Saturday Afternoon Round-Up

League One:

There was frustration in the race for automatic promotion as both Charlton and Norwich dropped points. Norwich still hold an 8 point lead at the top, with Leeds due to play their game in hand on Monday night with Millwall. But it could have been a 10 point gap, had it not been for a late Gorden Greer equaliser for the home side as playoff-chasing Swindon Town secured a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile a battling away performance from Gillingham saw them gain a point in a 2-2 draw against local rivals Charlton. The result leaves Charlton 4 points behind second-placed Leeds United, and Swindon move level on 67 points as they make a late bid for automatic promotion.

In the race for the playoffs, Colchester succumbed to a poor 1-0 away defeat to 10-man Walsall, courtesy of a dramatic 94th minute winner from Darren Byfield. Colchester's loss was Huddersfield's gain as they strolled to a comfortable 2-0 away win at Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road. And in the outisde pack, Bristol Rovers' 3-0 away win at Yeovil saw them move to within a point of MK Dons, who were heavily beaten 3-0 at home by rank outsiders for the playoffs, Southampton.

Meanwhile, in the tight relegation scrap there were draws for three of the four sides in the drop zone. Stockport County were defeated 1-0 at home to Brentford in a result which sounded the death-knell on their season. Wycombe and Exeter played out a 2-2 draw with a point bringing Exeter within a point of safety but leaving The Chairboys in real peril 7 points from survival. Southend also played out a 2-2 draw at Roots Hall against Carlisle. And in a tie between two sides not yet safe from relegation, Brighton enjoyed a 2-0 away win over Oldham to take them up into 14th spot, but still only 7 points away from the drop zone.