EFL Extra: Who has got the Play Off momentum?

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0:36Hello and welcome to The Game, a football podcast from The Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra show, normally bringing you action every two weeks, but there's so much to talk about in the Football League that we're back with a third episode in the space of three weeks. I'm Tom Clark and joining me as always, we have the former Football League legend Gregor Robertson. And we'll be looking at the championship, League One and League Two. Gregor, I said there's so much to talk about. Let's start in the championship because in terms of talking points, they aren't any bigger than Southampton at the moment.

1:08It was only a week ago on this EFL Extra show that I said to you, could they? Could they really charge and take that second automatic promotion place? It's very, very tight now. Results in the last week mean that it's Ipswich in second on 75 points, Millwall in third on 73. and just behind them now Southampton on 72 points level with Middlesbrough who just keep plummeting out of that automatic contention. Hull making up the sixth place in the table at the moment on 68 ahead of Wrexham. How are you seeing it Gregor? You will I'm sure mention of course that Ipswich do still have that game in hand but I was on the editing floor last night on the Times Sports Desk and I was I know you say you can't watch all games at once Tom but I was keeping an eye on Ipswich against Portsmouth.

1:54Portsmouth, a brilliant win for them, will come on to the relegation scrap very shortly. But Ipswich, they were really struggling in this game. They looked like they didn't fancy the physical battle that Portsmouth presented. And it's all about momentum at this stage in the season, isn't it? And Southampton really have it.

2:08Gregor Robertson: They certainly do. I mean, they did something vaguely similar in the year they went up under Russell Martin, I think it was 2024. But just kind of came up short in the end. But that was because both Leeds and Burnley were so relentless. And the thing is, everyone around them is now stuttering. I mean, Middlesbrough haven't won in six. Millwall have drawn and lost in the last two games. They've only won one of the last five. And as you say, you thought that kind of statement victory, as Kieran McKenna described it, in the derby against Norwich at the weekend was the kind of moment where they still had their games in hand and they moved into second.

2:48Gregor Robertson: You thought, OK, maybe this is it. It looks ominous now. And then, yeah, as you say, Portsmouth thoroughly deserved that win. So Southampton, it's just remarkable. It's 18 games unbeaten now in all competitions. They've won six in a row in the league. You've got to think that after beating Arsenal 10 days ago, then they had huge games against Wrexham and Derby in the space of the next seven days and just swept them aside. Absolutely swatted aside Wrexham. Really, really pretty convincing win against Derby, even though they came from behind and then this game 3-0 against Blackburn on Tuesday night they just, Tonda Eckhart has also just got this capacity to rotate his team, his squad and they're still steamroller teams I mean, they were missing Fenerzaz in this game who I think got a knock against Darby he's got more goals and assists than any other player in the Championship over the last two seasons.

3:46Gregor Robertson: They brought in Cameron Archer who's mainly been used from the bench, he was brilliant in this game. They're still able to leave Leo Sienzo on the bench who's turned into one of the best players in the division rested Flynn Downs and Yander in midfield, brought in Shea Charles and Matsuki everywhere you look they've got so many options and Kyle Lahren is another who's just, you know, they signed him from Mallorca in January really experienced Canada striker and he's so powerful you see him being released in behind and it's just like an absolute steam train bearing down on goal he was brilliant against Wrexham the other week scored in this game six goals now since his arrival that also means they can rest Ross Stewart so he's obviously had lots of injury trouble so it looks really ominous and yes I will say it again they play Ipswich on the penultimate day that has the makings of an absolute cracker yeah and you should say as well they're now second you mentioned some of the goal scoring ability they've got and the strength of this squad second highest scorers in the league behind Coventry.

4:48Coventry, of course, drawing at the weekend just to pause and wait for that promotion party to be confirmed. They conceal it on Friday night against Blackburn and are running away with the title as well. In terms of Ipswich then, is this little stumble just that or can it derail you at this stage in the season? Because you do start to look at the other teams and you think Millwall, speaking of goals, only scored 56 goals this season. By comparison, Ipswich have got 71, Southampton 73, Brie, Middlesbrough, Kim Helberg talked about, I need to solve this bad form that we're in at the moment. But, I mean, it's a nightmare for them, isn't it, in terms of whether even consider automatic promotion now.

