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| Football clockwatch: Premier League, Football League and more – live! | Football clockwatch: Premier League, Football League and more – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.24pm BST15:24 | |
| La Liga goal! Ronaldo scores, Real lead against Eibar, with the goal reportedly owing much to a goalkeeping blunder: | |
| 3.21pm BST15:21 | |
| Goal! Bolton 1-1 Norwich (Le Fondre, 18) | |
| The winger Tom Walker gets out wide and delivers a fantastic cross for Adam Le Fondre to sidefoot in to curb Norwich’s promotion enthusiasm. | |
| Back to the bottom of League One, Scunthorpe are 1-0 up against Crawley | |
| 3.20pm BST15:20 | |
| Goal! West Brom 1-1 Leicester (Nugent, 20) | |
| Against the run of play, Nugent equalises for the Premier League’s bottom club, latching onto Cambiasso’s free-kick, nudging past his man and finishing neatly. | |
| Leeds are level at 1-1 against Cardiff now, through Kalvin Phillips, and in League Two promotion-chasing Shrewsbury are 1-0 ahead against Exeter through Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro. | |
| Updated at 3.22pm BST | |
| 3.18pm BST15:18 | |
| A kerfuffle at the Stadium of Light, as Rodwell is perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch for a crunching foul on McArthur, but Palace can’t make the free-kick count. | |
| Cardiff have scored at Leeds, through Sean Morrison, but they have no fans at Elland Road to celebrate it - none are there in a protest against what they say is a derisory ticket allocation. | |
| 3.14pm BST15:14 | |
| League One latest: Crewe are ahead against Leyton Orient in the key relegation tussle at Gresty Road, Lauri Dalla Valle putting the Railwaymen ahead. At the top of the same division, it’s tense, even and goalless at Deepdale between Preston and Bristol City. | |
| 3.12pm BST15:12 | |
| Goal! Bolton 0-1 Norwich (Dorrans, 9) | |
| Graham Dorrans, on loan from West Brom, has put Norwich ahead at Bolton, while Yeovil have taken the lead against Notts County. In Germany, Bayern are now 2-0 up against Eintracht Frankfurt. | |
| 3.09pm BST15:09 | |
| Goal! West Brom 1-0 Leicester City (Fletcher, 8) | |
| West Brom’s bright start is rewarded. A corner comes in from Chris Brunt, Darren Fletcher’s glancing header is well saved by Schmeichel but it’s ruled to have crossed the line before the save is made. “Technology works,” shrieks Charlie Nicholas, in the manner of a naive great uncle who can’t get his head round the marvels of SatNav. | |
| 3.07pm BST15:07 | |
| Goal! West Ham 1-0 Stoke (Cresswell) | |
| Brilliant effort – Aaron Creswell curling in a brilliant free-kick to put the Hammers ahead after seven minutes. | |
| 3.06pm BST15:06 | |
| Early exchanges: Southampton almost score early on against Hull, Shane Long rounding the keeper, Harper, but running the ball out. Lively start by West Brom against Leicester. Fletcher heads over Sunderland’s first chance against Palace. | |
| First goal of the day: Blackpool, would you believe it, have scored it, at Ipswich. Andrea Orlandi scoring for the relegated side in the fourth minute. According to Sky’s man at Portman Road, there are only 50 Seasiders fans there to see it. | |
| 3.00pm BST15:00 | |
| Peep! | |
| Whistles are blowing up and down the country. And we start with some important news from White Hart Lane. | |
| 2.57pm BST14:57 | |
| Match report: Read all about Swansea’s draw with Everton in the lunchtime kick-off here. Back on sartorial standards, those West Brom retro-kits are looking mighty fine at the Hawthorns. | |
| 2.56pm BST14:56 | |
| The dress code of the doomed: Paul Sturrock takes charge of Yeovil for the first time today, at home to Notts County. They’ll be down to League Two if they lose, but Sturrock is insisting some sartorial, er, standards must be maintained: | |
| 2.47pm BST14:47 | 2.47pm BST14:47 |
| The big Lewandowski: The Pole has scored something of a stunner for Bayern to put them 1-0 up against Eintracht Frankfurt: | The big Lewandowski: The Pole has scored something of a stunner for Bayern to put them 1-0 up against Eintracht Frankfurt: |
| 2.45pm BST14:45 | 2.45pm BST14:45 |
| Full-time in the Scottish Premiership: Inverness 1-1 Celtic. Inverness’s third placing and Celtic’s position at the top not really affected. Leigh Griffiths put the Hoops ahead after three minutes, Edward Ofere equalised a minute later, and that was it. | Full-time in the Scottish Premiership: Inverness 1-1 Celtic. Inverness’s third placing and Celtic’s position at the top not really affected. Leigh Griffiths put the Hoops ahead after three minutes, Edward Ofere equalised a minute later, and that was it. |
