Premier League
Table
WAYNE ROONEY picked up a two-match ban today for his foul-mouthed tirade at the camera after scoring a hat-trick in Manchester United's 4-2 win at West Ham United.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men came from 2-0 down at half time with a fine second half performance as Rooney struck three times and Javier Hernandez once.
Two Mark Noble penalties had given the Hammers their deserved two-goal half time lead with Nemanja Vidic lucky to stay on the pitch for a foul on Demba Ba.
But the Rooney show began on 65 minutes with a brilliant curling free-kick before the England striker equalised eight minutes later.
Rooney tucked away a penalty on 79 minutes to give the Red Devils the lead before Hernandez wrapped up the win with a tap-in.
The victory came on a potentially decisive day in the Premier League title race as Arsenal and Chelsea later drew with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City.
Manchester United are now seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal while Chelsea dropped to fourth behind Manchester City.
City moved third with perhaps their finest display of the season as five different scorers contributed to a 5-0 thumping of Sunderland.
Roberto Mancini's men were 2-0 up in 15 minutes after an Adam Johnson strike and a Carlos Tevez penalty.
Another two quick goals in the second half by David Silva and Patrick Vieira ended the game as a contest before Yaya Toure rubbed further salt in the wounds late on.
City have 56 points from 31 games - ahead of Chelsea by one point and Tottenham Hotspur by six - but both London clubs have a game in hand.
Fifth-placed Spurs disappointed this weekend with their third successive 0-0 draw in all competitions, this time against Wigan Athletic.
There was the feeling that Harry Redknapp's men were keeping their powder dry for their Champions League quarter final clash against Real Madrid this week.
But, at this rate, they will struggle to qualify for Europe's elite competition through the league this season.
Instead, Spurs may have to make do with the Europa League but that is more than Liverpool can expect from their woeful campaign.
The Reds lost their 12th league game of 2010/11 against West Bromwich Albion though Kenny Dalglish's team still look set for a sixth-place finish.
West Brom's win at the Hawthorns came thanks to two penalties from Chris Brunt and pulled the Baggies four points clear of the drop zone.
It was a good day for Roy Hodgson who got one over on the club who sacked him while another of his previous clubs, Fulham, also pulled themselves clear.
On the day that a Michael Jackson statue was unveiled outside of Craven Cottage, Mark Hughes' men produced a thriller of a performance to beat Blackpool 3-0.
Ian Holloway's Seasiders struggled defensively as Bobby Zamora scored twice to leave them vulnerable in 17th, just one point and one place above the relegation zone.
West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic currently fill those places they all failed to win this weekend.
While West Ham lost against Manchester United and Wigan Athletic drew at Spurs, Wolves were dreadfully disappointing in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
The Magpies stormed into a 3-0 lead just after half-time following goals from Kevin Nolan, Shola Ameobi and Peter Lovenkrands.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake gave Mick McCarthy's men some hope but Jonas Gutierrez killed that off with the fourth in stoppage time.
West Ham and Wolves are one point adrift of safety with Wigan two points behind their Lancashire rivals Blackpool.
Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Aston Villa all remain in trouble at the bottom, just two points clear of the drop.
The pressure on Villa increased further after they failed to win at Everton despite Darren Bent giving them the lead twice.
But Blackburn and Birmingham had better days with Rovers gaining a point in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal while the Blues beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0.
The Championship
Table
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE scored twice as Queens Park Rangers continued their march to the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
Routledge, on loan from Newcastle United where he won the Championship last season, opened the scoring on 29 minutes with a volley.
Alejandro Faurlin doubled the lead with a 20-yard drive after a corner had only been half-cleared by the Blades' defence.
Then Routledge wrapped up the three points with a shot across the goalkeeper to put Rangers nine points clear.
Norwich City are in second place on 70 points after Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson both scored hat-tricks in a 6-0 win over Scunthorpe United.
The Canaries are four points clear of Welsh pair Cardiff City and Swansea City who enjoyed contrasting fortunes this weekend.
While Cardiff were beating Derby County 4-1, the Swans lost 2-1 at bottom of the table Preston North End thanks to Ian Hume's late goal.
Leeds United are fifth after their 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest, which was shown live on BBC1.
Simon Grayson's men took advantage of Chris Cohen's harsh sending off for Forest by hitting four second half goals in front of almost 30,000 at Elland Road.
Forest have now failed to win any of their last nine games meaning Reading have now moved above them into the playoff spots.
The Royals are the form team of the division with 16 points out of their last 18 propelling them into the top six.
