League One (England)

Two goals from Joe Powell, the first a stunning 25-yarder and the second from the penalty spot after Kell Watts had handled in the box, secured the three points after Charlie Hughes had put Wigan in front just before half-time.

Albion had to finish the game with 10 men after Beryly Lubala picked up a second yellow card making it a nervy end for Albion and the manager.

“I am delighted for the lads because they work so hard and people don’t see the graft that they put in and the setbacks we keep getting,” Maamria said.

“But they keep rising and we never lost belief in what we are doing and I thought tonight’s performance was absolutely outstanding.

“It was a different type of performance. To beat a very good Wigan team here in the way that we beat them is a real credit to the players.

“After a slow start we took control of the game and should have scored at least a couple and then to concede from the long throw was a real kick in the teeth.”

Maamria reserved praise for Powell, who is rapidly becoming one of the real leaders in the Brewers squad.

“We have got some big players but probably the biggest turnaround since I’ve been in charge is Powelly,” he said.

“He is not just what you see on the pitch. He is a proper voice in the dressing room and a true leader in there. We have a few young ones leading but he is right up there.”

For Wigan it was a third defeat in a row and just one win in the last six league games after a fine start to the season.

Boss Shaun Maloney knew his side were in for a tough encounter against the Brewers.

“I knew what type of match it was going to be. It was never going to be really open or free flowing so the game went how I thought it would,” he said.

“Two moments in the game cost us the result. I have no complaints on the penalty. I can’t be too critical because the players, in general, they gave me the performance that I wanted.

“Today I felt we didn’t quite get what we deserved. A draw maybe but at 1-0 I felt pretty comfortable. We will have moments like this throughout the season.

“What I didn’t expect was that when you have this sort of moment, like we have over the last two or three games, the impact it can have on the mindset. A bit longer lasting than I thought and these results feel harder because of our position in the table.”

Evans guided Boro to the third tier last term and his side are well in the mix for back-to-back promotions after a sixth win of the season.

It was a chaotic affair, with a total of 28 minutes of stoppage time and a red card apiece, but Aaron Pressley’s first-half penalty proved the difference between the sides.

When quizzed on speculation linking him with the Owls job, Evans said: “My agent, the club and I have made it quite clear I’m here and that I’m not going anywhere.

“I’m not aware of Sheffield Wednesday doing anything. We’ve got a tough enough job to keep focused on what we’re trying to do here without me worrying about what’s happening in South Yorkshire.”

After two consecutive defeats, Stevenage were in need of a victory to stay within touching distance of pacesetters Portsmouth and Oxford United.

They had to contend with the loss of Luther James-Wildin to a serious head injury late in the first half and Alex MacDonald to a straight red card in the second, but held on for a gritty three points.

Evans said: “The main thing after Tuesday was getting back on the horse in terms of points on the board.

“Today we found a way to win a game when we needed to on the back of two defeats.

“One of the first chairmen I ever worked for, a man called Patrick Malkinson, once said to me: ‘good teams can lose two games, Good teams very seldom lose three in a row’.

“That was very much at the forefront of my mind when we addressed the players on Thursday.”

Evans’ opposite number Shaun Maloney directed his ire at the decision-making of referee Alan Young after his side suffered a fourth successive defeat.

He saw star striker Callum Lang sent off for two yellow cards after 34 minutes shortly after a contentious penalty decision went against his side.

Maloney said: “Unfortunately, he had a big impact on the game – for us it was negative, for Stevenage it was obviously positive.

“It wasn’t a game that was overly physical, there weren’t a lot of bad tackles – apart from the one at the end – and the referee just got it very, very wrong in the majority of what he did today.

“Anyone can make a mistake at any time, we saw that the other week against Portsmouth, when we should have had a penalty.

“But today it was just the full performance that was a struggle for the referee.”

