Roundup of the promotion, playoff and relegation battles to be decided going into the final games of the season
Emmanuel Dieseruvwe’s 99th-minute winner for Rochdale against Braintree Town last week was a showbiz ending to a game that set up a showbiz ending to the season: the victory means Dale go into the final day with a chance of winning the National League and sealing the one automatic promotion spot, and they are hosting the only team above them, York City, who lead by two points. Everything else in the division – the other playoff contenders, the four relegation spots – is settled, so the final day has 11 fixtures with not a lot on them, and one with everything on the line. With the game long since sold out York are showing it on big screens at their LNER Community Stadium and go into the match with the confidence of a side that have won 17 of their past 20 games (they did lose twice on their travels last month) and usurped the top spot Dale had hogged for much of the season when the then leaders had a mini wobble of two draws, two defeats and two wins around the end of March and start of April. “Whoever put the fixtures out at the start of the year might be getting a little bonus for how it’s ended,” said Ethan Ebanks-Landell, the Rochdale captain. “It’s a massive game, I don’t think there’s been anything like it in the history of football – not that I’m aware of anyway.”
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