5:28They're still only three points behind, but you'd be saying going into the playoffs that it's terrible form. I think Hull, City, I've mentioned this before, just kind of happy to be up there and in contention. You know, they're really punching above their weight. Wrexham would ideally like to be in that sixth playoff spot. I ask this all the time, but how much does momentum and confidence, because Southampton are absolutely full of it at the minute, as you mentioned there as well, beating Arsenal in an FA Cup semi-final. It just all points to them being the form team, doesn't it, in terms of these big games, whether it's a big game or team against teams down the bottom.

6:05It's so vital, isn't it?

6:06Gregor Robertson: Absolutely. And it can all change so quickly. we remember the way we were talking about Middlesbrough not so long ago and they lose Hayden Hackney suddenly they struggle in front of goal they just kind of lost that goal scoring touch and now actually it seems to have shifted a bit further and they're not even playing as well as they used to they were actually playing well, they just couldn't score goals now they're not really playing very well either so they've lost all their momentum Epswich now they've got Middlesbrough at home at the weekend and then they've got three consecutive away games.

6:40Gregor Robertson: Charlton aren't 100 % safe. They could be by then, but they're not yet. Then West Brom, who we're going to come on to talk about, have got this potential points deduction now hovering over them. And then Southampton away. So that's not an easy run at all. They finish with QPR on the final day. And the thing with Ipswich is they've always, throughout the whole season, we've kind of said the same thing about them. They've threatened to blossom. They've got, I don't know how many times have we said, they've got the best squad in the division. Southampton are kind of pushing them close, but I think they still have the best squad in the division.

7:20Gregor Robertson: When they beat Norwich, it was the first time they'd won at Carroll Road in the league for 20 years. It felt like McKenna, as I said, described it as a statement victory. And then they followed it up with a really, they kind of were bullied by Portsmouth when crosses were thrown at the box. They just don't inspire any confidence. And, you know, it's also, interestingly, though, just kind of giving the teams around them an opportunity. Like Millwall, as I said, have stuttered, but they've still got hope. And Millwall's running is quite favourable. QPR and Stoke, who are both really on the beach in the next couple of games.

8:00Gregor Robertson: So, yeah, really, really exciting finishing. store but Southampton undoubtedly are the are the team with all the momentum yeah just speaking about outside influences as well and things like momentum we'll speak about it on the regular show I'm sure but Andoni Iriola confirming that he will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season obviously attention immediately turns to both where he will go but also who Bournemouth will appoint and this is where for championship clubs and throughout the pyramid at this stage in the season just when you want your team to be focusing on getting over the finishing line in any respect.

8:33The vultures start circling, us pesky journalists in the media start talking up your manager maybe to leave the club. Frank Lampard at Coventry and Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, two names that have been linked with the Bournemouth job in the early stages. Obviously, I'm not asking you to comment on whether they'd be good or not for this job, but just in terms of distractions, Coventry basically over the line, as I've already said. But for Kieran McKenna and Ipswich, you know, I was speaking to the reporter who was at the ground last night and after a 2-0 defeat against Portsmouth bit worrying you then have to come and answer questions about whether you're going to stay at the club do you fancy Bournemouth all this kind of stuff does that play a little bit of a part as well a little bit of a distraction?

9:11Gregor Robertson: I wouldn't say too much because as you said Coventry are basically there Ipswich I think they've dealt with this throughout Kieran McKenna's tenure really he's been linked with far bigger jobs than Bournemouth what is clear is his sort of relationship and the dynamic between McKenna and Ipswich has changed since their last promotion, as I said in the piece I kind of wrote the preview before Easter weekend, there's been this sort of slight sense of unease at Portman Road for much of the season and they've kind of laboured to keep up with the expectation levels because the last time they were promoted there were such, there were like these insurgents that came back to back promotions there was absolute euphoria around the place it's been nothing like that this season spent a lot of money they sort of managed to keep hold of their best players largely apart from De Lapp and there was an expectation that they would absolutely run away with the league we called them as league winners I think at the start of the season and it's just not worked out that way what I will say is you know we've also in for months and months been talking about how this is a kind of a season of unlikely challengers and Coventry were unlikely but what we are talking about now at the end is Ipswich and Southampton two relegated clubs duking it out for second and as I say so many times unless you're pretty dumb money usually tells in the end and like Southampton I'm not saying Southampton were dumb but the Will Still thing did not work out at all and this is not playing down what Tonda Eckhart has achieved he took over when they were 21st in the league in November and the run has been incredible but he had a remarkable squad at his disposal by championship standards.

