LEAGUE ONE: Run-ins for Oxford United and the rest of the promotion contenders

Just eight points cover the top eight sides, while theoretically all those in the top half have a chance of gatecrashing the promotion race if they can finish strongly.

We have take a look at the run-ins...

1st, Coventry City

Played 33, 64pts

• Only have to play one top-six team (Wycombe at home).
• The only bottom-five team they have to play is away to AFC Wimbledon on the final day.
• After their trip to Ipswich this Saturday, their highest-ranked opponents left (Wycombe, Oxford and Peterborough) all have to visit St Andrew’s.
• Cleared a major hurdle in the last two games, when they picked up four points from home games with Rotherham Utd and Sunderland.

March

Sat 7: Ipswich Tn (a)

Sat 14: Shrewsbury Tn (H)

Sat 21: Lincoln C (a)

Tues 24: Wycombe Wand (H)

Sat 28: Accrington Stan (a)

April

Sat 4: Peterborough Utd (H)

Fri 10: Gillingham (a)

Mon 13: Oxford Utd (H)

Sat 18: Blackpool (a)

Sat 25: Burton Alb (H)

May

Sun 3: AFC Wimbledon (a)

2nd, Rotherham United

P34, 62pts

• Second-best attack in top half.
• Still have to play four of the bottom five.
• No-one in the top six has as many games left against top-six teams – they play three in the space of four games from March 21.
• They host Sunderland on the final day.
• Of the teams they still have to face, the Millers did not fare well in the first meetings this season, collecting only ten points from ten games.

March

Sat 7: Rochdale (a)

Sat 14: Southend Utd (H)

Sat 21: Fleetwood Tn (a)

Sun 29: Gillingham (H)

April

Sat 4: Wycombe Wand (a)

Fri 10: Portsmouth (H)

Mon 13: Tranmere (a)

Sat 18: Doncaster Rov (H)

Sat 25: Bolton Wand (a)

May

Sun 3: Sunderland (H)

3rd, Portsmouth

P33, 59pts

• Have the potential distraction of a Leasing.com Trophy final at Wembley in early April, forcing their home game with Bristol Rovers to be postponed.
• They are without a game on the penultimate weekend, when they were due to face Bury.
• Of their final 11 games, six are away, where all their eight league defeats have come.
• Only four of their remaining games are against bottom-half teams.

March

Sat 7: Peterborough Utd (a)

Tues 10: Fleetwood Tn (H)

Sat 14: Accrington Stan (H)

Tues 17: Doncaster Rov (H)

Sat 21: Ipswich Tn (a)

Sat 28: Oxford Utd (a)

April

Sat 4: Bristol Rov (H)*   

Fri 10: Rotherham Utd (a)

Mon 13: Blackpool (H)  

Sat 18: Southend Utd (a)

May

Sun 3: Burton Alb (a)

*To be rearranged due to Portsmouth’s involvement in the Leasing.com Trophy final

• Of the promotion contenders, Portsmouth have the lowest average position of opponents in their remaining games.

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4th, Wycombe Wanderers

P34, 59pts

• Have the second-worst attack in the top half and the third-worst defence.
• Six of their final ten games are away, where they only have the 13th best record in League One.
• They are not in action this weekend due to Bury's demise, so could drop out of the top six for the first time this season if results go against them.

March

Sat 14: Burton Alb (a)

Sat 21: Oxford Utd (H)

Tues 24: Coventry C (a)

Sat 28: Shrewsbury Tn (a)

April

Sat 4: Rotherham Utd (H)

Fri 10: Southend Utd (a)

Mon 13: AFC Wimbledon (H)

Sat 18: Lincoln C (a)

Sat 25: Gillingham (H)

May

Sun 3: Accrington Stan (a)

5th, Sunderland

P34, 58pts

• Have the best defence in the division.
• Only have to play one top-six team – Rotherham United on the final day.
• Six of their last ten games are against teams in the bottom half.

March

Sat 7: Gillingham (H)

Tues 10: Bristol Rov (a)

Sat 14: Blackpool (a)

Sat 28: Southend Utd (a)

April

Sat 4: Shrewsbury Tn (H)

Fri 10: AFC Wimbledon (a)

Mon 13: Peterborough Utd (H)

Sat 18: Burton Alb (a)

Sat 25: Accrington Stan (H)

May

Sun 3: Rotherham Utd (a)

6th, Fleetwood Town

P33, 58pts

• Their season finishes a week earlier than everyone else – they were due to play Bury on the final day.
• Still have a game in hand on three of the five teams above them.
• Seven of their final 11 games are against bottom-half teams.