| 2.43pm BST14:43 | 2.43pm BST14:43 |
| Some Championship team news | Some Championship team news |
| From a few of the big games in the second tier: | From a few of the big games in the second tier: |
| Millwall v Watford | Millwall v Watford |
| Millwall: Forde; Cummings, Nelson, Beevers, Harding, Upson, Abdou, Williams, Woolford, Gregory, O’Brien. Subs: Dunne, Martin, Bailey, Gueye, Archer, Taylor-Fletcher, Maierhofer. | Millwall: Forde; Cummings, Nelson, Beevers, Harding, Upson, Abdou, Williams, Woolford, Gregory, O’Brien. Subs: Dunne, Martin, Bailey, Gueye, Archer, Taylor-Fletcher, Maierhofer. |
| Watford: Gomes; Connolly, Angella, Hoban, Paredes, Guedioura, Tozser, Watson, Anya, Deeney, Vydra. Subs: Munari, Layun, Pudil, Abdi, Ighalo, Bond, Motta. | Watford: Gomes; Connolly, Angella, Hoban, Paredes, Guedioura, Tozser, Watson, Anya, Deeney, Vydra. Subs: Munari, Layun, Pudil, Abdi, Ighalo, Bond, Motta. |
| Referee: Simon Hooper | Referee: Simon Hooper |
| Bolton v Norwich | Bolton v Norwich |
| Bolton: Bogdan; Vela, Dervite, Ream, Moxey, Bannan, Feeney, Walker, Gudjohnsen, Heskey, Le Fondre. Subs: Mark Davies, Trotter, Danns, Rochinha, Lonergan, McCarthy, Janko. | Bolton: Bogdan; Vela, Dervite, Ream, Moxey, Bannan, Feeney, Walker, Gudjohnsen, Heskey, Le Fondre. Subs: Mark Davies, Trotter, Danns, Rochinha, Lonergan, McCarthy, Janko. |
| Norwich: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Dorrans, Redmond, Howson, Hoolahan, Jerome. Subs: Grabban, Hooper, Elliott Bennett, Ryan Bennett, Rudd, O’Neil, Odjidja-Ofoe. | Norwich: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Dorrans, Redmond, Howson, Hoolahan, Jerome. Subs: Grabban, Hooper, Elliott Bennett, Ryan Bennett, Rudd, O’Neil, Odjidja-Ofoe. |
| Referee: James Adcock | Referee: James Adcock |
| Birmingham v Wolverhampton | Birmingham v Wolverhampton |
| Birmingham: Randolph; Caddis, Morrison, Kiernan, Grounds, Gleeson, Tesche, Cotterill, Fabbrini, Gray, Donaldson. Subs: Thomas, Novak, Doyle, Spector, Dyer, Davis, Shinnie. | Birmingham: Randolph; Caddis, Morrison, Kiernan, Grounds, Gleeson, Tesche, Cotterill, Fabbrini, Gray, Donaldson. Subs: Thomas, Novak, Doyle, Spector, Dyer, Davis, Shinnie. |
| Wolverhampton: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne, Henry, McDonald, Price, Sako, Afobe, Dicko. Subs: Edwards, Doyle, Van La Parra, Ebanks-Landell, Kuszczak, Hause, Jacobs. | Wolverhampton: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne, Henry, McDonald, Price, Sako, Afobe, Dicko. Subs: Edwards, Doyle, Van La Parra, Ebanks-Landell, Kuszczak, Hause, Jacobs. |
| Referee: Eddie Ilderton | Referee: Eddie Ilderton |
| 2.39pm BST14:39 | 2.39pm BST14:39 |
| Full-time: Swansea City 1-1 Everton – probably a fair result, is the consensus. Sham 69 bellow “We’re going down the pub” over the PA system at the Liberty Stadium, and well they might. | Full-time: Swansea City 1-1 Everton – probably a fair result, is the consensus. Sham 69 bellow “We’re going down the pub” over the PA system at the Liberty Stadium, and well they might. |
| Goal in the Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund are already behind, 1-o at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Oscar Wendt scoring in the first minute | Goal in the Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund are already behind, 1-o at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Oscar Wendt scoring in the first minute |
| 2.32pm BST14:32 | 2.32pm BST14:32 |
| Match report: Read more on Derby 1-1 Brentford. | Match report: Read more on Derby 1-1 Brentford. |
| Back to the Hawthorns, another aspect of the club’s admirable Jeff Astle day is that they appear to be playing the popular beat combo music of the day over the PA system: | Back to the Hawthorns, another aspect of the club’s admirable Jeff Astle day is that they appear to be playing the popular beat combo music of the day over the PA system: |
| 2.28pm BST14:28 | 2.28pm BST14:28 |
| More team news | More team news |