10:56Gregor Robertson: The same is true of Kieran McKenna and money is showing. Yeah, absolutely. Just the final thing on the top half of the championship table, proof I've said it many times recently, do not put any bets on the EFL, any of the action. Don't think you know anything that's about to happen because Southampton's victory and indeed their wins, their only team in the top 12 to win their last game, Southampton all the other teams in the top 12 either losing or drawing their most recent fixture just shows you anything can happen all bets are officially off now let's talk about the bottom of the table we've mentioned a couple of teams down there Portsmouth winning their last two games as well in further proof to that theory and let's talk about West Brom though getting a good draw with Millwall on Friday night a really tight game this one chances for both sides to win it but it's off the pitch that West Brom fans are worried.

11:49News this week on the Times website that they face a potential points deduction for financial rule breaches. They're just two points above the relegation zone in the Championship, reportedly hoping to defer any punishment until next season. This is just another mad, mad moment in what has been a bit of a circus of a season for West Bromwich Albion Greger. middle of April James Morrison in charge hoping to battle against potentially dropping into League One and then oh along come the EFL with a potential profit and sustainability rules breach in terms of off-field distractions never mind your manager being linked with another job this is a real disaster isn't it?

12:28Gregor Robertson: It sure is yeah I mean also because of the sort of context it does feel like West Brom have cut their cloth accordingly after the overspending of the past and actually Bill Cool the ownership group who I think came in 2024 inherited a mess so anything that any breach is going to be about their response to what they inherited rather than actually trying to gain a competitive advantage by ploughing loads of money into the team they let loads of players go in the summer The only fee I think they spent was for Hagem, was like half a million. It sounds like it's a minuscule overspend by, you know, by championship standards.

13:16Gregor Robertson: It's like possibly a million pound even. Yeah, exactly. 1.1 million is what the football finance expert, Kieran Maguire, calculated as. To which, you know, again, we talk about this so often, don't we? You know, a loss of 42 million, you're 1.1 million over. You know, in any other walk of life, you'd be scandalised by that but in football standards not too bad I was speaking to a pal of mine who's a West Brom fan and he was saying that amongst fans there's a bit of chatter, well we might as well have just blown it out of the water and had a much better team and we'd be in mid-table and take a 6 or 9 point deduction and we'd still be in a better position than we are now Look, the most pressing matter is that there's not enough time for due process there's only 4 games left there's the possibility that it's being raised because of what the EFL rules state it should be a punishment handed out in this season but because we're so close to the end of the season I think you've got 28 days before a hearing has to be heard it takes you beyond the end of the season so there's a possibility that if a points deduction is handed down, it's after the end of the season then it completely decimates the integrity of the league the end of the season because they don't know what they need other teams around them don't know what they need so it opens up a whole can of worms and also then if you zoom out for a moment the idea that Sheffield Wednesday go down with a points deduction, Leicester go down with a points deduction and potentially West Brom go down with a points deduction would be a disaster for the Championship because it kind of felt over a period of a number of years that the EFL bearing its teeth had kind of done enough to stop this and it feels like the sort of inflationary drag of trying to compete with teams who have parachute payments, others who have kind of scraped around to try and circumnavigate the rules by selling their stadium or doing this, that and the other.

15:15Gregor Robertson: The championship looks like a bit of a precarious landscape again. And that's not what anyone wants. Yeah, a huge talking point in the coming weeks. I'm sure West Brom fans nervously waiting any announcements about that. You mentioned so many of the teams down there in terms of results on the pitch. Sheffield Wednesday getting an amazing draw with Coventry, but they are already down, of course, and still sitting on minus four points. But Leicester losing at home to Swansea. Oxford winning just above them. West Brom drawing, as I said. Blackburn losing, and then you've got Portsmouth just above there.

