Bromley Are Victorious, Agony For Harrogate and Barrow: EFL League Two Final Day Roundup - Highlights, Scores and Results

Bromley Are Victorious, Agony For Harrogate and Barrow: EFL League Two Final Day Roundup - Highlights, Scores and Results

The English Football League, or tiers two to four of English football, have officially drawn to a close on Saturday afternoon.

League Two offered up a host of crunch matches on the final day, with the title race, playoff places and the relegation spots still yet to be decided.

The weekend had twists and turns around every corner, with some sides leaving the field in jubilation with promotion secured, or a chance in the playoffs earned; or feeling devastated at the prospect of playing National League football in August.

Without further ado, allow me to guide you through these crucial matches as they happened.

A Back-And-Forth Title Race Finally Won

Bromley 3-1 Walsall Thompson (37'), Pinnock (60'), Sowunmi (67'); Okeke (63').

London outfit Bromley have spent many of the past months on top of the fourth tier, and after securing promotion with a healthy lead, would have liked to have the title wrapped up coming into the final day. However, a late surge by MK Dons left the Ravens second as they got ready to host Walsall at the Copperjax.

A crowd of almost 5,000 fans came to cheer on the hosts, who were looking to enter the third tier in style. After a cagey opening half hour, the game opened up, and it was Bromley who struck first through Ben Thompson.

Heading into the interval, Bromley were in first place due MK Dons' result at Fleetwood, and soon after they had even more to cheer about. Mitchell Pinnock was the man to bag next, netting just his second of the campaign.

Despite substitute Jid Okeke's best efforts to get his side back into the game shortly after, it was centre-back Omar Sowunmi's goal that put the match to bed and sealed a historic league title.

Fleetwood 1-1 MK Dons Coughlan (24'); Paterson (37').

As aforementioned, MK Dons' second half surge this season had them right in contention for the title following a slow start to the campaign, and all Paul Warne's side needed to do was defeat midtable Fleetwood to secure the title.

However, 2016 was the last time that Dons walked out of Highbury Stadium with a victory, and their misfortune continued less than half an hour into proceedings, as Ronan Coughlan's strike beat Craig MacGillivray in goal to put the home side ahead.

The visitors looked for an instant response, and after turning on the heat they found their goal in the 37th minute, courtesy of Callum Paterson, whose 16th goal of the season got them back into the title race.

Dons had to start the second period in style, but despite the plenty of chances emerging, the finishing touch was missing as the game ended in a stalemate - it was a sour end to the campaign for MK Dons, but they will be pleased to return to League One.

Cambridge Earn Automatics as Playoff Hunt Comes Down to the Wire

Crewe 0-0 Cambridge

Occupying the final automatic promotion spot heading into the final day's play, Cambridge knew that victory in Crewe would secure their immediate return to the third tier.

The match began and continued to lean the way of the visitors from the get-go, with Neil Harris' side piling on the pressure and Crewe offering little to no response.

As the game progressed, chances started to fly Cambridge's way, with them finding three strong opportunities to win the match deep into stoppage time. However, Ian Lawlor matched them all to share the points meaning the U's still gain promotion due to other results.

Notts County 1-1 Bristol Rovers Tsaroulla (27'); Harrison (55').

Notts County also entered the final day vying for an automatic spot to League One after lurking around the area for a majority of the season. In their way? A Bristol Rovers side in 14th who were in a rich vein of form heading into the game following their incredible second half of the campaign causing people to completely forget about the relegation worries back at Christmas.

Realistically, County required Cambridge to lose at Crewe to avoid having to overturn a 10+ goal differential. The first half was all the home side too, making good ground towards three points, and they earned their reward at the half hour mark.

Nicholas Tsaroulla scored his second in two games to give his side as best of a chance as possible. It was not long after the interval that the scores were level once again, however, as Ellis Harrison scored a neat strike from a tight angle with a goal which would end up being the only of the second period, meaning Notts County will have to settle with a playoff spot.

Swindon 1-2 Chesterfield Middlemas (45'); Bonis (19'), Markanday (61').

Next on the League Two list of chaos was potentially the most intriguing match of the day. Swindon welcomed Chesterfield to The Nigel Eady County Ground in a match that would decide who would earn a playoff spot and who would have to do this all over again next season.

With home advantage and having spent a majority of the campaign in the top four, Swindon would have been quietly confident to secure the final playoff spot in front of a home crowd, however, they quickly learned it was not going to be made easy.

After just 19 minutes Lee Bonis opened the scoring to put the away fans into fine voice. The hosts looked for a way back into the game, but Chesterfield were shutting them down at every turn. A lapse in concentration before half-time, however, put the game level.