| Hull have arranged for every seat in the away end at St Mary’s to be covered by black t-shirts bearing the words ‘Steve Bruce’s Black & Amber army’. Underneath is a picture of a tiger. The latest manoeuvrings in the whole sorry “Hull Tigers” farrago? Or just a gesture of bounteous generosity by a beneficent owner? Hmm. All a bit North Korean anyway, this top-down choreographed crowd-dressing lark. | Hull have arranged for every seat in the away end at St Mary’s to be covered by black t-shirts bearing the words ‘Steve Bruce’s Black & Amber army’. Underneath is a picture of a tiger. The latest manoeuvrings in the whole sorry “Hull Tigers” farrago? Or just a gesture of bounteous generosity by a beneficent owner? Hmm. All a bit North Korean anyway, this top-down choreographed crowd-dressing lark. |
| Anyway, out on the pitch in Southampton and Hull strips, will be the following: | Anyway, out on the pitch in Southampton and Hull strips, will be the following: |
| Southampton v Hull | Southampton v Hull |
| Southampton: Kelvin Davis; Alderweireld, Fonte, Yoshida, Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Long, Steven Davis, Mane, Pelle. Subs: Clyne, Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Elia, Gazzaniga, Reed, Targett. | Southampton: Kelvin Davis; Alderweireld, Fonte, Yoshida, Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Long, Steven Davis, Mane, Pelle. Subs: Clyne, Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Elia, Gazzaniga, Reed, Targett. |
| Hull: Harper; Chester, Dawson, Bruce, McShane, Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Quinn, N’Doye, Aluko. Subs: McGregor, Rosenior, Hernandez, Brady, Diame, Sagbo, Robertson. | Hull: Harper; Chester, Dawson, Bruce, McShane, Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Quinn, N’Doye, Aluko. Subs: McGregor, Rosenior, Hernandez, Brady, Diame, Sagbo, Robertson. |
| Referee: Kevin Friend. | Referee: Kevin Friend. |
| 2.21pm BST14:21 | 2.21pm BST14:21 |
| So anyway, the Grand National: From a football fans’ perspective, it’s a source of profound frustration that the National no longer takes place – at least in part – during half-time intervals at matches, the 4.15pm start time a confusing (or perhaps welcome) distraction for people stuck inside football grounds. Mind, I once saw someone get chucked out of a ground by the police for celebrating a Grand National win with excessive zeal. It was the late 80s. That was how it was. | So anyway, the Grand National: From a football fans’ perspective, it’s a source of profound frustration that the National no longer takes place – at least in part – during half-time intervals at matches, the 4.15pm start time a confusing (or perhaps welcome) distraction for people stuck inside football grounds. Mind, I once saw someone get chucked out of a ground by the police for celebrating a Grand National win with excessive zeal. It was the late 80s. That was how it was. |
| First email of the day – and wouldn’t you know, it’s our old mucker Simon McMahon: | First email of the day – and wouldn’t you know, it’s our old mucker Simon McMahon: |
| Game of the day in Scotland is at Tannadice where Dundee United take on Hamilton, the one team in the league on a worse run of form than ourselves, United having not won in 10, Hamilton in 12. Consistent if nothing else. Celtic and Inverness are currently 1-1 in the early kick-off, and Partick Thistle face Motherwell in a match that could go a long way to deciding who has to face a relegation play-off. | Game of the day in Scotland is at Tannadice where Dundee United take on Hamilton, the one team in the league on a worse run of form than ourselves, United having not won in 10, Hamilton in 12. Consistent if nothing else. Celtic and Inverness are currently 1-1 in the early kick-off, and Partick Thistle face Motherwell in a match that could go a long way to deciding who has to face a relegation play-off. |
| I was just about to say all that, pretty much to the letter, so thanks Simon for saving me the bother. | I was just about to say all that, pretty much to the letter, so thanks Simon for saving me the bother. |
| 2.14pm BST14:14 | 2.14pm BST14:14 |
| Goal! It’s Swansea 1-1 Everton. Jonjo Shelvey has equalised with a penalty. Let Nick Miller tell you all about it here. | Goal! It’s Swansea 1-1 Everton. Jonjo Shelvey has equalised with a penalty. Let Nick Miller tell you all about it here. |