15:48Charlton, you mentioned, roughly safe, basically safe, but they'll still be nervously looking over their shoulder. How are you seeing it now? I mean, that Leicester result, we talked about it last week, even before this game that you thought they'd missed some opportunities to pick up some points. Losing this game at home and the manner in which they did it, I don't know if you saw their goal or if listeners have clocked the Leicester, the Swansea goal from a Leicester corner, a counter-attack. Zan Vipotnik, who is the top scorer in the Championship this season, he's having an amazing season for Swansea, 21 goals in 40 games.

16:20But a disaster for Leicester and nothing sums up their season than this goal. you know a short corner routine that goes disastrously and Swansea storm up the other end and score it really is starting to look worrying for Leicester isn't it yeah umg's

16:35Gregor Robertson: song just kind of sprinted from his own box almost unchallenged like it was almost like everyone was waiting for someone else to do something about about this breakaway then he teed up Vipotnik it was yeah that's and Gary Rowe was pulling his hair afterwards so we just conceded so many stupid goals this season you've got to say now at this point, Leicester would be 20th even without the points deduction and these were opportunities they had games, winnable games over Easter weekend Swansea and then now they've got Portsmouth this weekend that's huge, absolutely huge and after that they face Hull and Millwall who have still got a lot to play for and then Blackburn on the final day I would imagine will be safe by then but you never know so it's looking pretty precarious for Leicester West Brom might give them a flash of hope but Oxford above them have taken 15 points from the last 8 games now only defeating that period was against Southampton, they've really found some spirit and some form and then as you say Portsmouth if you think about going into time added on at the weekend at the Riverside they were about to fall into the bottom three Conor Chaplin scores a 97th minute winner and then they beat the Ipswich who looked like they were home and hoes for second place so like this is it it's how quickly it can change the only team who don't look like they've got anything really any spirit, any likelihood of finding something somewhere is Leicester Yeah, worrying times for Leicester City you keep reminding me about this but in terms of narrative 10 years on since they won that amazing Premier League title.

18:20It would be a remarkable thing to see them drop into the third tier. We'll be covering the rest of the Championship action and keep the analysis coming in the coming weeks. But it's time for a quick break. We're going to look at League One and League Two next. Stay with us. We'll see you in a second.

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19:19welcome back to the game football podcast from the times and sunday times this is our efl extra show with me tom clark and the former football league defender gregor robertson let's move into league one gregor lincoln city top of the table they can be confirmed as champions this weekend against stevenage less said about that the better we are taught i don't know if i mentioned it we're promoted did you know did you know did you know yeah yeah you're doing quite well not lost a game for a while yeah quite a few points clear uh we can be confirmed as champions this weekend that was after a couple of big games in midweek last night cardiff drawing with huddersfield they are still in second nine points clear of bolton wanderers in third cardiff will be hoping to secure that second automatic promotion spot in the coming days gregor how are we looking at the playoff picture below them because bolton losing to cardiff at the weekend then following up with The big win against Stevenage last night, 5-1 winners against them, probably kind of showing that even though there's only a small gap between those teams in the playoff picture in terms of maybe quality sometimes, Bolton really are one of the strongest sides as we've discussed this season.

20:28But it is still really tight, Huddersfield and Plymouth, they've dropped points recently. Reading had been on a good run but have lost their last two. Luton as well winning the EFL trophy at the weekend. And how are we looking at the playoff picture? Because that probably is where it's at at the minute, isn't it? It's about a battle for those four playoff spots at the top of League One.