Ben Middlemas was the scorer as a result of a quick counter attack to get them back into contention of a playoff spot. Both sides started fighting tooth and nail for a winner, and it was won on the hour mark by Dilan Markanday as Armando Dobra earned his second assist of the game to send the away end into raptures. Chesterfield held on, and they could be looking at two promotions within three seasons.

Tranmere 1-1 Grimsby Smith (64'); Amaluzor (43').

The last side to secure a dream spot in the League Two playoffs was Grimsby Town, and although in hindsight they did not even need a point against Tranmere, they would have liked to secure a better playoff seed.

It was Justin Amaluzor who put the visitors deservedly in front just before the break against a Tranmere side fighting to retain their League Two credentials. With 25 minutes to go, it was Nathan Smith who levelled the scores in what was a crucial goal for the hosts.

Both sides were overjoyed when the final whistle went, for very different reasons - Tranmere survive, but Grimsby's season is not over just yet.

Up Together, Down Together

Barrow 1-2 Newport County McCann (8'); Davies (76'), Kamwa (83').

Barrow came into the final day needing a miracle to avoid relegation, with them three points and eight goals adrift at the start of play. And what a start they got off to.

It was all out attack from the outset and it took Charlie McCann just eight minutes to put his side in front. Surprisingly, however, despite such an end to end game, the score remained heading into the break. Shortly after half-time, Barrow earned themselves a valuable opportunity to double their lead from the spot through Josh Gordon but his miss kept the score at 1-0.

Despite their best efforts, Barrow could not find anymore goals and were pegged back by a spell of brilliance from the visitors. Both Thomas Davies and Bobby Kamwa struck within a matter of minutes to all but secure Newport County's place in League Two for another season - as for Barrow, it is a goodbye for now.

Harrogate 1-2 Barnet Morris (29' pen); Stead (5'), Chinedu (82').

Another side who started the day in the bottom two was Harrogate Town, a side who after a number of safe displays over the past few seasons had started to run out of steam.

They had to face Barnet, who, after an eight-game unbeaten run could not quite make the top seven. They did smash Gillingham for six last week, with Callum Stead netting five, and he started this fixture where he left off last week, putting the hosts on the back foot early on.

Harrogate never backed down from the fight, however, and found themselves a foot back in the door on the half hour mark, after Bryn Morris converted his penalty to draw the score level.

Limited changes came from the home side, who started the second period the likelier to find a winner. The visitors didn't have many shots over the course of the game, but they were clinical when Harrogate were not, and a goal for 19-year-old Phillip Chinedu was not only his second goal in professional football but also the goal to seal Harrogate's fate.

Crawley 0-0 Salford

Heading into the game above the drop zone on goal difference, Crawley would have been thinking back to back relegations was a real possibility considering they welcomed playoff contenders Salford.

From the outset it was backs against the wall type football from the hosts as Salford looked for a win to secure an unlikely automatic spot. Chance after chance came Salford's way while the hosts' nervous start continued as they had to make an early substitution.

Crawley dug ever so deep throughout, and despite Salford accumulating over 2.0 xG, they couldn't breach the defence. Crawley survive by a point, and the Class of '92 will get ready to watch their side in the playoffs against Grimsby.

Colchester End on a High, Oldham Make Statement on EFL Return

Cheltenham 1-4 Colchester Miller (55'); Tovide (2'), Read (23'), Anderson (31'), Barbrook (90').

Many would have tipped Colchester to push for the playoff spots at the start of the campaign but the ability to remain consistent always hurt them, but they hoped to end their season on a high against a below-par Cheltenham.

The visitors were hot off the tracks in the fixture, with Samson Tovide, Arthur Read, and Harry Anderson putting them three goals to the good within just half an hour.

George Miller did get a goal back early in the second half for the hosts, but a late goal for Finley Barbrook sealed a magnificent final day for a clinical Colchester.

Oldham 3-0 Accrington Simeu (26'), Taylor (64'), Leake (75').

The Latics' promotion back to the football league last season would have enlightened many football fans, and they enjoyed a thrilling season on their return.

Starting the day in the top half was brilliant but ending the day in the top 10 was simply a dream. Dynel Simeu's early goal got them off to a steady start against an Accrington side who had won just once in their last 14 games.

It was goals from Kane Taylor and Jake Leake, however, which really sealed the deal, putting a cherry on top for a season which Oldham will hope to build on in years to come.

Gillingham 1-0 Shrewsbury McCleary (90').

Lastly, a Gillingham side led by a 36-year-old Sam Vokes welcomed a Shrewsbury side in another dead rubber. The game lacked many sparks either, although the Shrews dominated in every way possible aside from the scoreline.

Chances were hard to come by for the hosts at Priestfield, but they did give fans a result to be proud of with Garath McCleary's late winner providing a solid response to their 6-2 defeat by Barnet seven days ago.