Derby County received a significant boost in their quest for automatic promotion to the Championship on Tuesday night. This came about when their closest contenders, Bolton Wanderers, were held to a draw by Shrewsbury Town. As a result, the Rams now hold a three-point advantage over Bolton with just two games remaining in the season. This sets the stage for Paul Warne’s team to potentially secure promotion this weekend. If results in other matches favor Derby, they may need only a single point to clinch the promotion.
Another scenario that could see Derby secure automatic promotion is if they win against Cambridge United on Saturday while Bolton only manages a draw against Port Vale. However, this would also require Peterborough United, currently in fourth place, to drop points as they are still in contention for automatic promotion mathematically.
Peterborough did win their Tuesday night match against Fleetwood Town, but they remain six points behind Derby. Despite having a game in hand, the gap they need to close seems quite substantial.
The final day of the season holds significant importance as Peterborough will host Bolton, a match that could heavily influence the race for second place. Derby, on the other hand, will face Carlisle United, a team already relegated, which may pose a challenge but is theoretically an easier match.
Paul Warne must have been closely monitoring Tuesday night’s scores, particularly Bolton’s performance. Despite dominating against Shrewsbury, Bolton couldn’t secure a win and had to settle for a 2-2 draw after coming from behind twice. This result would have eased some pressure on Derby’s players, maintaining their three-point lead and superior goal difference.
At the top of the table, Portsmouth managed to defeat a determined challenge from Barnsley with a 3-2 victory, securing the League One title. While this means Derby missed out on the top spot, the midweek round of fixtures still bodes well for them, and they appear well-positioned to achieve automatic promotion this season.
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