20:46Gregor Robertson: Yeah, it's still pretty tight. Luton, as you say, got a couple of games in hand over. Some teams above them are in really good form at the moment, actually. Huddersfield have had an absolutely dramatic few days. I mean, the 3-3 draw against Wickham at the weekend was remarkable. It was another game where after we spoke about Salford against Notts County the other week with all the goals coming, three goals coming after the 90th minute the same thing happened in this game Connor Taylor made it 2-2 in the 90th minute for Wickham Marcus Harness made it 3-2 in the 96th and then Nathan Lowe headed in a 101st minute equaliser for Wickham and Huddersfield's players just absolutely crumpled in a heap on the turf and then the same thing happened against Cardiff on Tuesday night an eerily similar sort of back post header in time added on cost them another two points so it could have been so different for them over the last few days and then Stevenage ground a really gutsy 1-0 win against Bradford at the weekend goalkeeper Philip Marshall made some incredible saves and then had a man sent off against Bolton and were thrashed but they still hold the advantage, got a four point gap over Huddershield in seventh and in Bolton although Stephens were down to ten men the return of Mario Kozi-Oduberi was the big news from this one because he's been out for about three months with a knee injury winger on loan from Brighton who's too good for League One he scored a brace in this game absolutely on fire like his return could not have come at a better time for Bolton Wanderers and actually you know, we've said it so often like one lone player can transform a season, like often two or three very much can but even one can and Kozy Udubri potentially falls into that category so a big return for Bolton there.

22:49Gregor Robertson: How do I see it? I don't know I think Stevenage obviously play Lincoln at the weekend they've got a really, really, really tough running I don't know I don't know I feel like Luton still have still have the chance to have a say in this because look at who they play Northampton Mansfield Rotherham Barnsley before they play Bolton in the final day all of those teams are either you know Rotherham or relegate they were going to come on to Mansfield are completely safe Northampton will be down I think I think they could still have a say in it yeah it's really interesting isn't it? You mentioned Stevenage and you talked about them grinding out that win.

23:30That's basically what they've done all season, we should say. We talked about the Championship and at this stage in the season. In fact, in the Premier League, we talked about it on Monday's regular show, the ability to score goals, the ability to create goals in tight moments. Stevenage have only scored 44 goals this season. They've only conceded 43. They've got a goal difference of one. But in terms of the teams around them, Huddersfield have scored 66, Plymouth have scored 66, Stockport 59 Bolton 64 you know they're really in there and listen I'm not I'm not slagging it off or being critical in any way Stevenage are punching well above their weight by being in this playoff picture but you just wonder whether that actually ability to score goals ability to win games by maybe maybe by two or three in terms of getting comfortable might make a difference but listen Stevenage I wouldn't be surprised if they ground out a performance and got some points against Lincoln at the weekend they could easily keep doing that all the way to the end of the season.

24:24There's part of me that looks at it and goes, those four teams, Bolton, Bradford, Stockport, Stevenage have kind of been the four that have been in there all season. It'd maybe be fitting if they were the four that finished there. But could you just look at Huddersfield behind them? Plymouth, we thought they were on a bit of a charge. I wonder whether Luton have left it a little bit too late, even with those games in hand. Reading, I thought they looked pretty strong, but have lost the last two. It's just the inconsistency behind them that I wonder whether anyone can pinch that place off Stevenage, because Stevenage are just so solid and so tough to beat.

24:53Gregor Robertson: Yes, I mean, Stephen is just love a 1-0. Like 1-0 against Redding, goalless draw against Rotherham, 1-0 against Blackpool, 1-0 against Bradford and that was a goal from a long throw-in. So the 5-1 is an anomaly. They were reduced to 10 men, probably rightly, but they have been doing this all season. They had a bit of a lull around the new year but they've responded brilliantly. should say that Reading still kind of I don't know Reading have got a really they're another team that's had a really bizarre season, Liam Richardson has done a brilliant job on paper but they kind of the fans really haven't taken to him at all and they've started conceding a lot of late goals but they've still got a chance and Plymouth have a game in hand over Huddersfield above them so yeah I still think that Lewin could be the dark horse I think Wickham now have left themselves too much to do down in 11th but the fact that they're still until the weekend as I say in it says everything about the excitement in League One.

26:05Yeah it remains too tight and too close to call. Let's look at the bottom of the League One table. Rotherham's relegation confirmed last night. Bill Edgar with a brilliant table that he posted on X reading Rotherham's recent season performances. 2013 promoted, 2014 promoted, 2017 relegated, 2018 promoted, 2019 relegated, 2020 promoted, 2021 relegated, 2022 promoted, 2024 relegated and 2026 relegated again. Never a dull moment to be a Rotherham fan, Gregor, but it's not quite been the same successes that they had under Paul Warren, some of those yo-yo periods that Buckbell was talking about there up to the championship fighting and punching well above their weight back down to League One again it's been a disaster of a season hasn't it?