Posh, who snuck into the top six on the final day, put the shell-shocked Owls to the sword at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Cameron Dawson’s howler from Jack Taylor’s strike before Joe Ward’s shot took a cruel deflection saw the hosts go 2-0 up before half-time.

Kwame Poku and Jonson Clarke-Harris, with his 29th goal of the season, finished the job and left Wednesday with an absolute mountain to climb in the return fixture next week.

“It’s 4-0, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” insisted Ferguson, who is bidding for a fifth promotion with the club.

“There will be no complacency from us going to Hillsborough.

“We want to go to Hillsborough and try to win the game, that’s the attitude that we’ve got.

“I felt we couldn’t go there after losing the game tonight, it’s been a great night for us.

“I have to say that Will Norris has made a big save for us (from Michael Smith) at 0-0. That was a really big save. That would have changed the course of the day.

“It was a really, really top performance. Overall it was a very pleasing performance, but it’s only halfway.

“I’ve been in this game long enough to know anything can happen, but it was a really good night for us. I have to say that.

“It’s not about me, the players have got to take all the credit after a performance like that. They have to get the credit. It was a very good performance against a good team.

“The fans were outstanding. I’ve had it before here in the play-offs, it was amazing again.”

The Owls’ bid for a Championship return has already had chapters of heartache.

Last season they lost in the play-offs to eventually promoted Sunderland.

And this term their 96 points was the highest total ever in the Football League without earning promotion after they finished third.

Punch-drunk Owls’ boss Darren Moore reflected: “It’s a bad night for us tonight.

“It’s a huge task, we know that. They’ve got the four-goal advantage, but all we can do is reflect on the game and get ready for next week. It is a big uphill task.

“I can totally understand the disappointment and frustration because there was real hope. There was vigour among the boys and our supporters.

“It’s a disappointing night, but as manager you’ve got to try and keep your composure and get the lads ready for next week.”

On Dawson’s mistake for the first goal, Moore added: “There’s a lot of negativity when mistakes happen in games. Nine times out of 10 Cameron deals with that situation.

“On a night like that when your emotions are a little bit more flared it’s probably a lapse in concentration.

“It’s normally a routine save and the other one’s a deflected shot and then we’re two down.”

The Peterborough manager’s only frustration would have been that his team did not rack up a more emphatic scoreline as a host of other chances went begging in another dominant performance at London Road.

First-half goals from Joel Randall and Ephron Mason-Clark put the hosts in cruise control, then a Cole Stockton own goal and Kwame Poku’s close range finish completed the rout after the break.

Dino Maamria’s patched-up Brewers side were on the rack for most of this one-sided encounter, although Stockton nearly capitalised on a mistake from Posh goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic, only to see his first-half stoppage time volley headed off the line by Josh Knight.

It was a rare moment of panic for fifth-placed Peterborough, who have dropped just two points from their last six home matches – a run which includes a 5-0 derby day demolition job on local rivals Cambridge.

Ferguson said: “When you’re a manager and you enjoy watching your team play, that’s always a good sign.

“In the last two home games I’ve seen a different level of maturity. Especially when we’re 3-0 up to Cambridge at half-time, they’ve gone on and been really professional. And today, the same again.

“The quality has always been there for me. It’s just getting it on a consistent basis now.

“These games are never easy. Burton are a decent team. We spoke about how to match them in every area, and we did that.

“These games are better results for me than when we play against your Portsmouths and your Derbys. Those game just take care of themselves. These are the games you’ve got to have the correct mentality in, and make sure you do the basics right.

“We started really strongly and were aggressive. We spoke about that in terms of having the correct mentality in a game that everyone on the outside would expect us to win. That’s not always the case so we had to make sure we were correct from the first minute, and we were.”

Burton manager Maamria was forced to field his second year scholar Will Tamen, aged just 17, as a centre-half against one of the highest-scoring teams in the league.

Maamria admitted: “It was a difficult afternoon, and we expected that. It’s a tough place to come and they score a lot of goals.

