Pep Guardiola admitted it was “unacceptable” that Manchester City’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea was scheduled for less than 72 hours after their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.City recovered from their European exit on Wednesday night – when they played extra-time against Real before losing on penalties – to edge past Mauricio Pochettino’s s...Full Story »

Boss Graham Alexander batted away talk of a last-gasp League Two play-off push despite seeing 10-man Bradford come from behind to win 3-2 at Walsall.A fourth victory in five games lifted Bradford to 10th and if they win their game in hand at Barrow in midweek they have a chance of sneaking into the top seven on the final day.Those hopes looked dead in the water when Walsall stormed into a 2-0 le...Full Story »

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver believes the club have made “massive strides” this season despite seeing their play-off hopes extinguished by a 5-3 home defeat by MK Dons.The Sulphurites have, nevertheless, racked up a club-record number of EFL points in a campaign since their 2020 promotion and are also guaranteed to finish in their highest position.A brace from 18-goal leading marks...Full Story »

Michael Skubala hailed the character of his Lincoln side after they came from behind to win 2-1 at Cheltenham and move into the League One play-off places with one game left.Relegation battlers Cheltenham led through Liam Sercombe’s early penalty, but Joe Taylor levelled before half-time and Freddie Draper won it seven minutes after the break.The Imps’ top six destiny is in their own...Full Story »

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson was keen to focus on the positives despite seeing his side miss out on the League Two play-off places following a 3-2 defeat to Tranmere at Prenton Park.Harvey Saunders put Rovers ahead in the 35th minute, racing clear and slotting the ball past Nik Tzanev after the Dons failed to clear the danger.Rovers doubled their lead just before the break when Rob Apter n...Full Story »

Neil Critchley hailed a brave Blackpool performance as the Seasiders beat promotion rivals Barnsley 3-2 to boost their League One play-off chances.Goals from Sonny Carey, James Husband and Hayden Coulson put the hosts 3-0 up but John McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley, before Adam Phillips’ late strike set up a nervy finish.Blackpool need to win their final game of the season away to Read...Full Story »

Norwich head coach David Wagner was happy to take a point after seeing his play-off chasing side held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City at Carrow Road.The Canaries went into the match with eight successive home victories behind them but failed to hit the heights of recent months against in-form opposition and had to come from behind to secure a hard-fought draw.The draw took Norwich level with fifth...Full Story »

Doncaster roared back from two goals down to beat play-off rivals Barrow 4-2 and secure a ninth successive win.It appeared as though Rovers’ incredible charge from relegation danger to play-off contention had ended as goals from Emile Acquah and Rory Feely gave Barrow a two-goal advantage at the break.But a Joe Ironside penalty reduced the deficit and set up a grandstand finish, with Hakee...Full Story »

Two goals in three second-half minutes saw promoted Mansfield end visiting Gillingham’s outside hopes of making the play-offs with a 2-1 comeback victory.Timothee Dieng almost gave the Gills a dream start but headed over the angle inside the first 30 seconds from Remeao Hutton’s far post cross.However, Dieng did find the net after 19 minutes. Jonny Williams’ pass sent him to th...Full Story »

AFC Wimbledon’s slim hopes of claiming a League Two play-off spot came to an end with a 3-2 defeat to Tranmere at Prenton Park.The first genuine chance of the match came for the home side in the 25th minute when Harvey Saunders’ effort from six yards was pushed wide by Dons goalkeeper Nik Tzanev.But Saunders made amends in the 35th minute as he took full advantage of a defensive laps...Full Story »

Andy Cook returned to haunt his old club as Bradford kept alive their League Two play-off hopes and dented Walsall’s with a 3-2 win at the Bescot Stadium.Walsall led through Ryan Stirk and Mo Faal before Cook pulled one back and set up two for Jamie Walker, who was later sent off.The Saddlers went in front after seven minutes as Isaac Hutchinson put Stirk clear to slot home from 12 yards.F...Full Story »

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised Joe Hart’s mentality after his goalkeeper sealed a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final place despite missing a penalty.The Hampden crowd thought they had seen it all following a dramatic 3-3 draw between Celtic and Aberdeen, until Hart stepped up to take his side’s fifth penalty of the shoot-out at 4-3 up.The former England goalkeeper, who celebrate...Full Story »

Blackpool kept their play-off hopes alive with a 3-2 win over fellow promotion chasers Barnsley.Sonny Carey gave Blackpool the lead on 12 minutes with a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the corner.A James Husband header from Karamoko Dembele’s pinpoint free-kick put Blackpool 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, while Hayden Coulson smashed one into the roof of the net just after th...Full Story »

Huddersfield remain in the Championship relegation zone with just two games left to play after suffering an extremely damaging 4-0 defeat at home to in-form Swansea.Second-half goals from Jamal Lowe, Ronald, Jerry Yates and Liam Walsh secured a third consecutive win for the Swans, and leaves the Terriers in the bottom three.Their penultimate game of the season sees them welcome Birmingham &ndash...Full Story »

MK Dons extinguished Harrogate’s League Two play-off hopes with an enthralling 5-3 triumph at the EnviroVent Stadium.The visitors, who went into the game with a top-seven spot already guaranteed, did not take their foot off the gas as goals from Alex Gilbey, Max Dean, Stephen Wearne, Emre Tezgel and Ellis Harrison secured maximum points.In a thrilling end-to-end encounter, George Thomson (...Full Story »

Ozan Tufan’s penalty blunder left Hull facing a mammoth task to make the play-offs after a 0-0 draw at Watford.Home keeper Daniel Bachmann saved the Turkish forward’s spot-kick in the 11th minute of a lacklustre match and now the Tigers, who have three games to play, are six points off the top six.Hull had started the day desperate for points to keep in touch with the promotion pack....Full Story »

Aldershot rescued a point in a 3-3 draw at Dagenham but missed out on a National League play-off spot.Daggers striker Inih Effiong opened the scoring in the 34th minute, slamming home his 16th league goal of the season from Josh Hare’s cutback.Aldershot were awarded a penalty at the start of the second half when Elliott Johnson brought down Kwame Thomas.The Shots forward looked to be in an...Full Story »

Altrincham booked a home tie in the play-offs as they beat Oxford City 1-0 on the final day.With City long since relegated, Alty knew it was the perfect chance to set up their post-season and they did so thanks to Regan Linney’s first-half goal.Elliot Newby had already gone close when the opener came, with Newby tripped in the box allowing Linney to convert three minutes before half-time.C...Full Story »

FC Halifax thrashed Eastleigh 3-0 to secure their Vanarama National League play-off place.Adan George put the visitors ahead after 27 minutes and they had a goal disallowed before Paul McCallum fired wide for Eastleigh shortly after the break.Jamie Cooke’s composed finish doubled Halifax’s lead after 62 minutes.Max Wright added a third 20 minutes from time as Town ensured Aldershot a...Full Story »

Barnet prepared for the play-offs with a final-day 4-1 drubbing of already-relegated Kidderminster.Nicke Kabamba had already gone close for Barnet when they took the lead 33 minutes in.A corner found Danny Collinge and he put a header away for his ninth of the season.Chances continued to present themselves to the home side and a minute before the break Kabamba drilled in his 29th of the season.I...Full Story »