They have a chance to extend that run further on Tuesday with their game in hand against Preston.
Of course, that match is just as vital for the Lilywhites who remain entrenched in the bottom three despite victory over Swansea.
At least that win lifted the proud Lancashire club off the bottom and above Scunthorpe, though both clubs have just 34 points.
But, whereas Phil Brown's Preston look up for the fight, the Irons' body language at Norwich suggested there was not much left in them.
Similarly, Sheffield United - who are just one point better off - look doomed after that defeat at Loftus Road.
Despite Preston's recent efforts, it looks like the bottom three, as they are now, will go down with fourth-bottom Crystal Palace seven points clear.
That is a lot of breathing room at this stage and the Eagles further boosted their chances with a 2-1 win over Barnsley at Selhurst Park.
James Vaughan, on loan from Everton, scored the late winner with a penalty after Neil Danns and Marlon Harewood had shared first-half goals.
League One
Table
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION look set to christen their new stadium in Falmer with Championship football after eight straight wins in March left them sitting pretty at the top of League One.
Gus Poyet's men actually dropped points for the first time since the end of February in a 2-2 draw with Rochdale on Saturday but the Seagulls still remain 11 points clear as it stands.
Huddersfield Town are in second place, on 73 points, on the back of a 19-match unbeaten run which stretches back to the end of 2010.
But third-placed Southampton are breathing down the Terriers neck after also hitting form. The Saints are just two points behind with two games in hand after their 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic tonight made it 19 points out of their last 21.
Peterborough United, in fourth on 70 points, also remain in the hunt for automatic promotion. But, despite taking their goal tally in the League to 93 for the season, Darren Ferguson's men have been hampered by poor recent form.
Posh took just two points from games against Milton Keynes Dons and Bristol Rovers away, and Bournemouth at home.
In fairness to Ferguson, those were tough fixtures with MK Dons in fifth, Bournemouth in sixth and Rovers having improved to drag themselves away from the bottom.
But, unlike Posh, neither the Dons nor the Cherries are in a position to join Brighton in securing automatic promotion, lying eight and 10 points behind Huddersfield respectively.
More likely, they will be satisfied with retaining their playoff spot and denying the likes of seventh-placed Rochdale and Leyton Orient, in eighth, both of whom continue to threaten a top-six finish.
That represents a magnificent effort in particular by the Dale having only been promoted from the basement division for the first time in 36 years last season.
Undoubtedly heading that way are Plymouth Argyle who were playing in the Championship last season.
Now the Pilgrims are staring into the abyss, having already been deducted 10 points for going into administration, leaving them nine adrift of safety on 33 from 39 games.
Swindon Town have similarly crashed hard this season after losing the League One playoff final last year. The Robins have now failed to win in 18 matches to lie seven points adrift of safety on 35 from 40 matches.
The other clubs currently in the relegation places, Walsall and Dagenham & Redbridge, retain more hope of survival as they are only two points and one point adrift respectively.
Fifth-bottom Notts County are in the most danger of being caught and they parted with Paul Ince by mutual consent, leaving Chris Powell at Charlton as the only black manager in English league football.
Ince leaves the Magpies on the edge of the trap door on 42 points though they have a game in hand on Walsall and Dagenham below them.
Bristol Rovers and Tranmere Rovers also remain in trouble on 43 points each with the former having played 40 games, more than any of their relegation rivals except Swindon.
Against that, though, the Pirates are sixth in the form table over the last six games, having won four and drawn one, including a 1-0 win over Bournemouth tonight.
By contrast, Tranmere have won just one of their last 11 games and went down to a 4-0 hammering by mid-table Sheffield Wednesday in their most recent match.
Meanwhile, at Wembley, the Football League Trophy Final was contested by two mid-table League One teams, Carlisle United and Brentford.
Greg Abbott's Carlisle, who were beaten 4-1 in the Final last season by Southampton, proved better for that horrid experience by grinding out a 1-0 win over the Bees in front of a crowd of 40,476 this time.
Long-serving defender Peter Murphy celebrated the birth of his first child two days prior by scoring the winner on 12 minutes and the Cumbrians held on for their second Football League Trophy from six finals appearances.
League Two
Table
CHESTERFIELD completed a routine 2-0 home win over Port Vale on Saturday as they consolidated their big lead at the top of League Two.
John Sheridan's Spireites hold a 10 point advantage over Wycombe Wanderers in second after the Chairboys failed to take full advantage of their game in hand by drawing 0-0 with Hereford United tonight.
