Normally when you have three teams vying for a final promotion spot you would call it a race. Well, League Two’s has turned into a bit of a Gentleman’s Excuse Me.
Anyone not know the Walsall story? Right, for those late to the party, the Saddlers were 12 points clear at the top of table in January and 15 ahead of fourth place but spin forward three months and they need help from elsewhere to sneak back into third position.
Mat Sadler’s side also need to do something they have failed to do in their past 13 games – win. You’ll forgive fans for not assuming they can get the three points at Crewe given they missed the chance to go back into the top three with a calamitous home defeat by Accrington last time out.
“I’m not going to stop fighting, the group aren’t going to stop fighting – I’m not going to pretend to everyone we’re not frustrated but we’re fighting at the stage of the season we wanted to be and we’re in with a shout,” Sadler told BBC Radio WM.
Victory on Saturday would leave Bradford City needing to beat Fleetwood to retain third spot.
For their part the Bantams, who were actually top at the start of April, need to lose their habit of shooting themselves in the foot.
A winless run of four games has seen them concede twice in the dying minutes in a 5-4 defeat by Swindon, once in added time during a 3-3 draw at Chesterfield and then have defender Aden Baldwin sent off after the half-time whistle for dissent and miss a penalty in a potentially damaging loss to Doncaster last weekend.
All that will be forgotten if they can do the necessary at a packed Valley Parade on Saturday.
“We have to show a maturity and understanding of what we can do better,” boss Graham Alexander told BBC Radio Leeds.
“We can’t keep talking about still having a chance – you need a killer instinct if you want to win but in the last three games we’ve left people with questions to answer.”
Watching all this unfold have been Notts County who need a Bradford defeat and Walsall failing to win to have a chance of leapfrogging into third place.
One point from four games looked to have ended their hopes of avoiding the play-offs but a win at Harrogate last weekend, coupled with the chaotic nature of Bradford and Walsall’s form, gives them hope. However, they need to beat Doncaster, who have their own agenda…