| Full-time at Derby: It did indeed finish Derby 1-1 Brentford, relief for Derby but Marc Warburton’s side, superior on the day, will be disappointed. They’ll stay outside the top six tonight if Wolves get a point at Birmingham. | Full-time at Derby: It did indeed finish Derby 1-1 Brentford, relief for Derby but Marc Warburton’s side, superior on the day, will be disappointed. They’ll stay outside the top six tonight if Wolves get a point at Birmingham. |
| 2.11pm BST14:11 | 2.11pm BST14:11 |
| Premier League team news | Premier League team news |
| Not one, but four teamsheets to run your eyes over: | Not one, but four teamsheets to run your eyes over: |
| Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa | Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa |
| Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm; Dier, Fazio, Chiriches, Rose, Mason, Bentaleb, Townsend, Eriksen, Chadli, Kane. Subs: Paulinho, Soldado, Lamela, Yedlin, Friedel, Stambouli, Davies. | Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm; Dier, Fazio, Chiriches, Rose, Mason, Bentaleb, Townsend, Eriksen, Chadli, Kane. Subs: Paulinho, Soldado, Lamela, Yedlin, Friedel, Stambouli, Davies. |
| Aston Villa: Guzan; Bacuna, Clark, Vlaar, Richardson, Sánchez, Cleverley, Delph, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Grealish. Subs: Baker, Okore, Weimann, Cole, N’Zogbia, Given, Lowton. | Aston Villa: Guzan; Bacuna, Clark, Vlaar, Richardson, Sánchez, Cleverley, Delph, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Grealish. Subs: Baker, Okore, Weimann, Cole, N’Zogbia, Given, Lowton. |
| Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) | Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) |
| Sunderland v Crystal Palace | Sunderland v Crystal Palace |
| Sunderland: Pantilimon; Jones, Vergini, O’Shea, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, Cattermole, Gomez, Defoe, Fletcher, Wickham. Subs: Bridcutt, Johnson, Reveillere, Graham, Coates, Mannone, Buckley. | Sunderland: Pantilimon; Jones, Vergini, O’Shea, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, Cattermole, Gomez, Defoe, Fletcher, Wickham. Subs: Bridcutt, Johnson, Reveillere, Graham, Coates, Mannone, Buckley. |
| Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, McArthur, Jedinak, Zaha, Puncheon, Bolasie, Murray. Subs: Hangeland, Sanogo, Hennessey, Gayle, Ameobi, Ledley, Kelly. | Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, McArthur, Jedinak, Zaha, Puncheon, Bolasie, Murray. Subs: Hangeland, Sanogo, Hennessey, Gayle, Ameobi, Ledley, Kelly. |
| Referee: Anthony Taylor | Referee: Anthony Taylor |
| West Brom v Leicester | West Brom v Leicester |
| West Brom: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt, Morrison, Fletcher, Yacob, Gardner, Ideye, Berahino. Subs: Wisdom, Olsson, Baird, Anichebe, McManaman, Sessegnon, Rose. | West Brom: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt, Morrison, Fletcher, Yacob, Gardner, Ideye, Berahino. Subs: Wisdom, Olsson, Baird, Anichebe, McManaman, Sessegnon, Rose. |
| Leicester: Schmeichel; De Laet, Morgan, Huth, Schlupp, Vardy, James, Cambiasso, Albrighton, Nugent, Ulloa. Subs: Konchesky, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Wasilewski, Schwarzer, Kramaric. | Leicester: Schmeichel; De Laet, Morgan, Huth, Schlupp, Vardy, James, Cambiasso, Albrighton, Nugent, Ulloa. Subs: Konchesky, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Wasilewski, Schwarzer, Kramaric. |
| Referee: Martin Atkinson | Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| West Ham v Stoke | West Ham v Stoke |
| West Ham: Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Song, Kouyate, Noble, Downing, Sakho, Valencia. Subs: Nolan, Jarvis, Nene, O’Brien, Amalfitano, Jaaskelainen, Cole. | West Ham: Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Song, Kouyate, Noble, Downing, Sakho, Valencia. Subs: Nolan, Jarvis, Nene, O’Brien, Amalfitano, Jaaskelainen, Cole. |
| Stoke: Begovic; Wilson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Cameron, Whelan, Adam, Nzonzi, Moses, Walters, Arnautovic. Subs: Bardsley, Pieters, Ireland, Diouf, Sidwell, Butland, Crouch. | Stoke: Begovic; Wilson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Cameron, Whelan, Adam, Nzonzi, Moses, Walters, Arnautovic. Subs: Bardsley, Pieters, Ireland, Diouf, Sidwell, Butland, Crouch. |
| Referee: Roger East | Referee: Roger East |
| Updated at 2.35pm BST | Updated at 2.35pm BST |
| 2.06pm BST14:06 | 2.06pm BST14:06 |
| Late goal at Derby! Darren Bent has stolen in at the far post to bring Derby level against Brentford in injury-time. It’s 1-1. | Late goal at Derby! Darren Bent has stolen in at the far post to bring Derby level against Brentford in injury-time. It’s 1-1. |