Still, that point put Wycombe on 68 points, two clear of Shrewsbury Town in third after the Shropshire side improved their chances of promotion with a three-match winning run.
However, Bury - in fourth on 65 points - are just a point adrift of the Shrews with a game in hand though they have won just one of their last five matches.
Fifth-placed Stevenage look a better bet to sneak into the top three after their 2-1 win over Bradford City on Saturday made it six wins in a row and nine wins in 11 games.
If the Boro had not started the season so tentatively, then they would already be in an automatic promotion spot but, as it is, they are still just three points below Shrewsbury in third.
Accrington Stanley are also on 63 points after they won their game in hand over Southend United 3-1 to extend their winning run to three matches and their unbeaten run to seven.
And Torquay United, on 62 points, remain in contention after their 2-0 win over Lincoln City kept them in the last playoff position, just four points adrift of third.
Gillingham, on 61 points, Port Vale, on 60 points, and Rotherham United, on 59, all harbour realistic hopes of securing at least a playoff place as the season moves into its final six games.
The Gills have lost just twice in the League since November but nine draws out of their last 13 matches have rather undermined their promotion effort.
Meanwhile, Port Vale and Rotherham have started to struggle at the worst possible time. Vale have won just one of their last seven matches, while the Millers have won just one of their last eight.
The Yorkshire club also parted company with manager Ronnie Moore in the middle of that run after a 5-0 defeat to champions-elect Chesterfield before going on to beat Lincoln 6-0 in their next game.
Fifth-bottom Lincoln have now lost their last four matches and remain on just 46 points but this is still some eight clear of the bottom two in the relegation places, Barnet and Stockport County.
The struggling pair's best hopes lie in the form of Northampton Town and Burton Albion who cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium tonight.
The stalemate leaves the Cobblers on 43 points from 40 games - and without a win in 14 games - as they edge five points away from the drop zone.
Burton have two games in hand on all the teams around them though they currently have just 41 points from 38 matches.
And those extra games for the Brewers - at Bury and Bradford City - mean the bottom two remain strong favourites for the drop.
Barnet are in the slightly better position on 38 points having beaten Burton 4-1 in their most recent game, giving Martin Allen - nicknamed Mad Dog - a great start to life at Underhill.
Less likely to survive are Stockport whose 2-0 defeat at Wycombe left the Hatters six points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in the Football League.
Blue Square Premier
Table
CRAWLEY TOWN crept to within a single win of promotion to the Football League after gaining a 1-1 draw at York City to extend their unbeaten run in the Blue Square Premier to 24 games tonight.
The Red Devils, who also caused a fright to their identically-nicknamed superiors Manchester United in the FA Cup Fifth Round, are now 14 points clear of AFC Wimbledon.
Wimbledon now appear to have recovered from a four-game winless wobble by winning their last two but it is blatantly clear now that the Dons must now prepare for the playoffs.
Third-placed Luton Town are also resigned to an extension of their season having won just one of their last six games despite replacing manager Richard Money with Gary Brabin during that run.
Wrexham, in fourth on 70 points, look fairly likely to be in a playoff spot but the last place is very much up for grabs.
Fleetwood Town, only just promoted from Blue Square North last season, currently occupy fifth spot on 66 points but Kidderminster Harriers are level on points with a game in hand.
The Harriers would already been in there, save for a five-point deduction, but they enter into the run-in on the back of a 14 match unbeaten run making them clear favourites for fifth.
Nevertheless, York - who are three points behind on 63 points - and Newport County - six behind on 60 - will still harbour hopes of a late dash.
At the bottom, there is a mad scramble to avoid relegation with two points separating Barrow AFC in 17th and Altrincham in 22nd.
All the teams expect Barrow have played 41 games with the Cumbrian outfit having the benefit of a game in hand.
As it stands tonight, Barrow have 43 points with that game in hand, Tamworth also have 43 points, Southport and Hayes & Yeading are on 42, and Forest Green Rovers and Altrincham currently occupy relegation places on 41.
Below them, there is little hope for Eastbourne Boro on 32 points and Histon on 27 despite both having a game in hand on all the teams above them - except for Barrow.
In Blue Square North, Alfreton Town look set to take the automatic promotion place while the title in Blue Square South is up for grabs between Braintree and Farnborough.
Braintree currently hold a one-point lead with five games left but Farnborough are in better form with 19 points out of their last 21, including most recently a 3-0 win over Hampshire rivals Eastleigh.
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