Promotion thread 2024/25

[ILoveMoonPig]

I'm actually relieved that we aren't in the playoff spot as it stands. It feels better challenging for it from outside and maybe nicking it, than to have it in your own hands to lose.

I get flashbacks to how tough it felt the year Sir Steve's team got relegated and we lost about 8 must-win games in a row.

[tidus_mi2]

Huddersfield have oxf*rd us over so much in recent years, I'd dread going into the final day needing them to do us a favour.

[stealthpapes]

Leyton Orient (72 pts)

Wycombe (3rd) H
Huddersfield (9th) A
Average position: 6
Form: LDWWWW - 13pts

Reading (72 pts)

Bristol R (21st) A
Barnsley (12th) H
Average position: 16.5
Form: LWWDLW - 10 pts

Bolton (66 pts - maximum 72 pts)

Peterborough (17th) A
Stevenage (14th) H
Average position: 15.5
Form: WWLLLL - 6pts

Blackpool (63 pts - maximum 72 pts)

Wigan (15th) A
Birmingham (1st) H
Bristol Rovers (21st) H
Average position: 12.3
Form: WWWLWL - 12pts

Going to the final day, then?
Bolton and Blackpool effectively out of it. Can only match us, and Bolton's GD is negative.
Huddersfield collapse out of it, maybe giving Leyton O a dead rubber on the last day.

[Snowflake Royal]

Fair play to Orient, not much you can argue with if they win all their last six, including more than one from losing positions.

And Lincoln showing that their victory over us was hardly a fluke by demolishing Bolton.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

If we're going to make it, Saturday will be the day we do it. Both of us have dead rubber opponents last day against out of form mid table sides.

Orient's Sat opponents Wycombe will see this as last chance must win with Wrexham having a tough game against a Charlton side on fire atm.

[Sutekh]

Right after today’s results Bolton, Blackpool and Huddersfield have as good as blown their chances of the play offs, they can only reach 72 points which both Reading and Orient already have. The only way to sneak in for them now is to win all their remaining games and hope both Reading and Orient lose all theirs.

At the top Birmingham are already promoted so the battle for 2nd is underway between Wrexham, Wycombe, Charlton and Stockport, the remaining games for these clubs are as follows:

26th April
Leyton Orient v Wycombe Wanderers
Stockport County v Lincoln City
Wrexham v Charlton Athletic

3rd May
Charlton Athletic v Burton Albion
Lincoln City v Wrexham
Wycombe Wanderers v Stockport County

6th place is a two way battle between Leyton Orient and Reading, really can’t see both sides losing both their remaining games so Reading will have to do their utmost to get more points out of their two remaining games than Orient get from their two remaining games. Unless Reading get two massive wins to make up the goal difference (currently +20 v +11) then they can’t qualify if they finish level with Leyton.

Remaining games:

26th April
Bristol Rovers v Reading
Leyton Orient v Wycombe Wanderers

3rd May
Huddersfield Town v Leyton Orient
Reading v Barnsley

It would be so much easier if only Reading had managed at least one draw against Orient this season - or if Reading hadn’t got a pilchard as a ref at Birmingham or managed to not concede last minute goals at Burton or Crawley etc.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Although Lincoln on Friday was a shocking result the one that haunts me and may well be the one that kills the dream is that injury time goal we conceded at Crawley Town . The league table never lies , we can only win our last two games and hope

[Stranded]

Although Lincoln on Friday was a shocking result the one that haunts me and may well be the one that kills the dream is that injury time goal we conceded at Crawley Town . The league table never lies , we can only win our last two games and hope

If we miss out, then it will purely be down to the head to head against Orient - we take a point in one of those 2 games and the play-offs are ours to lose.

*Interesting fact - 8 of our 12 defeats have come against just 4 clubs - Stockport, Orient, Blackpool and Lincoln have all done the double over us.