| 2.00pm BST14:00 | 2.00pm BST14:00 |
| Preamble | Preamble |
| Good afternoon everyone. And on a day absurdly overloaded with top-level sport, it almost feels like one of those rare occasions when football has to jostle a bit for a look-in. But there’s plenty of football action worth jostling for today, in our top four divisions and beyond. | Good afternoon everyone. And on a day absurdly overloaded with top-level sport, it almost feels like one of those rare occasions when football has to jostle a bit for a look-in. But there’s plenty of football action worth jostling for today, in our top four divisions and beyond. |
| Premier League: Tim Sherwood returns to the scene of his gilet-hurling histrionics last year when his new side Aston Villa visit Tottenham needing to build on their recent improvement to drag themselves further clear of trouble. Is he still bitter at his removal last summer? Who knows, but according to his former assistant Les Ferdinand there was a method to what some called his madness. He only went rogue once he knew he was on the way out, reckons Sir Les in this interview with David Hytner. Spurs have only a Thursday night Europa League slot to play for now, a predicament shared by Southampton. You’d fancy Ronald Koeman’s side to see off struggling Hull at St Mary’s though, even if the stakes may be higher for the fourth-bottom visitors. | Premier League: Tim Sherwood returns to the scene of his gilet-hurling histrionics last year when his new side Aston Villa visit Tottenham needing to build on their recent improvement to drag themselves further clear of trouble. Is he still bitter at his removal last summer? Who knows, but according to his former assistant Les Ferdinand there was a method to what some called his madness. He only went rogue once he knew he was on the way out, reckons Sir Les in this interview with David Hytner. Spurs have only a Thursday night Europa League slot to play for now, a predicament shared by Southampton. You’d fancy Ronald Koeman’s side to see off struggling Hull at St Mary’s though, even if the stakes may be higher for the fourth-bottom visitors. |
| An emotional afternoon is in prospect at the Hawthorns, where West Brom honour Jeff Astle by turning out in the kit in which their former striker scored the FA Cup final winner in 1968, as part of their campaign to raise awareness of the sort of head injuries from which Astle died, prolonged experience of heading footballs having contributed to the chronic traumatic encephalopathy which proved fatal. The Jeff Astle Foundation will be launched at today’s game against Leicester. | An emotional afternoon is in prospect at the Hawthorns, where West Brom honour Jeff Astle by turning out in the kit in which their former striker scored the FA Cup final winner in 1968, as part of their campaign to raise awareness of the sort of head injuries from which Astle died, prolonged experience of heading footballs having contributed to the chronic traumatic encephalopathy which proved fatal. The Jeff Astle Foundation will be launched at today’s game against Leicester. |
| Elsewhere, Alan Pardew is back in the north-east, with Crystal Palace at Sunderland, both sides buoyed by fine Easter victories, and West Ham and Stoke will battle like mad to make the coveted ninth spot their own. Intermittent speculation continues around Sam Allardyce’s future with the Hammers, speculation to which Barney Ronay has mischievously added with his musings on whether art-punk BoHo type Marcelo Bielsa might fit in at Upton Park/the Olympic Stadium. | Elsewhere, Alan Pardew is back in the north-east, with Crystal Palace at Sunderland, both sides buoyed by fine Easter victories, and West Ham and Stoke will battle like mad to make the coveted ninth spot their own. Intermittent speculation continues around Sam Allardyce’s future with the Hammers, speculation to which Barney Ronay has mischievously added with his musings on whether art-punk BoHo type Marcelo Bielsa might fit in at Upton Park/the Olympic Stadium. |
