Playoffs and relegation has been confirmed on the final day of 23/24 League Two season and what a dramatic day it ended up being.
We knew going into the afternoon that Doncaster Rovers, Crewe Alexandra and Barrow occupied the remaining three spots, but Crawley Town, Bradford City and Walsall remained in the hunt.
If Colchester United picked up a point in their final day fixture at home to Crewe, Sutton United would be relegated.
Determining league positions
There is a scenario by which Colchester and Sutton could potentially finish the regular season level on points, goal difference and goals scored.
As things stand Colchester sit in 22nd on 44 points, three points and one place above Sutton United. However, if Colchester were to lose 1-0 against Crewe Alexandra on the final day, and Sutton were to win 3-0 against MK Dons, the two teams would be level on points, goal difference and goals scored, as well as a tied head-to-head record.
If these results were to occur, then, as per the EFL Regulations, the final relegation place would be decided by the number of wins recorded across the campaign. Because Colchester United have won 11 games compared to the nine of Sutton United, Sutton would be relegated.
However, in the hypothetical event that both teams were level on wins as well as all previously mentioned factors, the next deciding factor would be the number of goals scored in away games.
If Clubs were still level, the provisions of Regulation 9.4 would come into play, which states that the highest placed Club would be the one which has accumulated the lowest total number of penalty points during a season, before looking at the lowest number of sending off offences.
If none of the above procedures were to separate the Clubs, a play-off decider would take place under arrangements determined by the League.
How did it play out?
GOAL: Accrington 0-1 Tranmere
Luke Norris (2 mins)
GOAL: MK Dons 1-0 Sutton
Jack Payne (14 mins)
GOAL: Barrow 0-1 Mansfield
George Maris (17 mins)
GOAL: Crawley 1-0 Grimsby
Danilo Orsi (24 mins)
Crawley into the play-off spots.
GOAL: Gillingham 0-1 Doncaster
Joe Ironside (30 mins)
Doncaster need to avoid defeat to get in the play-offs but are on track for a club record 11th straight win.
GOAL: Colchester 1-0 Crewe
Noah Chilvers (35 mins)
GOAL: Crawley 2-0 Grimsby
Klaidi Lolos (34 mins)
GOAL: Gillingham 0-2 Doncaster
Luke Molyneaux (37 mins)
GOAL: Bradford 1-0 Newport
Calum Kavanagh (44 mins)
GOAL: Bradford 2-0 Newport
Andy Cook (45 mins)
HALF TIME SCORES
HT Accrington Stanley 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
HT AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Walsall
HT Barrow 0-1 Mansfield Town
HT Bradford City 2-0 Newport County
HT Colchester United 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
HT Crawley Town 2-0 Grimsby Town
HT Forest Green Rovers 0-0 Notts County
HT Gillingham 0-2 Doncaster Rovers
HT Milton Keynes Dons 2-0 Sutton United
HT Salford City 2-2 Harrogate Town
HT Swindon Town 2-2 Morecambe
HT Wrexham 0-1 Stockport County
Crawley climb into the playoff places as Barrow tumble out. Doncaster tighten their grip on the playoffs, but Crewe are hanging on. Mansfield are set to clinch second spot.
Sutton needed a favour elsewhere to stay up but now need a miracle. Colchester needed a point to avoid the drop, while Sutton are losing at MK Dons.
GOAL: MK Dons 2-1 Sutton
Stephen Duke-McKenna (50 mins)
GOAL: Barrow 1-1 Mansfield
Kian Spence (58 mins)
GOAL: Gillingham 1-2 Doncaster
Timothee Dieng (57 mins)
Doncaster keeper Thimothée Lo-Tutala red carded for handling a long pount from his opposite number outside the box, Lewis Jones comes on and concedes with Timothee Dieng scoring a brilliant free-kick into the top corner.
GOAL: Bradford 3-0 Newport
Bobby Pointon (57 mins)
GOAL: MK Dons 3-1 Sutton
Emre Tezgel (60 mins)
GOAL: MK Dons 3-2 Sutton
Charlie Lakin (62 mins)
DISALLOWED GOAL
MK Dons 3-2 Sutton
Jack Payne’s shot from the edge of the box gets blocked but breaks to Emre Tezgel, he thought he scored for the second time in this game but is denied by the offside flag.
GOAL: Gillingham 2-2 Doncaster
Conor Masterton (63 mins)
GOAL: Bradford 3-1 Newport
Harry Charsley (65 mins)
GOAL: MK Dons 4-2 Sutton
Ellis Harrison (70 mins)
GOAL: MK Dons 4-3 Sutton
Stephen Duke-McKenna (75 mins)
DISALLOWED GOAL
MK Dons 4-3 Sutton
Sutton thought they had made it 4-4 but it’s ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
GOAL: Colchester 1-1 Crewe
Elliot Nevitt (90+2)
GOAL: MK Dons 4-4 Sutton
Harry Smith (90+1 mins)
Sutton United have gone down with their heads held high, drawing 4-4, but Sutton’s three-year stay in the Football League is at an end.
PLAYOFFS:
Semi-final first legs
Crawley vs MK Dons (3pm) – Monday May 6
Crewe vs Doncaster (5.30pm) – Monday May 6
Semi-final second legs
MK Dons vs Crawley (8pm) – Thursday May 9
Doncaster vs Crewe (8pm) – Friday May 10
Final
Sunday May 19 (1pm)
FT Accrington Stanley (1) 4-1 (1) Tranmere Rovers
FT AFC Wimbledon (2) 5-1 (1) Walsall
FT Barrow (0) 1-1 (1) Mansfield Town
FT Bradford City (2) 4-1 (0) Newport County
FT Colchester United (1) 1-1 (0) Crewe Alexandra
FT Crawley Town (2) 2-0 (0) Grimsby Town
FT Forest Green Rovers (0) 1-0 (0) Notts County
FT Gillingham (0) 2-2 (2) Doncaster Rovers
FT Milton Keynes Dons (2) 4-4 (0) Sutton United
FT Salford City (2) 2-2 (2) Harrogate Town
FT Swindon Town (2) 3-3 (2) Morecambe
FT Wrexham (0) 2-1 (1) Stockport County
Sutton have been relegated to the National League despite a hard-fought 4-4 draw against MK Dons on the final day of the League Two season ???? pic.twitter.com/pslCj0aThm
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 27, 2024
SCENES, PURE SCENES.
CREWE ALEXANDRA SECURE PLAYOFFS.
GET IN!!!! #CreweAlex pic.twitter.com/OulV5WZ3Y2
— Tyler Birtles (@TylerBirtles) April 27, 2024
The run is over but these lot don’t care. Rovers are heading for the play-offs #drfc pic.twitter.com/5BP66wXlVh
— Ricky Charlesworth (@Ricky_C90) April 27, 2024
Scenes at Crawley! pic.twitter.com/2irA3RhwfQ
— Jonathan Beales (@Jonathanbeales) April 27, 2024
Play-offs secured. ✔️
pic.twitter.com/4MTNId6NEq— CrawleyTownVids (@CrawleyTownVids) April 27, 2024