26:54Gregor Robertson: It has I mean it just feels like a club that's kind of lost any sort of real sense of direction Matt Hamshaw felt like a like a bit of a punt and a lot of their appointments recently have like since Paul Warren's departures often returning to someone from the past like a Steve Evans or someone with a big link to the club Matt Hamshaw played there for a long long time and he was also part of Paul Warren's staff and he'd never been a manager before he'd always been the number two and there was a brief flicker but it's and then the turn to Lee Clark felt like a desperate act and he was quite scathing in his post-match interview this week kind of saying that a lot of the performances here this season cost a guy who loved this club his job so he was almost who's almost sort of eliciting sympathy for his predecessor because his appointment was another act of desperation so yeah you wonder whether part of it is to do with Rotherham Rotherham always sort of punching above their weight a bit and they never spent ridiculous money and even when they reached the championship they would always by far have the lowest wage bill never really wanted to put the club in jeopardy and again the inflationary drag some of the wages were spoken about this season and the wage bills in League One are remarkable and when they returned to League One this season I think the landscape had changed a bit and so that combined with a sort of, as I say, a bit of a loss of direction under Matt Hamshaw has condemned them to League Two Yeah, in terms of the other relegation places Northampton and Port Vale still below them almost certainly going down Exeter it's remarkable though isn't it it is it's mad as you mentioned yesterday you've got Robber in 22nd already relegated but the teams below them not yet relegated one of the quirks of the games in hand and at this stage in the season just very quickly Gregor Exeter still think they're doomed probably still a bit of a stretch Wimbledon are in free fall though yes Wimbledon play Stockport tonight which is a huge game huge huge game because they are in free fall obviously both both clubs Stockport still got to cement their place in the playoffs as well yeah Wimbledon are in free fall but I feel like Exeter still are probably going to be the team to go down I mean they've got Burton after this which is another big game if they're still within touching distance and then Bradford on the final day at home so it's not impossible but Wimbledon Plymouth after this, after Stockport tonight Plymouth Wigan who have pulled away to safety and Huddersfield who might well be out of it by then but still who knows it's going to be a thrilling end Absolutely let's move into League 2 and let's start with a story about action off the pitch a remarkable another remarkable tale of this football season John Terry reportedly part of a consortium looking to buy Colchester United the former England and Chelsea defender has attended the Colchester Games on Tuesday night and they beat Accrington Stanley 2-1.

30:13I mean, early days in this story, Gregor, but your initial reaction to John Terry being involved in, you know, it's another big name. It's not a foreign big name. It's not a Hollywood actor or anything like that, but it's another big name getting himself involved in a smaller club down the pyramid, isn't it?

30:30Gregor Robertson: It is, yeah. My reaction, I mean, there've been reports that he would kind of take charge of all football decisions, not entirely sure what would qualify him to hold that position other than a sterling playing career, none of which was spent in the lower leagues of English football and he's kind of had a very strange post playing period in his life, he's kind of drifted, he was an assistant manager to Dean Smith at Aston Villa he's been coaching in Chelsea's academy he's kind of often with a bit of a sense of entitlement about what he feels he should be getting when he applies for jobs as a manager so you just wonder whether this would be the first step to maybe taking a place in the dugout who knows I'd say Colchester might be happy to see the club change hands in terms of an owner with a bit more ambition and you know a new start, a new beginning for them but I would be interested to see what exactly John Terry's position is going to be.

31:42Yeah, one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months. I'm sure let's look at the action on the pitch and the promotion picture at the moment. There's a huge game on Thursday night. Bromley with the chance to secure promotion to League One. A remarkable achievement that would be but it's a tough ask in terms of their opposition. They face Cambridge at home. That I'm sure will come. We think Bromley will get over the line. Gregor given there's three automatic promotion places but this one won't be easy in terms of the promotion and playoff picture overall how are you seeing things in the last week big big win for