| Championship: If I had a penny for every time I’d heard someone – including myself – lazily muse that it’s “going to the wire” at the top of the second tier, I’d have five pounds sixty-three. Still, going to the wire it is, though the leaders Bournemouth laid down a considerable gauntlet (other sized gauntlets are also available) with their hard-earned 2-0 win at Brighton last night, when really lovely goals from Yann Kermorgant and Callum Wilson stretched the Cherries’ lead to four points. You’d expect hot pursuers Norwich to win at Bolton, and Middlesbrough to beat visitors Rotherham. While Derby and Brentford are slugging it out right now. Third-placed Watford will also be fancied to win at Millwall, though Neil Harris’s side need to win really to maintain slim hopes of avoiding the drop. | Championship: If I had a penny for every time I’d heard someone – including myself – lazily muse that it’s “going to the wire” at the top of the second tier, I’d have five pounds sixty-three. Still, going to the wire it is, though the leaders Bournemouth laid down a considerable gauntlet (other sized gauntlets are also available) with their hard-earned 2-0 win at Brighton last night, when really lovely goals from Yann Kermorgant and Callum Wilson stretched the Cherries’ lead to four points. You’d expect hot pursuers Norwich to win at Bolton, and Middlesbrough to beat visitors Rotherham. While Derby and Brentford are slugging it out right now. Third-placed Watford will also be fancied to win at Millwall, though Neil Harris’s side need to win really to maintain slim hopes of avoiding the drop. |
| League One: A huge day in the third tier, with the top two, Preston and Bristol City, meeting at Deepdale. City are pretty much up already, though a win for Preston would bring them a step closer to joining them, and leave the five or six teams below them duking it out for play-off positions. But it’s at the bottom where the real anxiety will be today, with three key six-pointers: improving Coventry take on improving (but still second-bottom) Colchester, fourth-bottom Crewe are at home to fifth-bottom Leyton Orient, and Scunthorpe and Crawley – both nervously hovering just above the drop zone – meet at Glanford Park. Only four points separate the nine teams between 15th and 23rd. You want tension? That’s tension. | League One: A huge day in the third tier, with the top two, Preston and Bristol City, meeting at Deepdale. City are pretty much up already, though a win for Preston would bring them a step closer to joining them, and leave the five or six teams below them duking it out for play-off positions. But it’s at the bottom where the real anxiety will be today, with three key six-pointers: improving Coventry take on improving (but still second-bottom) Colchester, fourth-bottom Crewe are at home to fifth-bottom Leyton Orient, and Scunthorpe and Crawley – both nervously hovering just above the drop zone – meet at Glanford Park. Only four points separate the nine teams between 15th and 23rd. You want tension? That’s tension. |
| League Two: Leaders Burton can smell, see and even perhaps touch, at a stretch, the third tier for the first time ever, but face a tricky match at Luton, who need a win to revive their play-off ambitions. Shrewsbury and Wycombe look like sealing the other two automatic spots, and both are at home today, against play-off chasing Exeter and bottom club Cheltenham respectively. And can Hartlepool continue their great escape, at also-imperilled York? Their manager, Ronnie Moore, is up for it, as he explains to Louise Taylor here. | League Two: Leaders Burton can smell, see and even perhaps touch, at a stretch, the third tier for the first time ever, but face a tricky match at Luton, who need a win to revive their play-off ambitions. Shrewsbury and Wycombe look like sealing the other two automatic spots, and both are at home today, against play-off chasing Exeter and bottom club Cheltenham respectively. And can Hartlepool continue their great escape, at also-imperilled York? Their manager, Ronnie Moore, is up for it, as he explains to Louise Taylor here. |
| Further afield, Real Madrid can close the gap to leaders Barcelona, for a few hours at least, if they beat Eibar at the Bernabéu, and we’ve got five Bundesliga matches kicking off at 2.30pm BST, including Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt. | Further afield, Real Madrid can close the gap to leaders Barcelona, for a few hours at least, if they beat Eibar at the Bernabéu, and we’ve got five Bundesliga matches kicking off at 2.30pm BST, including Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt. |
| Boat race? What boat race? There’s loads going on here. | Boat race? What boat race? There’s loads going on here. |