In the games against the other 19 clubs - our record to date P36 W20 D12 L4

[stealthpapes]

Although Lincoln on Friday was a shocking result the one that haunts me and may well be the one that kills the dream is that injury time goal we conceded at Crawley Town . The league table never lies , we can only win our last two games and hope

Burton away as well.

There's a few others but those two are the most gutting.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Although Lincoln on Friday was a shocking result the one that haunts me and may well be the one that kills the dream is that injury time goal we conceded at Crawley Town . The league table never lies , we can only win our last two games and hope

Burton away as well.

There's a few others but those two are the most gutting.

Especially as we were generally poor from start to finish against Lincoln; we never got going so can't argue with the result.

Whereas we did enough to win/draw the Crawley and Burton games and threw them away.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm sure Orient could point to some similar results. There's always some over the course of a season.

[stealthpapes]

Fair.

It shows the ruthlessness that I think we'll need to build on in future seasons. The spine of a team is in place, it needs depth in the right places and a few players with that ability to change games.

[Stranded]

I'm sure Orient could point to some similar results. There's always some over the course of a season.

Yep - The 3-0 defeat at Shrewsbury stands out like a sore thumb plus Northampton did the double over them.

They also only took 1 point off Burton.

The biggest difference at the mo is they have won 7 games by 3 or more goals to our 4.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm sure Orient could point to some similar results. There's always some over the course of a season.

Yep - The 3-0 defeat at Shrewsbury stands out like a sore thumb plus Northampton did the double over them.

They also only took 1 point off Burton.

The biggest difference at the mo is they have won 7 games by 3 or more goals to our 4.

Which comes back to selling Azeez and replacing him with Campbell, pushing Wing deeper and selling Smith in January.

You can't take ~20 goals out a side and expect to have a strong GD (or be competing for 7th tbh)

[stealthpapes]

Yeah, when you listed the players we've lost from last season, plus the losses from Jan the season before, it's insane that we've basically added Campbell (plus Bodin and Carroll in Jan/Feb, but they've not played that many minutes) and improved.

Plus throw in the lack of experienced full backs for most of the year - we had Craig covering before his injury and a 17 year old.

And to have it go down to the line, certain to go to the last day now, with us hoping on a not-unexpected result to get into the play offs?

[Snowflake Royal]

I think it shows what an exceptionally bad start we had last season, and that despite what some might say, we have a strong L1 squad. Weakened this season, but quality hampered by some inexperience

[Stranded]

Yeah, when you listed the players we've lost from last season, plus the losses from Jan the season before, it's insane that we've basically added Campbell (plus Bodin and Carroll in Jan/Feb, but they've not played that many minutes) and improved.

Plus throw in the lack of experienced full backs for most of the year - we had Craig covering before his injury and a 17 year old.

And to have it go down to the line, certain to go to the last day now, with us hoping on a not-unexpected result to get into the play offs?

Yeah it's a crazy achievement really - you could argue the season was "derailed" by Selles leaving as it took Hunt a few games to find his feet before things seemed to begin to improve.

Whilst it will mathematically go down to the last day, a defeat at Rovers coupled with an Orient home win v Wycombe will kill the race off bar a crazy goal swing on the last day.

Will be a shame to miss out but if someone had said that with 2 games to go you would be guaranteed to finish at least 7th, we would have snapped their arm off.

[andrew1957]

If we win both games and Orient pip us by winning 6 in a row - the last 4 from losing positions, you would have to take your hat off for them and say they deserve it. I just hope we win the last 2 to keep the pressure on.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

If we win both games and Orient pip us by winning 6 in a row - the last 4 from losing positions, you would have to take your hat off for them and say they deserve it. I just hope we win the last 2 to keep the pressure on.

Yep agree.

You end up where you deserve to after 46 games.

Injuries & last min goals etc conceded all part of it. We've had a few of them our way under Noel, one against Bolton.

[Hendo]

Wouldn't be against Orient winning the play-offs if they do get in, following the run they've had. So often the team who comes from nowhere just carries that momentum through.