March

Sat 7: Blackpool (H)

Tues 10: Portsmouth (a)

Sat 14: Gillingham (a)

Sat 21: Rotherham Utd (H)

Sat 28: Bolton Wand (H)

April

Sat 4: MK Dons  (a)

Fri 10: Accrington Stan (a)

Mon 13: Lincoln C (H)

Sat 18: Oxford Utd (a)

Sat 25: Southend Utd (H)

+ Tranmere Rov (a) to be rearranged

• Fleetwood would finish third if the results of games in the run-in were the same as the reverse fixtures earlier in the season.

For an animation of how that would play out, click here.

7th, Oxford United

P34, 57pts

• Still have to play four of the top six.
• Their final two games are against teams in the relegation zone.
• Have the third-best attack and the sixth-best defence.

March

Sat 7: Shrewsbury Tn (a)

Sat 14: MK Dons (H)

Sat 21: Wycombe Wand (a)

Sat 28: Portsmouth (H)

April

Sat 4: Rochdale (a)

Fri 10: Bristol Rov (H)

Mon 13: Coventry C (a)

Sat 18: Fleetwood Tn (H)

Sat 25: Tranmere Rov (a)

May

Sun 3: Bolton Wand (H)

Also read: Oxford United's impressive late goals record down to backroom staff – Matty Taylor

8th, Peterborough United

P34, 56pts

• The division’s top scorers.
• Seven of their final ten games are against teams in the bottom half, the others are against sides in the top six.
• Still have six fixtures at home, where they have won 11 of 16, but their away games include visits to Coventry City and Sunderland.

March

Sat 7: Portsmouth (H)

Sat 14: Bolton Wand (a)

Sat 21: Bristol Rov (H)

Sun 29: Blackpool (H)

April

Sat 4: Coventry C (a)

Fri 10: MK Dons (H)

Mon 13: Sunderland (a)

Sat 18: Shrewsbury Tn (H)

Sat 25: Rochdale (a)

May

Sun 3: Tranmere (H)

• If the form from the previous ten games is repeated over the final ten, Peterborough United would climb into the top six.

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9th, Ipswich Town

P35, 52pts

• In by far the worst form of any side in the top half, losing six of their last eight.
• Have the fewest games left to play (nine).
• Their only clashes with top-six sides (Coventry City and Portsmouth) come in the next three matches.

March

Sat 7: Coventry C (H)

Sat 14: Bristol Rov (a)

Sat 21: Portsmouth (H)

April

Sat 4: Southend Utd (H)

Fri 10: Bolton Wand (H)

Mon 13: Shrewsbury Tn (a)

Sat 18: Rochdale (H)

Sat 25: Doncaster Rov (a)

May

Sun 3: MK Dons (H)

10th, Doncaster Rovers

P33, 51pts

• Only have one game over Easter, due to the missing game with Bury.
• Eight of their final 11 games are on the road, where they have a mixed record.
• Four of their next five games are against bottom-half sides.

March

Sat 7: MK Dons (a)

Sat 14: AFC Wimbledon (H)         

Tues 17: Portsmouth (a)

Sat 21: Accrington Stan (a)

Tues 24: Bolton Wand (a)

Sat 28: Burton Alb (a)

April

Sat 4: Tranmere Rov (H)

Fri 10: Lincoln C (a)

Sat 18: Rotherham Utd (a)

Sat 25: Ipswich Tn (H)

May

Sun 3: Blackpool (a)

11th, Gillingham

P34, 50pts

• Have an eight-point gap to make up in ten games.
• Still have to play five of the top six (including away games at Sunderland, Rotherham United and Wycombe Wanderers).
• They have the worst attack in the top half.

March

Sat 7: Sunderland (a)

Sat 14: Fleetwood Tn (H)

Sat 21: MK Dons (a)

Sun 29: Rotherham Utd (a)

April

Sat 4: Accrington Stan (H)

Fri 10: Coventry C (H)

Tues 14: Bolton Wand (a)

Sat 18: Tranmere Rov (H)

Sat 25: Wycombe Wand (a)

May

Sun 3: Bristol Rov (H)

12th, Burton Albion

P33, 47pts

• Have 11 points to make up, but have a game in hand on most.
• Of their four fixtures against teams in the top six, three are at home (Wycombe Wanderers, Sunderland and Portsmouth).
• Have the worst defence in the top half.

March

Sat 7: Lincoln C (a)

Tues 10: Bolton Wand (H)

Sat 14: Wycombe Wand (H)

Sat 21: Rochdale (a)

Sat 28: Doncaster Rov (H)

April

Sat 4: Blackpool (a)

Fri 10: Shrewsbury Tn (H)

Mon 13: Bristol Rov (a)

Sat 18: Sunderland (H)

Sat 25: Coventry C (a)

May

Sun 3: Portsmouth (H)

• Pictures by David Fleming, PA Wire, Richard Parkes