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This weekend's League One permutations: Two promotions, two relegations could be confirmed

Sports Mole rounds up this weekend's League One permutations, with both automatic promotion places and two of the three remaining relegation spots potentially being decided.

A thrilling 2022-23 League One season heads into its penultimate weekend on Saturday, with the competitive nature of the division being reflected in the fact that so much is still to be decided with only two games left for most teams.

Neither automatic promotion place has yet been claimed, while three of the four relegation spots also lie ominously open for those towards the wrong end of the table.

Things could all change this weekend, though, with promotions, relegations and playoff places able to be sewn up to avoid a nail-biting final day of the season.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the permutations for this weekend's League One fixtures.



THIS WEEKEND'S LEAGUE ONE PERMUTATIONS

Plymouth Argyle's Macaulay Gillesphey celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on February 5, 2022© Reuters

Already promoted: None

Guaranteed at least playoffs: Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley

Already relegated: Forest Green Rovers

WHAT COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND?

  • Plymouth could be promoted and win the title

  • Ipswich could be promoted

  • Bolton Wanderers could clinch a playoff spot

  • Derby County could clinch a playoff spot

  • Accrington Stanley could be relegated

  • Morecambe could be relegated



  • AUTOMATIC PROMOTION RACE

    League One top three April 27 2023

    KEY FIXTURES

    Plymouth vs. Burton Albion (Saturday, 3pm)
    Ipswich vs. Exeter City (Saturday, 3pm)
    Shrewsbury Town vs. Sheffield Wednesday (Saturday, 3pm)

    PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

    It has been a thrilling and high-quality race for automatic promotion in League One this season, with three teams already sitting on 90 points or more with two games of the season still remaining.

    Plymouth lead the way with 95 points and know that a victory on Saturday at home to a Burton Albion side that has now secured their survival will finally guarantee them a place in the Championship next season, regardless of what happens elsewhere.

    However, even a draw or defeat would be enough to clinch their place in the second tier for the first time since 2009-10 if Sheffield Wednesday fail to beat Shrewsbury Town.

    Victory is required if they still harbour ambitions of getting over 100 points this season, though, while a win coupled with Ipswich losing to Exeter City would also be enough to hand them the League One title with a game to spare.

    IPSWICH TOWN

    Ipswich have lost the fewest number of games, scored the most goals and conceded the least in League One this season, yet they find themselves one point behind Plymouth due largely to draws.

    The Tractor Boys have hit top form at the perfect time, though, and their midweek win over fellow promotion hopefuls Barnsley made sure that their scenario is fairly straightforward on Saturday too: win, and they will be promoted to the Championship.

    Even if they fail to win at home against Exeter, they would still be promoted with a game to spare as long as they match or better Sheffield Wednesday's result.



    PLAYOFF PICTURE

    League One playoff picture April 27 2023

    KEY FIXTURES

    Bolton Wanderers vs. Fleetwood Town (Saturday, 3pm)
    Derby County vs. Portsmouth (Saturday, 3pm)
    Peterborough United vs. Bristol Rovers (Saturday, 3pm)

    BOLTON WANDERERS

    Bolton's current position of fifth is the highest they can finish, with their eyes firmly cast over their shoulder as three teams battle it out for the remaining two playoff places.

    The Trotters are currently in pole position to be one of those teams, and victory this weekend, coupled with Peterborough failing to beat Bristol Rovers, would ensure a top-six place and keep their promotion hopes alive with a game to spare.

    Bolton's shock home defeat to relegation-bound Accrington Stanley in midweek has made things a little more fraught than they perhaps might have been, but their fate still lies firmly in their own hands.

    DERBY COUNTY

    Derby have a near-identical record to Bolton, with the two sides having the same number of wins, draws and defeats, and only being separated by one in the goal difference column.

    Naturally, then, Derby's permutations are also identical: they must also win and hope that Peterborough drop points in order to wrap up a playoff place this weekend.

    Should Peterborough win then the playoff race is sure to go down to the final day, while a Peterborough win coupled with dropped points for either Bolton or Derby could see one of those drop out of the top six and potentially needing help from elsewhere in their last match.



    RELEGATION BATTLE

    League One relegation April 27 2023

    KEY FIXTURES

    Accrington Stanley vs. Cambridge United (Saturday, 3pm)
    Forest Green Rovers vs. Oxford United (Saturday, 3pm)
    MK Dons vs. Barnsley (Saturday, 3pm)
    Morecambe vs. Lincoln City (Saturday, 3pm)

    ACCRINGTON STANLEY

    Accrington kept their faint survival hopes alive with a shock victory over playoff-chasing Bolton in midweek, a result which saw them leapfrog Saturday's opponents Cambridge into 22nd, with two points now separating them from safety.

    However, they remain firmly in must-win territory, with victory this weekend against their fellow strugglers in a huge relegation showdown the only way to guarantee that their survival bid will go to the final day.

    Should Accrington lose, MK Dons win against Barnsley and Oxford avoid defeat against already-relegated Forest Green Rovers, then Stanley will be relegated, while even a draw would not be enough if both MK Dons and Oxford win their matches.

    Incidentally, Cambridge's game in hand - to be played away to Burton on Wednesday - means that they cannot be mathematically relegated this weekend even if they lose to Accrington, despite sitting below their opponents in the table.

    MORECAMBE

    Morecambe find themselves in much the same position as Accrington, level on points and also with just two games of their season remaining.

    While Morecambe's goal difference is better than Accrington's, it is still significantly worse than those outside the relegation zone, making their chances of survival even slimmer.

    The picture for them is the same as it is for Accrington this weekend: victory is the only way to guarantee they still have a chance of survival on the final day, while defeat coupled with an MK Dons win and Oxford not losing would see them relegated, as would a draw alongside wins for both MK Dons and Oxford.



    LEAGUE ONE TABLE IN FULL

    League One table April 27 2023

    Click here for League One form guides, home and away tables, top scorers, best defences, best attacks and more



    THIS WEEKEND'S LEAGUE ONE SCHEDULE IN FULL

    Saturday, April 29

    All kickoffs 3pm

    Accrington vs. Cambridge
    Bolton vs. Fleetwood
    Charlton Athletic vs. Port Vale
    Derby vs. Portsmouth
    Forest Green vs. Oxford
    Ipswich vs. Exeter
    MK Dons vs. Barnsley
    Morecambe vs. Lincoln
    Peterborough vs. Bristol Rovers
    Plymouth vs. Burton
    Shrewsbury vs. Sheffield Wednesday
    Wycombe Wanderers vs. Cheltenham Town

    Click here for a full list of this season's League One results


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    Written by
    Barney Corkhill
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