“We knew it would be difficult with our best team but, with our back four all out, and our holding midfielder out, they are our five best players. If you take five of Manchester City’s players out they will suffer.

“A club like ours, we’ve got what we’ve got when you come up against a team like these with half of your team out.

“To pick up points against teams like Peterborough you’ve got to disturb their rhythm and manage the tempo of the game. You’ve got to show controlled aggression as they have good players if you allow them to play.

“This afternoon we didn’t show enough passion to compete in terms of duels, and that’s the biggest disappointment.”

Sam Hoskins ran through to open the scoring in the 20th minute before Patrick Brough sealed victory in stoppage time, ending a run of three consecutive League One defeats.

The Cobblers could easily have been bigger winners against an Exeter side that were a far cry from the one that beat Premier League Luton 1-0 in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

“It was a good day all round,” Brady said.

“It was a really strong performance from the group. I felt the movement for the first goal was excellent and the way Sam goes in one-on-one and finishes it, brilliant.

“Sam has run in from 35 yards and put it in the corner and he has beaten a very good keeper and he has finished it well.

“In the second half, we were brave to stay in the shape we were for as long as we did. And we kept catching them on the counter-attack and we had a fair few chances to be fair.

“They didn’t have a chance second half and we nullified them. We were aggressive and did the ugly side well, won our battles and played forward really well and it was a good performance.

“We reduced Exeter to one shot on target and it is really pleasing, everyone in the team was great in terms of how they worked. Exeter have got a massive squad and we haven’t, we need those players.

“Our fans were brilliant, they have travelled and we wanted to give them something back.”

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell had few complaints with the outcome.

He said: “It was a really disappointing performance. We didn’t get going at any point or didn’t deserve anything from the game. All credit to Northampton, they were better than us and deserved to win.

“I think we were sluggish and that’s a result of Tuesday night. I think it’s the realisation of playing Saturday-Tuesday but if we want to be a big team and a big player, then you have to stand up to that test.

“We did everything to recover the players on Wednesday and Thursday and prepared yesterday, as we normally do, but when the game comes, you have to be ready emotionally, physically to give everything to win a game of football and we were nowhere near the level we expect.

“Some players are getting opportunities and not taking them. Coming out and showing what you are all about on a Saturday is the true test of a footballer but, too often, people have come out and not delivered and we have to change that very quickly if we want to have a successful season.”

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the combatants in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two as the semi-finals loom.

The Championship

Sunderland v Luton

Sunderland went into their final-day trip to Preston knowing even victory might not be enough to edge them into the play-offs, but a 3-0 victory, coupled with Millwall’s remarkable capitulation at home to Blackburn, saw them snatch sixth place to keep alive their unlikely hopes of back-to-back promotions.

Under Tony Mowbray, who replaced Alex Neil at the helm in August, they are unbeaten in nine and finished the regular season – during which star striker Ross Stewart was largely absent and they were without a recognised central defender – strongly to give themselves a chance to exorcise the ghost of successive relegations from the Premier League to League One.

Luton, who have not played in the top flight since 1992, were already assured of third place and their play-off berth before Monday’s 0-0 home draw with Hull, which extended their unbeaten run to 14 games.

Indeed, Rob Edwards’ men, who boast dyed-in-the-wool Wearsider Mick Harford among their backroom staff, have lost only once in the league since January 14 and climbed from 10th place into the top three after the former Watford manager’s appointment as Nathan Jones’ replacement in November.

Coventry v Middlesbrough

When Mark Robins accepted the hotseat at Coventry in March 2017, the club was hurtling into League Two and faced an uncertain future amid deepening financial problems.

He has since guided them back up the pyramid to within touching distance of the Premier League, where they last played during the 200-01 season, after a run of 17 games which included just a single defeat and ended with Monday’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.

Former Manchester United and England star Michael Carrick, who was on the books at Boro as a youngster, inherited a team which had won just four of its first 16 league games and was languishing inside the relegation zone when he replaced Chris Wilder in October.

