Football League Promotion: Hull, Yeovil and Port Vale make hay

 

With promotion battles raging throughout the Football League, Christian Crowther takes a swing at who might eventually win the wars...

 

Championship

Cardiff edged ever closer to the hallowed Premier League land on Saturday by earning a precious point at Vicarage Road, while others battling for play-off places stalled. In drawing with the leaders, Watford's bid to finish second took a nasty dent, with Hull capitalising fully by beating back-pedalling Middlesbrough 1-0, lifting them three points clear of the Hornets. It's now just a single league victory in five games for Watford and, even if Hull continue on their win one, lose one streak in the remaining games; an extra six points may well be enough to see them up automatically on current form. Hull are currently 1.6 to finish in the top two.

 

Bolton were the other main benefactors from the weekend, taking advantage of a continuing lack of cutting edge from the other main contenders for promotion. Wanderers collected their seventh win in nine games to move within two points of Brighton in sixth. On current form, Bolton look a great bet to gatecrash the play-offs and go up at 11.0, with Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Leicester above them all winless in at least their last three.

 

League One

The League One promotion picture is fascinating and now looks split between a two-team title tilt and anything up to a six-way tussle for the play-off spots. In second place, Eddie Howe's Bournemouth kept up the heat on Doncaster by recording their sixth straight win against Notts County, while Donny held their nerve to beat play-off hopefuls Tranmere, keeping themselves two points clear of the Cherries with a game in hand (at home to Carlisle on Tuesday). With only three games left for the Cherries to change the picture, Rovers are understandably rated 1.84 favourite for the crown, while Bournemouth are available at 4.5.

 

Yeovil's second consecutive win allowed them to climb into third as not one other team down to Preston in 16th managed to secure victory. With the bit between their teeth, the Glovers price of 6.5 for promotion holds real attraction.

 

League Two

Port Vale's swashbuckling 7-1 win over promotion rivals Burton all but secured them a top-three spot as they moved six points clear of Cheltenham in fourth. After such a convincing win, Vale are now rated at 1.03 to go up. Leaders Gillingham became the first team to gain promotion in the Football League by consigning Torquay to within a whisker of the relegation places. Although the Gills have not mathematically sewn up the title, an eight-point cushion with three left to play has them installed at 1.07 to see the job through.

 

Despite Northampton's second straight loss, they remain third - rated at 1.92 for promotion - as all four play-off occupants down to Exeter in seventh also recorded defeats. Bradford were the big beneficiaries, moving to within two points of the wobbling Grecians with a game in hand. With momentum on their side, Phil Parkinson's team are 5.2 to achieve promotion.

 

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