A guide to the League Two promotion battle

Following Bury's victory over Burton last night, Wycombe Wanderers have dropped to 3rd in the table and currently occupy the final automatic promotion place in League Two.

All the teams in the top half of the table have now played the same number of games and have only five remaining fixtures.

Teams as low as 10th in the table will still hope to make the play-offs, but only the top eight are realistic contenders for a top-three spot.

With Chesterfield virtually home and dry, seven teams are effectively battling for the remaining two automatic promotion places.

There's a fine line between triumph and disaster with only five points separating Wycombe in the final automatic spot and Accrington who sit just outside the play-offs in 8th place.

With things so tight, it could eventually come down to goal difference or even goals scored, neither of which would favour Wycombe at the moment.

The top eight teams all play three of their final five games at home.

Here's a look at how they currently stand, who they still have to play, and each team's form over the last five games.


Chesterfield - 78 points (Goal Difference +32, Goals scored 78)

Macclesfield (H)
Oxford (A)
Bury (H)
Torquay (A)
Gillingham (H)

The Spireites face three teams from the top-eight, one from the middle and one from the bottom-eight.

They can finish with a maximum of 93 points.

In their last five games they've collected 7 points


Bury - 71 points (Gd +30, Gs 72)

Barnet (H)
Lincoln (H)
Chesterfield (A)
Wycombe (H)
Stevenage (A)

The Shakers face three from the top and two from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 86 points.

In their last five games they've collected 10 points.


Wycombe - 69 points (Gd +13, Gs 59)

Northampton (H)
Torquay (A)
Crewe (H)
Bury (A)
Southend (H)

The Chairboys face two from the top, two from the middle and one from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 84 points.

In their last five games they've collected 9 points.


Shrewsbury - 66 points (Gd +15, Gs 64)

Stockport (H)
Hereford (A)
Accrington (H)
Cheltenham (A)
Oxford (H)

The Shrews face one from the top, two from the middle and two from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 81 points.

In their last five games they've collected 10 points.


Torquay - 64 points (Gd +23, Gs 70)

Port Vale (H)
Wycombe (H)
Burton (A)
Chesterfield (H)
Rotherham (A)

The Gulls face two from the top, two from the middle and one from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 79 points.

In their last five games they've collected 11 points.


Stevenage - 64 points (Gd +19, Gs 56)

Aldershot (H)
Southend (A)
Port Vale (H)
Northampton (A)
Bury (H)

Boro play one from the top, three from the middle and one from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 79 points.

In their last five games they've collected 13 points.


Gillingham - 64 points (Gd +15, Gs 60)

Morecambe (H)
Barnet (H)
Rotherham (A)
Macclesfield (H)
Chesterfield (A)

The Gills face one from the top, two from the middle and two from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 79 points.

In their last five games they've collected 11 points.


Accrington - 64 points (Gd +13, Gs 66)

Oxford (H)
Bradford (H)
Shrewsbury (A)
Barnet (H)
Burton (A)

Stanley play one from the top, two from the middle and two from the bottom.

They can finish with a maximum of 79 points.

In their last five games they've collected 11 points.


So there you have it. Who takes the final two automatic promotion places and who suffers the heartbreak of finishing 8th remains to be seen, but it certainly has all the ingredients necessary for a nailbiting end to the season. Vital will update this guide to the run-in after each round of matches.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.