Southampton’s hopes of making it a four-way fight for automatic promotion took a huge hit after Cian Ashford’s stoppage-time strike consigned them to a 2-1 defeat at Cardiff.
Russell Martin’s side appeared to be on their way to a fourth successive win when Joe Aribo gave them a 12th-minute lead. But Cardiff hit back with an equaliser through Famara Diedhiou in the 68th minute and won it six minutes into added time when Ashford’s 30-yard strike was deflected past Alex McCarthy.
Stoke earned a crucial three points in their fight for survival with a crushing 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Plymouth. Ki-Jana Hoever and Million Manhoef gave the Potters a comfortable half-time lead and the substitute, Wouter Burger, swept home in stoppage time to seal all three points for Steven Schumacher’s team against his former side.
Marti Cifuentes said he would sleep soundly after QPR got the vital win they needed against Preston but warned his players not to ease up. Lyndon Dykes’ first-half goal secured a 1-0 victory that takes Rangers to 50 points, six above the relegation zone with matches against Leeds and Coventry to finish the season. Their superior goal difference means their Championship survival will be all but secured if second-bottom Sheffield Wednesday lose at Blackburn on Sunday.
Asked if he believes Saturday’s win will be enough to keep Rangers up, Cifuentes said: “I hope so. Right now it looks like a big step forward. But whatever happens in the next games, I think the kind of mindset – the winning culture we need in this club – means that we are going to try to keep winning until the end of the season.”
Quick GuideLeague One: Fleetwood and Port Vale relegated
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Derby will have to wait for the final weekend of the season to try to clinch promotion back to the Championship but Fleetwood and Port Vale have been relegated from League One.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s 39th-minute goal earned Derby a 1-0 victory at Cambridge but Bolton remain just about in touch, three points behind and with an inferior goal difference, after a 2-0 victory over Vale. That spelled the end of Port Vale’s two-year stay in the third tier, with Aaron Collins and Cameron Jerome scoring the goals in the last 20 minutes.
Fleetwood defeated Leyton Orient 1-0, Xavier Simons netting in injury time, but that was not enough to keep their hopes of survival alive because Burton held on to beat Reading 3-2. Cheltenham have two games left but are now five points behind Burton after losing 2-1 at home against playoff chasing Lincoln.
At the other end, Peterborough are also just about in the automatic promotion hunt, six points behind Derby with two games left, after a 2-0 victory at Bristol Rovers.
Champions Portsmouth suffered just their fifth league defeat of the season, going down 2-1 to Wigan, while Blackpool’s 3-2 victory over Barnsley made it a four-way fight for the final two playoff spots. Barnsley will be looking over their shoulders after failing to complete a comeback from three down, with Blackpool now only two points behind them.
Elsewhere, 10-man Exeter beat Northampton 2-1, in-form Wycombe won 3-1 at relegated Carlisle, and Charlton and Shrewsbury drew 1-1. PA Media
Huddersfield’s hopes of staying up took a blow as they were thrashed 4-0 by Swansea at the John Smith’s Stadium. Swansea hit the front in the 73rd minute through Jamal Lowe and that opened the floodgates as Ronald, Jerry Yates and Liam Walsh added further goals to leave Huddersfield two points adrift of the last safe spot.
Birmingham edged further clear of the Terriers with a 0-0 draw at relegated Rotherham in a match that was delayed for over 30 minutes due to a medical emergency in the crowd.
Borja Sainz’s equaliser for Norwich was not enough to seal their Championship playoff spot as they drew 1-1 with Bristol City following Haydon Roberts’ opener.
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Quick GuideLeague Two: Sutton on the brink
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Sutton’s three-year stay in the Football League looks certain to end after they were pegged back late on in a 2-2 draw with Crawley. Olly Sanderson’s 79th-minute goal seemed to have given Sutton a lifeline but Klaidi Lolos equalised in injury time to leave them three points adrift of safety with one game remaining and needing to overturn a seven-goal deficit to Colchester.
Colchester were beaten 1-0 by Notts County, Macaulay Langstaff scoring the goal, but they also have a game in hand. Doncaster’s storming finish to the season continued with a ninth straight win as they came from two down to defeat Barrow 4-2, Joe Ironside scoring twice.
Doncaster are now level on points with Crawley in a tense playoff fight and a point behind Barrow, while Walsall remain in the hunt despite losing 3-2 to 10-man Bradford. They were two up inside 16 minutes through Ryan Stirk and Modou Faal but Andy Cook quickly pulled one back and Jamie Walker then scored twice for Bradford before being dismissed.
Crewe in fifth are also not yet assured of their playoff place after losing 3-0 to promoted Wrexham. MK Dons, the only side definitely in the playoffs, had an eventful afternoon, coming from behind twice to beat Harrogate 5-3.
Kyle Wootton scored twice as champions Stockport beat Accrington 4-2 while fellow promoted side Mansfield were 2-1 winners over Gillingham after late goals from Davis Keillor-Dunn and Stephen McLaughlin.
Already relegated Forest Green won 2-1 at Morecambe, Tranmere prevailed 3-2 against 10-man AFC Wimbledon, Grimsby beat Swindon 2-0 to guarantee their safety and Salford won 1-0 at Newport. PA Media
The former Sunderland striker Duncan Watmore scored against his old side to edge Millwall further away from the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light while Hull missed the chance to close the gap on the playoffs as they drew 0-0 with Watford.