Carrick has overseen a concerted drive up the table, fuelled in large part by revitalised 28-goal striker Chuba Akpom, which at one point saw the club flirt with automatic promotion.

League One

Peterborough v Sheffield Wednesday

Peterborough’s last-gasp surge into the play-offs represents a triumph for persistence. Manager Darren Ferguson, who resigned in February last year with the club slipping inexorably towards the Championship exit, returned for a fourth spell in charge in January following successor Grant McCann’s departure.

Sunday’s 2-0 win at Barnsley enabled Posh to leapfrog Derby into sixth place with a helping hand from Wednesday, who beat the Rams 1-0.

Owls boss Darren Moore, however, will hope that is as far as his side’s charity extends having seen them finish 19 points clear of their semi-final opponents and just two adrift of second-placed Ipswich.

They lost out to Sunderland at the same stage last season and will head into their latest two-legged appointment on the back of a four-game winning run.

Bolton v Barnsley

Bolton’s quest for a return to the second tier for the first time since 2019 caps a season of real positivity after a difficult spell in the club’s history.

Promoted from the fourth tier two seasons ago, Ian Evatt’s men have lost only one of their last 10 games in all competitions, a sequence of results which includes a 4-0 Papa Johns Trophy final victory over League One champions Plymouth.

Relegated from the Championship at the end of last season – having won just six of their 46 games a year after reaching the play-offs – Barnsley are looking to make an immediate return under Michael Duff.

They rather limped over the line, taking just a point from their final three fixtures with runners-up Ipswich and fast-finishing Peterborough both winning at Oakwell.

League Two

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Salford v Stockport

Salford, famously backed by Manchester United’s Class of ’92, survived a final-day scare as they clung on to the final play-off spot despite a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham.

Led by former United Academy coach Neil Wood, the Ammies have made it to the end-of-season festivities for the first time since their emergence from the National League in 2019.

Stockport boss Dave Challinor is targeted a third-successive promotion have steered County back into the Football League last season having done the same with Hartlepool 12 months earlier.

They missed out on automatic promotion to Northampton on Monday after a 1-1 home draw with already-relegated Pool, but are unbeaten in 13.

Bradford v Carlisle

There are few bigger managerial names in the lower leagues than that of Bradford boss Mark Hughes, but the Bantams are going to have to do it the hard way if they are to make it back to the third tier.

They won only one of their last five regular season fixtures – although drew 1-1 with champions Orient to seal their play-off place – and failed to score in either game against the Cumbrians.

Carlisle’s 1-1 draw with Sutton ensured their continued participation, although their form too is patchy with only two wins in their last 11 games.

Paul Simpson, the man who took the club from the Conference to League One in successive seasons during his first spell as boss, is back in charge having successfully fought his own battle with kidney cancer and hopes are high for a significant upturn.

CJ Hamilton wrapped up the points in stoppage time after Oliver Casey’s opener to make it 29 points at home so far this season, the best return in Sky Bet League One.

And after successive losses after Christmas, Critchley was thrilled to see his team grow into the game.

He said: “It’s a nice feeling, a couple of goals and a clean sheet. A good way to start the New Year in positive fashion. It was important after our last two results.

“We were lacking early on in the game in terms of belief and energy, which is understandable on both accounts considering the results we’ve had, but I am proud of the efforts of the players.

“We were keen to rectify our last two defeats, it’s been tough and that showed early on in the game but we have to trust our process.

“We’re good at home. Our record shows that, but what we need to do if we are to be near the top of the league is we’ve got to be better away from home.

“We’ve played some of the bigger teams at the top away from home already, so they have to come to our place.”

Alex Mitchell volleyed the first real chance over for Lincoln, with Casey opening the scoring on the half-hour when he nodded home Karamoko Dembele’s whipped free-kick.

That seemed to fire up Blackpool, who threatened to extend their lead when Owen Dale saw his effort deflected over before James Husband clipped the top of the crossbar with a header.

