Recent run boosts play-off hopes for under-23s
When the under-23s were beaten at Reading four weeks ago, any hopes of reaching the play-offs in Premier League looked to be all but over, that was until we followed that up with nine points from the three games since which has given us a chance.
The champions go up to Division 1 automatically with one more promotion place on offer which is decided by play-off games between the next four. Fulham were long favourites to win the league; they did so some time ago and no other team can come close to them now as they currently sit twenty points clear at the top.
The four in pole position for the play-offs right now are Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Stoke and Wolves. We are five points behind Wolves and like them have four games to play, but Norwich and Forest only have two to play and a winning end to the season could see us get into the top five although it would probably need us to win most if not all of the four games.
Two of those wins have come against the two teams directly above us and we still have fourth place Stoke to play with a final game of the season to come at Fulham, and undoubtedly they are the best team I’ve seen this season.
Although Fulham’s promotion was guaranteed weeks ago, there are no confirmed relegations yet although Derby are hanging on by a thread at the bottom of Division 1 some seven points behind next to bottom Chelsea. Those two are favourites to drop although Everton and Leeds are under the most threat.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are favourites to win the league. Only West Ham can prevent that but they sit six points behind with a game in hand. If West Ham were to win all of their three remaining games it would leave City to win at least one of their two remaining games.
There are games being played over this weekend and, for us, if we can continue our recent good form with a win against West Brom, the key game could be Wolves v Newcastle next Monday.
The player featured this week is winger/striker Dara Costelloe who has scored nine league and cup goals since mid-December.
The League Tables and our Fixtures and Results can be found within U23/U18 Stats on the top menu.
All last week’s results and this week’s fixtures are below along with, the league’s leading goalscorers, our goalscorers and the current league tables.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Division 1
Friday 8th April
Blackburn 2 West Ham 0
Manchester United 1 Chelsea 0
Division 2
Friday 8th April
Burnley 5 Newcastle 1
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES
Division 1
Friday 15th April
Brighton v Leeds
Everton v Chelsea
Leicester v Derby
Sunday 17th April
Liverpool v West Ham
Monday 18th April
Leicester v Blackburn
Division 2
Friday 15th April
Burnley v West Brom
Middlesbrough v Wolves
Monday 18th April
Sunderland v Aston Villa
Wolves v Newcastle
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Division 1
18: James Mcatee (Manchester City)
14: Folarin Balogun (Arsenal), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Crystal Palace)
12: Dilan Markanday (Tottenham), Armstrong Oko-Flex (West Ham)
Division 2
15: Abu Kamara (Norwich)
13: Thomas Dickson-Peters (Norwich)
12: Kazeem Olaigbe (Southampton), Will Swann (Nottingham Forest)
10: Will Harris (Sunderland), Dylan Stephenson (Newcastle)
BURNLEY’S GOALSCORERS (INCLUDING CUPS)
10: Michael Mellon
9: Dara Costelloe
7: Joe McGlynn
6: Max Thompson
5: Ne-Jai Tucker, Ben Woods
4: Sam Unwin
2: Jacob Bedeau, Owen Dodgson, Anthony Glennon
1: Finlay Armstrong, Ashley Barnes, Rob Harker, Richard Nartey, Lewis Richardson, Bobby Thomas
2: own goals
LEAGUE TABLES
| Team | pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts |
| Manchester City | 24 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 55 | 31 | 48 |
| West Ham | 23 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 50 | 33 | 42 |
| Arsenal | 24 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 54 | 46 | 39 |
| Manchester United | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 44 | 39 | 38 |
| Tottenham | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 43 | 33 |
| Crystal Palace | 23 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 47 | 45 | 33 |
| Liverpool | 23 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 37 | 36 | 31 |
| Leicester | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 44 | 31 |
| Brighton | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 39 | 39 | 30 |
| Blackburn | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 43 | 48 | 29 |
| Leeds | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 42 | 44 | 26 |
| Everton | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 28 | 43 | 26 |
| Chelsea | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 32 | 39 | 22 |
| Derby | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 29 | 47 | 15 |
| Team | pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts |
| Fulham | 24 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 58 | 21 | 59 |
| Norwich | 24 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 62 | 47 | 39 |
| Nottingham Forest | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 48 | 30 | 38 |
| Stoke | 23 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 33 | 38 |
| Wolves | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 33 | 37 |
| Newcastle | 23 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 45 | 47 | 35 |
| Southampton | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 40 | 40 | 33 |
| Burnley | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 38 | 31 | 32 |
| West Brom | 23 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 38 | 47 | 32 |
| Aston Villa | 23 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 48 | 46 | 29 |
| Birmingham | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 46 | 26 |
| Middlesbrough | 23 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 28 | 45 | 22 |
| Sunderland | 23 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 44 | 21 |
| Reading | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 53 | 20 |
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