Leeds United started the week with Pascal Struijk’s 95th winner seeing off Sunderland 2-1. This meant they returned to the top of the Championship ahead of their clash with second place Sheffield United on 24th February.
Burnley thrashed playoff chasing Sheffield Wednesday 4-0, extending their run of consecutive clean sheets with 12, and matching the Championship record of clean sheets in a season with 25. This win meant the Clarets moved to within 2 points of the automatic promotion places, ensuring they are firmly in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League.
Bristol City temporarily sent themselves into the play off places with a 2-1 victory against an out of form Middlesbrough side. They were quickly displaced, as West Brom beat Oxford United 2-0. Coventry City beat Preston North End to continue their good form of three straight league wins and stay in contention, whilst Norwich City were impressive in their 4-2 win over Stoke City to temporarily rise up to 9th, before Watford replaced them by beating Luton Town.
Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town played out a 1-1 draw in a crucial game at the bottom of the table. Argyle followed that point up with another draw, this time against Cardiff City, whilst Luton lost 2-0 against rivals Watford. This means that both sides are firmly in the bottom 3, with Luton 5 and Plymouth 3 points adrift of safety and 21st place Cardiff, and both sides having played a game more than the Bluebirds.
Other key results in the relegation battle saw Hull City surprise playoff chasing Sunderland by beating them 1-0, and Millwall beat Derby County 1-0 thanks to a Josh Coburn goal at the death to leave the Rams in the bottom 3. Portsmouth beat QPR 2-1, whilst Swansea City took to life after sacking Luke Williams by battering Blackburn Rovers 3-0. These results enhance the pressure on Stoke and Oxford, who lost at Norwich and West Brom respectively.
League 1
In midweek 2nd place Wycombe Wanderers returned to winning ways by beating Bristol Rovers 2-0. They opened up a 5 point gap above the playoff places as Wrexham in third lost 2-1 at home to Leyton Orient.
Burton Albion continued their climb towards safety by winning 1-0 at Stevenage, leaving them only 2 points behind Peterborough in 20th, and Huddersfield Town beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 thanks to a late Josh Koroma goal to continue their play off charge, and push their opponents further into relegation trouble. In a midtable clash, Lincoln City thrashed Mansfield 3-0.
Birmingham City started the weekend off by being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw with a Reading side who are unbeaten in their past five. Promotion rivals Wycombe also drew 0-0 with Wigan Athletic. These results granted Wrexham with the opportunity to make up ground over their rivals, which they took with their 2-1 win against a Mansfield side who haven't won in their last 9 league games. This leaves the Red Dragons 3 points behind Wycombe in the final automatic promotion spot with 14 matches still to play, keeping the promotion race wide open.
Bolton Wanderers took a huge leap in the playoff race by defeating fellow contenders Leyton Orient 2-1. 4th placed Stockport, 5th placed Huddersfield and 6th placed Orient all lost, allowing Bolton and Charlton, who beat Exeter City 3-0, to gain ground on their rivals.
In a battle between two sides who have had disappointing campaigns so far, Barnsley beat midtable rivals Rotherham United 1-0 in their Yorkshire derby.
In the relegation battle, bottom of the league Cambridge United surprisingly beat 4th placed Stockport County 2-0 after reappointing Neil Harris as manager earlier in the week. Crawley Town and Shrewsbury lost to Blackpool and Stevenage respectively, but Burton Albion won 1-0 at Lincoln City.
That win increases the pressure on the teams above them, outside of the relegation zone. Peterborough United won 1-0 against Huddersfield to keep themselves above the dotted line, and Northampton relieved some of the pressure on themselves by beating relegation rivals Bristol Rovers 2-1. These results leave Burton two points behind Peterborough, and only three behind Bristol Rovers and Exeter City.
League 2
In midweek, promotion chasing Doncaster Rovers beat relegation threatened Morecambe 1-0, whilst rivals Notts County and AFC Wimbledon lost ground as they had disappointing draws against Colchester United and Fleetwood Town respectively.
Leaders Walsall started the weekend by defeating relegation threatened Morecambe 2-0 as goals from Taylor Allen and Jamie Jellis maintained their 8 point lead at the top of the table.
In the chasing pack, Doncaster Rovers, Notts County and Port Vale all won 2-1 against Accrington Stanley, Tranmere Rovers and Salford City respectively. Bradford City won 2-0 against MK Dons thanks to an Antoni Sarcevic brace, but AFC Wimbledon lost ground with their second draw of the week, this time 1-1 against Colchester. The Dons remain third, but only 3 points separate second and sixth in a chaotic race to secure promotion.
Crewe Alexandra resumed their play off push and earned their first win in 7 by thrashing Barrow 3-0 at home. Grimsby Town kept the pressure on by beating Fleetwood 2-1 for their 4th win in a row, and Bromley kept up their impressive debut campaign in the football league by beating Harrogate Town 2-0 to move 7 points behind the playoffs with a game in hand.
In mid table, Ian Holloway's resurgent Swindon side continued to climb up the table to 15th by beating Chesterfield 1-0 for a 5th win in their last 7, whilst Cheltenham Town earned an impressive 3-0 at Newport County to see themselves up to 11th.
Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United secured a 0-0 draw with Gillingham, extending their scoreless run to 3 games. That point means that they gain ground on their rivals though, as Morecambe, Tranmere and Accrington Stanley all lost to promotion chasing sides.
EFL Trophy
Birmingham City secured their place in the final of the Vertu Trophy by beating Bradford City 2-1.
Lyndon Dykes’ late strike was enough for the League One leaders to secure their place at Wembley, after Bobby Pointon had cancelled out Jay Stansfield's opener. The Blues will play either Wrexham or Peterborough United in that final, with the second semi final being played on 26th February