They continued to press in the second half and eventually Hamilton wrapped up the points, leaving Lincoln head coach Michael Skubala to rue his side’s failure to deal with a set-piece.

He said: “I thought we were in the game, and we were doing well up until they scored the first goal.

“I thought actually we started to take the game to them and they have got one of the best if not the best home record in the league so it was always going to be tough.

“We looked good, but we’ve been done on a set-piece and we need to improve in that area. We need to improve because that changes the game a little bit, well a lot. But we were still creating chances after that so it was disappointing.

“That’s where we are and that’s where we have to improve. We’ve got to be more ruthless in the box when we get there and we have to be more ruthless in our own box so at the minute we’re doing okay but it’s not enough.”

On-loan midfielder Ryan Trevitt scored the winner in the 75th minute.

“Absolutely delighted to come away from home and I thought it was a perfect away performance and a brilliant three points,” Caldwell said.

“I am really proud of them. We came with a clear game plan to dominate possession and control the game. With that you are always going to have to defend long throws and corners here.

“They are a good side that put you under a lot of pressure and when we were asked to do that, I thought we were excellent.”

Exeter survived a scare when Albion skipper John Brayford hit the bar inside the first 90 seconds before growing into the game.

Caldwell said: “We had to compete in those first 15 minutes to see off that early threat and then after 20 minutes or so we got control of the game and dominated possession and from there I felt very comfortable.”

Exeter proved difficult to break down and Caldwell praised the whole team approach to games.

“Our number nine is our first defender, and our goalkeeper is our first attacker,” he added.

“The way we want to play is to have that team ethos and right now we are getting both parts of the game right.”

Burton boss Dino Maamria had to watch from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban and also saw his side finish with 10 men when substitute Steve Seddon was sent off for a second yellow card deep in added time.

“It was very tough for me,” he admitted.

“I never want to experience that again. Probably my team needed me today on the sidelines to inject that bit of energy in the second half.

“Exeter are a good team, very rigid and they don’t give a lot of chances away.

“I thought we had most of the game in the first half, but it was always going to be a tight game and whoever was going to score first, it was going to be difficult for the other team to come back.

“It was a sweet shot from Trevitt right into the bottom corner and we sent all our attackers on and some of them showed glimpses of what we can expect when they are fit.”

Goals have been a problem for the Brewers with most of their strikers injured or only just returning to fitness, but Maamria hopes that with two weeks off players will return and fortunes change.

He added: “Hopefully we can get some of our forward players back fit and that is what we are lacking. Everyone can see that we are lacking goals at the top end.”

Both sides finished the game with 10 men as Stevenage moved up to fourth and the Latics suffered their fourth straight loss of the campaign.

After a feisty start, Pressley converted a ninth-minute penalty following a Babajide Adeeko foul on Jordan Roberts.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors as skipper Callum Lang was shown a second yellow card for a foul after 34 minutes of his 250th league appearance.

There were 19 minutes of first-half added time as Boro’s Luther James-Wildin was carried off on a stretcher following a head collision with team-mate Carl Piergianni.

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney also received a yellow card just before the break amid a busy afternoon for referee Alan Young.

Chaos continued in the 74th minute, as substitute Alex MacDonald saw a straight red for a foul on Charlie Hughes.

The visitors should have equalised when Josh Magennis scuffed wide seven minutes from time but Steve Evans’ side held on to remain six points off an automatic promotion place.

Two goals from Abu Kamara and another from Marlon Pack maintained the momentum for John Mousinho’s men.

Just before the half-hour mark, Paddy Lane cut the ball back to Kusini Yengi in the heart of the box, but the Pompey forward blasted it over the bar.

The visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Pack launched a long throw to the back post and Kamara bundled the ball into the net.

Pompey doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Lane cut in from the left to reach the near post and lay the ball off to Pack, who poked it in from close range.