32:14Gregor Robertson: for uh for Cambridge thrashing Notts County 4-0 kind of reasserting themselves after a really difficult weekend before that where they they conceded late against Swindon having dominated the game and then drew one all with Cheltenham lowly Cheltenham so that was kind of a real stumble for them, but Cambridge have been one of the best teams all season and that was a big big win and as you say sets up the game against Bromley as a potential cracker I think there was a big big win for Chesterfield against Grimsby in midweek opened up a four point gap between them in seventh which is the final playoff place and Grimsby in eighth, Grimsby do still have a game in hand, this was a great game as well both teams rattled the woodwork late on, Grimsby got an injury time penalty when the score was 2-1 to Chesterfield and Rhys Staunton saw his effort saved by Ryan Boot in the 95th minute I think it was so that was a huge huge moment in the playoff chase but still as I say Grimsby having that game in hand and teams all playing each other like if you look this weekend Barnett play Knott's County Salford play Oldham who have slipped away but they're not entirely out of it as you see Cambridge against Bromley MK Dons play play Crewe who have also slipped but they're still not entirely out of it this is a thing when almost the entire top half of the table have something to play for they make for some mouth-watering games at the end of the season so I think that was a big win for Chesterfield so I think in my mind it's probably between them and Grimsby for the last place now and I think Grimsby still might pinch it yeah the League 2 promotion places always one of the last things to be decided they always go right to the wire another thing that might go right to the wire is the relegation situation in this league some fascinating results in the last few days gregor harrogate losing against newport in the weekend that was the big one you quite rightly build in last week's show a big win for newport 2-1 in that one but barrow you mentioned oldham they're getting a huge win at home against oldham you talked in the league one section about games going back and forth this was another one oldham 1-0 up cruising into the last 10 minutes Barrow then got two goals in two minutes to take the lead Tom Pett then equalizing for Oldham in the 88th minute Barrow going up the other end in the 91st to snatch a win huge for them it means that the bottom of the table looks like this Harrogate in 24th place on 33 points you wonder whether those two defeats particularly that one to Newport might just condemn them to the National League with only three games to go because Barrow are then three points ahead of them in 23rd Newport on 37 as are Crawley and Tranmere you wonder whether Gregor Harrogate might be in trouble now and that it's four goes into one place what do you reckon yeah I think so and this was a remarkable game the Barrow game I mean the two goals in in the space of a minute the second was extraordinary it was Danny Rose had equalised and then directly from the kick-off Josh Gordon charged down the Tramia goalkeeper Matthew Hudson blocked his, you know, as we see nowadays teams take centre, kick it straight back to the goalkeeper and you try and block the forwards run and no one blocked him and Gordon charged down the goalkeeper blocked the kick forward and slipped the ball into an empty net so it was like an extraordinary turnaround and then as you say pet half volley in the 88th minute and Fletcher was the coolest man in Barrow and Barrow is freezing when he got a cutback in the 91st minute and you're just thinking smash it, smash it he took a touch and like just composed himself and stood up the goalkeeper and then just swept it into the corner so and I'll say it again I've said it for a few weeks now their game against Newport on the final day just could be could be everything could be everything and yeah I think Harrogate probably do look doomed now it's all about the running Harrogate have got Colchester who've obviously won the last three and have a bit of spring in their step with trying to impress John Terry then Walsall and Barnett Barrow have Walsall, Cambridge tough and then as I say Newport on the final day Newport a bit, Cheltenham are safe they have Oldham have dropped and then Barrow on the final day Crawley have Chrewsbury, Accrington and Salford Tramme are still plummeting Bristol Rovers who are on an unbelievable run but they do have an extra game to play and then Cheltenham MK Dons and Grimsby so it's very very hard to call very hard to call and like as we've just seen where you are in the league table almost means nothing because there's so much on the line and Barrow found something from somewhere they looked like they were dead and buried they're four points adrift of Newport and they've clawed it back to one so thrilling finale in store Yeah we're getting close to the end but as you say loads more still to play for if you do listen to this show as a Premier League fan or maybe as a neutral I promise you do get involved in the EFL action in the coming weeks we can't tell you or even begin to predict what might happen but I can promise you it will be utterly bonkers loads more still to come we'll leave it there Gregor Robertson thank you very much for joining me as always thank you too for listening we'll be back with an EFL extra show very soon and we'll be back with the regular show on Thursday we'll see you then