THERE IS NOT one team among the top seven in League One who know their destiny going into the final day of the season tomorrow.
That means there are a handful of Irish stars whose futures are up in the air.
The two automatic promotion places are within touching distance for Wigan Athletic (89 points) and second-placed Rotherham United (87), yet either of them could still drop into the play-offs and be usurped by MK Dons only slightly adrift in third on 86 points.
That three-point gap between first and third should feel sufficient for Wigan to have a sense of comfort in their final game away to Shrewsbury Town, yet their form during the run-in has been appalling.
In tandem with James McClean’s knee injury which has ruled him out until the summer, the Latics have managed just three points from their last five games and threw away a 2-0 lead away to Portsmouth in midweek (Will Keane got on the score sheet) to lose 3-2 and keep the race alive.
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A draw at Shrewsbury — who are 17th, winless in five and have nothing to play for — will be enough for promotion.
Yet anything other than a win would allow the Irish crew at Rotherham – Chiedozie Ogbene, JJ Kayode and Georgie Kelly – be crowned champions should they take three points at the home of relegation-threatened Gillingham, the on-loan Conor Masterson in their ranks.
They go into the weekend in the drop zone but know should they better Fleetwood Town’s result, they will leapfrog a side that contains former internationals Anthony Pilkington and Kieran O’Hara.
Morecambe, with captain Anthony O’Connor, former Dundalk winger Dylan Connolly, and Shane McLoughlin are not quite sure of safety either, but a win at home to fifth-placed Sunderland will guarantee their third-tier status regardless of what those two sides below achieve.
The Black Cats come to town in somewhat buoyant fashion having snatched an 88th-minute draw with Rotherham in front of their own fans on Tuesday night.
Aiden McGeady has been a peripheral figure at the Stadium of Light this season due to injury, yet among the four sides in the play-off places, only MK Dons knows for sure that they will at least feature in the series.
PA
PA
Troy Parrott scored three times this month for Dons to maintain the pace, ably supported by the impressive Conor Coventry in midfield and centre back Warren O’Hora, and with 86 points in the bag, they cannot drop below sixth.
They are only looking up to try and take advantage of a slip above them, and if Rotherham fail to win, MK could even be crowned champions in dramatic fashion should Wigan also lose and a swing of seven goals go in their favour.
MK’s decider is with another play-off hopeful, Plymouth Argyle, and the situation with the sixth-placed side on 80 points is just one example of how tight the margins are.
They only occupy the final spot on goal difference above Daryl Horgan’s Wycombe Wanderers. They are just two goals better off, though, and Wycombe will be aiming to make light work of a Burton Albion side already on their holidays in the bottom half.
They will then hope that’s enough provided one of the three sides immediately above them drops points.
Sheffield Wednesday (at home to Gavin Bazunu and Aiden O’Brien’s mid-table Portsmouth), Sunderland and Plymouth are separated on 82, 81 and 80 points respectively, and all have identical goal difference of +25.
The possibilities are endless on a final-day rollercoaster.
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From Ogbene to Parrott, Ireland's stars primed for final-day rollercoaster
THERE IS NOT one team among the top seven in League One who know their destiny going into the final day of the season tomorrow.
That means there are a handful of Irish stars whose futures are up in the air.
The two automatic promotion places are within touching distance for Wigan Athletic (89 points) and second-placed Rotherham United (87), yet either of them could still drop into the play-offs and be usurped by MK Dons only slightly adrift in third on 86 points.
That three-point gap between first and third should feel sufficient for Wigan to have a sense of comfort in their final game away to Shrewsbury Town, yet their form during the run-in has been appalling.
In tandem with James McClean’s knee injury which has ruled him out until the summer, the Latics have managed just three points from their last five games and threw away a 2-0 lead away to Portsmouth in midweek (Will Keane got on the score sheet) to lose 3-2 and keep the race alive.
A draw at Shrewsbury — who are 17th, winless in five and have nothing to play for — will be enough for promotion.
They go into the weekend in the drop zone but know should they better Fleetwood Town’s result, they will leapfrog a side that contains former internationals Anthony Pilkington and Kieran O’Hara.
Morecambe, with captain Anthony O’Connor, former Dundalk winger Dylan Connolly, and Shane McLoughlin are not quite sure of safety either, but a win at home to fifth-placed Sunderland will guarantee their third-tier status regardless of what those two sides below achieve.
The Black Cats come to town in somewhat buoyant fashion having snatched an 88th-minute draw with Rotherham in front of their own fans on Tuesday night.
Aiden McGeady has been a peripheral figure at the Stadium of Light this season due to injury, yet among the four sides in the play-off places, only MK Dons knows for sure that they will at least feature in the series.
Troy Parrott scored three times this month for Dons to maintain the pace, ably supported by the impressive Conor Coventry in midfield and centre back Warren O’Hora, and with 86 points in the bag, they cannot drop below sixth.
They are only looking up to try and take advantage of a slip above them, and if Rotherham fail to win, MK could even be crowned champions in dramatic fashion should Wigan also lose and a swing of seven goals go in their favour.
They only occupy the final spot on goal difference above Daryl Horgan’s Wycombe Wanderers. They are just two goals better off, though, and Wycombe will be aiming to make light work of a Burton Albion side already on their holidays in the bottom half.
They will then hope that’s enough provided one of the three sides immediately above them drops points.
Sheffield Wednesday (at home to Gavin Bazunu and Aiden O’Brien’s mid-table Portsmouth), Sunderland and Plymouth are separated on 82, 81 and 80 points respectively, and all have identical goal difference of +25.
The possibilities are endless on a final-day rollercoaster.
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Chiedozie Ogbene James McClean League One squekybumtime Troy Parrott