Shrewsbury came close to pulling a goal back with under 20 minutes remaining. Mal Benning fed a ball into fellow substitute Max Mata in the box. The striker held off a defender before shooting but his effort went over.

Kamara completed the scoring with six minutes remaining after being played through on goal by Christian Saydee, rifling the ball into the net.

In a statement, the FA said the allegations relate to 312 bets placed on matches between February 8 2022 and March 10 2023.

Clark has until May 17 to respond to the charges.

The 24-year-old Welshman made 49 appearances in all competitions for Stanley this season as they were relegated from Sky Bet League One.

Sonny Bradley put the visitors ahead in the Sky Bet League One contest but the hosts responded impressively.

Derby were the first to threaten when Conor Hourihane capitalised on a defensive error from Donovan Pines and fired in a shot which was deflected wide.

The resulting corner saw Eiran Cashin’s header cleared off the line and then Hourihane’s 18th-minute corner was met by Bradley, whose header found the net.

Barnsley equalised 15 minutes later when an attempted clearance fell to Phillips, who chested the ball down and hammered a volley just inside Joe Wildsmith’s right-hand post from the edge of the area.

Barnsley’s Nicky Cadden had a shot comfortably saved soon after the restart but Phillips was on target again to score the winner in the 66th minute, meeting Cadden’s corner with a near-post header.

Max Bird fired in a shot which flashed wide as the visitors looked for a quick response – but they were unable to find a leveller.

The result takes Barnsley to within three points of second-placed Derby following a run of just one defeat in their last 15 games.

Ruel Sotiriou’s 10th-minute goal looked to have secured Orient a big away win.

But Phillips equalised in the 88th minute and, after Tykes team-mate Luca Connell saw red, he bagged a winner five minutes into added time.

The visitors went ahead when George Moncur drove to the byline and cut the ball back to Sotiriou who applied the finish.

Barnsley dominated possession and chances for the rest of the game but could not find a way past the inspired visiting goalkeeper Sol Brynn.

But the resistance was ended when Mael De Gevigney launched a ball in behind the Orient defence and Phillips flicked a header over the onrushing Brynn.

Connell was shown a second yellow card as he protested to the referee that Orient were taking too long to restart the game.

But despite the numerical disadvantage, Phillips won it for his side when he connected with Corey O’Keefe’s free-kick from the right and turned it in for his second.

The Tangerines started on top and spurned a fine chance to take the lead when Jordan Rhodes’ 25th-minute penalty was saved by Viljami Sinisalo, the Finnish goalkeeper making amends after fouling the striker.

The Aston Villa loanee then tipped Kyle Joseph’s long-range effort around the post, but he could do nothing to stop Morgan’s stunning strike from Karamoko Dembele’s lay-off six minutes before the break.

Zak Jules saw a shot go wide as the Grecians sought a response, but their task became harder when Morgan doubled his tally early in the second half with a fine volley into the bottom corner through a crowd of players.

Exeter rarely threatened until Jack Aitchison was twice denied by Dan Grimshaw in quick succession, with Jack Harris firing over shortly afterwards.

But Blackpool held on with a minimum of fuss to stay in touch with the play-off places and extend Exeter’s winless away league run to nine matches.

Alex Mitchell handed the Imps an early lead at Highbury and it proved crucial, as Fleetwood were reduced to 10 men late on through Toto Nsiala’s red card.

Fleetwood’s Jack Marriott fired wide on the turn in the opening phase, but the visitors took a sixth-minute advantage when Mitchell stabbed the ball home from close range after connecting with Reeco Hackett’s overhead kick.

Ted Bishop headed over after 25 minutes as the visitors remained in control, though Xavier Simons tested goalkeeper Lukas Jensen at the other end, moments later.

Ethan Hamilton took aim from distance for the Imps but Jay Lynch was equal to it, while Marriott drew Jensen into action early in the second half.

