tuesday.
The Stags who are two points clear at the summit are unbeaten in their last two away league games against Bradford drawing 1-1 there last season with Alfie Kilgour scoring a stoppage time equaliser.
Nigel Clough's side have lost three of their last eight away league games played on a Saturday (W4 D1), as many losses as in the Stags’ 21 such matches prior.
Bradford also tasted defeat on Tuesday with Graham Alexander's side losing 2-0 against lowly Forest Green.
The Bantams who sit 13th in the table have lost just one of their last seven league games against Mansfield (W4 D2), scoring 2+ goals in three of those matches, though none of those have come at Valley Parade.
League One round-up
#bbcefl
Getting three points at home to a struggling Cheltenham side will be important for Barnsley today, if they are to keep pace with the battle for automatic promotion.
The Tykes are fifth in the League One table, five points off second-placed Derby, who play third-placed Bolton, naturally meaning at least one of them will drop points.
Behind Barnsley are Stevenage, who host Leyton Orient as they look to hold onto the final play-off place.
But Blackpool, Oxford and Lincoln can all claim the Boro's spot if results go their way.
Neil Critchley's team travel to Wigan, and Oxford are at relegation-threatened Port Vale, but the Imps have the toughest fixture of the chasing trio as they host Bristol Rovers, who have won three out of their last four away games.
Burton Albion can pull themselves a healthy eight points clear of the drop zone if they win at Exeter City, who have taken victory in just one of their last six home league games.
Testing week for Royals ends with Cambridge examination
Reading v Cambridge (15:00 GMT)
The dessert of our three-course League One meal is a tasty-looking clash between beleaguered Reading, swirling about the sale of their training ground to local rivals Wycombe and rumours of a takeover, and Cambridge, who have had a similarly torrid time of it, on the pitch at least.
The Royals are two points and two places above United, though have played a game more, but both clubs are far closer to the drop-zone than they would like at this stage of the season.
Garry Monk is awaiting his first win since succeeding Neil Harris in charge of the visitors and saw his side thumped 6-0 at Lincoln on Tuesday, their fifth defeat in six games.
Cambridge did win the reverse fixture against the Royals in September but have never won at Reading in the league, a run of 10 games during which they claimed just two points, and haven’t scored on their last three visits.
They’ll also likely be dreading facing former Us striker Sam Smith who has scored in each of his last four Royals games.
Fourth v first as Pompey seek to tighten grip on promotion
Peterborough v Portsmouth (15:00 GMT)
It feels slightly unfair on League One leaders Portsmouth that their trip to fourth-placed Posh is not even the biggest game of the day in the division.
John Mousinho's men have an incredible record on the road, losing just two of their last 25 away games, taking 47 points, but they don’t tend to have much joy at London Road, winning only two of their last 11 games and on the last four visits in a row in all competitions.
Pompey's defence have kept five clean sheets in their last six away games, including the last three in a row, but they’ve only mustered five goals themselves, failing to register in their last two.
Each side have won five and drawn one of their last 11 meetings across the past six seasons but with such evenly matched sides, something surely has to give this afternoon?
If it’s Pompey’s 11-match unbeaten run then that could mean the top four are separated by as little as six points tonight.
Grand old clubs jostle for position in promotion race
Derby v Bolton (15:00 GMT)
With the possible exception of the south Wales derby, you won’t get too many arguments if you said Derby v Bolton was the game of the day in the entire EFL.
The Rams occupy the second automatic promotion place in League One, a point ahead of Wanderers, and if one of these grand old clubs were to win this afternoon it would surely put them in prime position for promotion with just seven more games to come after today.
Paul Warne’s side have a fine record against the Trotters, losing just two of their last 14 meetings, claiming 26 points in total and scoring two-or-more in eight of those games.
One of those defeats did come in the reverse fixture in September and it means if Bolton can complete the double it will be the first time they have done so since May 1982 when Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder topped the charts with Ebony and Ivory.
Derby go in as favourites, they have won five of their last six at Pride Park while Bolton have not won in their last four away, but favouritism will mean nothing once the whistle blows.
League Two fixtures
#bbcefl
Here are this afternoon's League Two matches in full, with all of them getting started at 15:00 GMT.
Salford host Morecambe tomorrow, while second-placed Stockport County travel to Crawley on Monday.
League One fixtures
#bbcefl
Four of the top six sides in League One are at home this afternoon.
There is a full set of fixtures today, with all kick-off times at 15:00 GMT
The run-in starts here...
#bbcefl
It’s light before 6:30am, there are flowers popping up in the garden and Easter eggs are once again an accepted form of daily nutrition… yes, welcome to the business end of the football season.
Fittingly for a day which feels like the start of the run-in, we have some truly monumental games in store across both League One and League Two this afternoon.
Leaders Portsmouth travel to fourth-placed Peterborough while Derby, in second, welcome Bolton, sat in third, on what could be a pivotal day in the race for promotion from League One.
There are also some huge games at the foot of the division, while the race for promotion in League Two is also hotting-up with just five points separating the top five sides.
Two of them meet as Crewe head to MK Dons, while leaders Mansfield will seek to end their wobble at Bradford, and Wrexham host Tranmere knowing they could go top if the Stags slip up.
So pop the kettle on, grab a hot cross bun and settle in for three-plus hours of EFL madness.