Junior Quitirna blasted the ball over before the hour mark and Bosun Lawal later fired wide as the Cod Army sought an equaliser.

Nsiala was dismissed deep in injury time for clumsily bundling over Lincoln’s Jovan Makama.

Devine fired the spot-kick past James Beadle in the eighth minute of time added on after Elliott Moore had fouled Ben Garrity.

All of the game’s action came in a dramatic final half-hour.

Oxford striker Mark Harris was shown a straight red card in the 63rd minute following an off-the-ball clash with Vale captain Nathan Smith.

Alex Iacovitti then headed the visitors in front in the 74th minute, glancing home from Devine’s free-kick.

Greg Leigh equalised at the far post three minutes into stoppage time, firing high into the net when Stan Mills’ cross reached him at the far post.

However, left-back Leigh’s delight turned to despair moments later when he was shown a second yellow card for a trip.

Oxford, bidding for a fifth successive victory, were below their best on a warm afternoon, but Vale keeper Conor Ripley produced good saves from Billy Bodin, Cameron Brannagan and Tyler Goodrham before Harris’ red card sparked the frantic finale.

Both the Addicks, who had placed Jason Pearce in interim charge following the dismissal of Dean Holden last Sunday, and Fleetwood came into the clash at The Valley off the back of four straight Sky Bet League One losses.

Former Charlton striker Jayden Stockley opened the scoring in the 16th minute. He had already hit the underside of the bar with a free-kick before he headed Ryan Broom’s cross past keeper Harry Isted.

Charlton had struggled to create chances before May levelled in the 43rd minute. Wolves loanee Chem Campbell’s pass sent the forward through and he confidently tucked the ball past Stephen McMullen.

The Addicks went in front in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot. Olabosun Lawal brought down Corey Blackett-Taylor and May drilled his kick straight down the middle.

May went close to a hat-trick as first he latched on to a deep Terry Taylor corner but McMullen denied him and then at full-stretch just failed to make contact on a Charlie Kirk cross.

The forward is on 17 goals in all competitions for the Addicks after converting two penalties to end the Robins’ own three-game unbeaten sequence.

Cheltenham took a 10th-minute lead, Liam Sercombe’s cross from the right met by the unmarked Will Goodwin to head emphatically home.

May levelled soon after from the penalty spot, drilling past Luke Southwood after centre-back Lewis Freestone tripped Miles Leaburn.

Town were indebted to goalkeeper Southwood for smart saves from Slobodan Tedic and Tennai Watson before the break while Corey Blackett-Taylor also struck the inside of the right upright.

Cheltenham went close in the 50th minute but George Lloyd’s header just cleared the bar.

Tedic squandered a big chance for the Addicks and then Southwood used his legs to keep out Blackett-Taylor’s shot.

But May kept his cool to beat Southwood again from the spot in the 86th minute after Will Ferry handled Tyreece Campbell’s cross.

The Seasiders closed in ominously on the top six, while Stevenage’s mini-blip continued thanks to a third defeat in their last four games.

Stevenage threatened early on when Jamie Reid’s powerful 20-yard strike was well saved by Dan Grimshaw.

The Seasiders replied as Kylian Kouassi’s looping header was punched effectively clear by Taye Ashby-Hammond.

Huddersfield loanee Rhodes then slid an effort inches wide following Kouassi’s knockdown.

Rhodes broke the deadlock after 37 minutes when he instinctively diverted skipper Ollie Norburn’s initial shot past a flat-footed Ashby-Hammond.

It was almost two nine minutes after the restart when Kenny Dougall thumped a 25-yard free-kick against the crossbar.

Owen Dale did make it 2-0 bang on the hour mark when he lashed home an angled shot via a deflection off the unlucky Terence Vancooten.

CJ Hamilton confidently slotted home Blackpool’s third late on after playing a tidy one-two with veteran Rhodes.

Leicester, Leeds and Southampton will begin life back in the Championship under new managers with their sights set on an immediate return, and the fixture computer looks to have been kind – at least in the early stages.

The PA news agency has analysed the three divisions’ schedules using an aggregation of leading bookmakers’ odds and identified the most notable runs.

Settling-in period

Leicester boss Enzo Maresca faces Coventry in his first game in charge and, while the Sky Blues reached last season’s play-off final, they are ranked only 11th in the aggregated promotion odds this time around.

Matches against Huddersfield, Cardiff and Rotherham, all ranked in the bottom six, and 16th-ranked Hull follow before they face fellow-relegated side Southampton in game six.

Leeds, who are currently managerless, open up at Elland Road against Cardiff – always a fiery encounter but representing opposition ranked 19th by the bookmakers and fancied to battle against relegation.

Birmingham follow with West Brom the toughest opposition in an opening six games against teams averaging 14.2 in the projected league positions.

Saints, who appointed Russell Martin on Wednesday, have fifth-ranked Norwich as well as the Foxes in their opening six games but also two promoted sides – Sheffield Wednesday, in the season’s opening game on August 4, and Plymouth – as well as QPR.

Leicester will also fancy their chances in the run-in, with relegation-candidates Birmingham, Plymouth and Preston in their last six games. Leeds and Saints have things tougher and meet at Elland Road on the final day.

Fast start vital for Hornets

Watford, also under new management yet again in the form of Valerien Ismael, have the easiest first six opponents on paper, with QPR, Plymouth and Birmingham in the bottom four of the combined odds and Stoke, Blackburn and Coventry also outside the play-off places.

The Hornets have the only harder run-in on paper than Southampton, though, and it stretches to their final eight games, facing Leeds, West Brom, Preston, Ipswich, Southampton, Hull, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Martin’s old club Swansea have West Brom and Coventry as the only projected top-half finishers among their first eight, which also include Birmingham, Preston, Bristol City, Cardiff, QPR and Wednesday.

The toughest start on paper belongs to the Sky Blues as they seek to bounce back from their Wembley heartbreak. Mark Robins’ side face Leicester, Middlesbrough, Swansea, Sunderland and Watford before things start to ease up with Hull, Cardiff, Huddersfield and QPR back-to-back.

Their first six are matched for difficulty by QPR’s, with Cardiff the only let-up in a run also featuring Watford, Ipswich, Saints, Boro and Sunderland.

Posh problems?

Promotion-hopefuls Peterborough have the toughest start on paper in League One, with five of their first six opponents projected to finish in the top eight.

Reading, Barnsley and favourites Derby are tipped to finish above fifth-ranked Posh, with Charlton and Portsmouth also in the play-off picture and only Northampton seemingly offering much respite.

Burton and Cheltenham – both among the relegation favourites – face four and five of the projected top eight in their respective first eight games, while Shrewsbury’s first six, by contrast, includes both those teams plus Stevenage, Fleetwood and Carlisle, all ranked in the bottom seven.

Projected strugglers Cambridge and Carlisle have tough run-ins, with the late-season fixtures seeming to favour Cheltenham if they can stay in touch, while Derby have the friendliest run-in on paper of the promotion favourites.

Dragons decider

Three of the last four teams promoted into League Two are the favourites to go up again as this term’s top three, with last season’s risers Wrexham and Notts County sandwiching Stockport.

Intriguingly, the latter visit big-spending Wrexham on the final day with promotion potentially at stake – providing an echo of the Dragons’ National League meeting with Notts County in April when Ben Foster’s last-minute penalty save went a long way to deciding first place.

Crawley, tipped for relegation, have the toughest opening six games in the entire EFL with Bradford, Salford, MK Dons, Gillingham, Swindon and Stockport’s projected league positions averaging out to sixth.

Spare a thought too for Newport, who face projected top-seven finishers Notts County, Gills, MK Dons, Mansfield and Stockport in succession from games 15-19 – and then have to do it all again, in the same order, in games 33-37.