Cheltenham Town 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 3

Ade Azeez sealed a final day win for Daggers and an end-of-season bonus for his teammates.

Charlton loanee striker Azeez knocked in the rebound for his third of the season in the 67th minute after debutant keeper Connor Roberts had done well to push defender Gavin Hoyte's effort from the edge of the area on to the post.

The goal ensured Dagenham finished the season in ninth place and Azeez then revealed:

"A few of the boys came to thank me at the end because they get a bonus for finishing in the top twelve. I don't think I qualify, but they told me they'll spend theirs on a holiday."

And he joked:

"The gaffer said he thinks they'll get about £5.80 each so it might just get them a taxi to the airport." 

Azeez is now hoping to find a new team, but admitted:

"At this time of year there are a lot of very good players out there looking for clubs, but I felt I had to leave Charlton to play regularly against real men rather than Under-21s."

Cheltenham skipper Steve Elliott's headed opener from rookie Joe Hank's free kick was cancelled out by fellow defender Sido Jombati who curled a back pass in from 25 yards to stun Roberts.

Full back Jombati was under no pressure when he overhit a 21st minute right flank back pass to Roberts, but only succeeded in curling past the Wales Under-21 stopper.

Jombati is one of several Cheltenham players who will learn this week if they are to be offered new deals, but boss Mark Yates said:

"The own goal sums us up this season. You'll have to ask Sido what he was trying to do. It was one of the worst I've seen.

"I haven't seen anything like it. We play some good stuff and then throw away the lead. I felt really sorry for Connor. It was a terrible ball.",

Midfielder Richards then restored Cheltenham's lead with his eighth goal of the season in the 24th minute when his low shot from just inside the box deflected off Hoyte and looped over keeper Jordan Seabright.

But central defender Scott Doe opened his Daggers account for the season one minute before the break when he tapped in midfielder Billy Bingham's left wing free kick at the far post.

Delighted Daggers manager Wayne Burnett said: 

"The players never cease to amaze me and have surpassed all my expectations. At one point we had three youth-team players on the pitch and that is fantastic because they are the foundations to this football club.

"We were odds on to go down at the start of the season and we'll probably be odds on to go down next season, but we finished above Portsmouth. Wow! The remit was to stay up and we did that."

Oxford United 1 Accrington Stanley 2

James Gray taught his dad's Oxford mates a lesson, but it's a former teacher who drives him on.

Gray, 21, set up co-striker Kayode Odejayi for the first half opener before adding the 55th minute winner to make sure Accrington beat the threat of dropping out of the league before revealing:

"I set out every day to prove people wrong. In particular my old PE teacher who told me I'd never make it as a professional when I was thirteen."

Gray's dad, Phil, played for Oxford and Sunderland and the impressive Northern Ireland under-21 hit man said:

"He's been giving me a bit of friendly stick as I hadn't scored since December, but he'll be pleased I scored against one of his former teams especially as he has a few friends like Andy Melville on the coaching staff."

Rotherham loanee Odejayi, 32, admitted he has been impressed with rookie manager James Beattie and said:

"He's been positive since I walked through the door back in September. He's a top man. He was a player in the dressing room last year and so has had to make that transition, but he's done it and should go on to have a great career."

Accrington took thirteen league games to record their fist win, but Beattie was delighted to secure the club's league status and said:

"The recovery is now 100 per cent complete. All season we believed.

"We embarked on a journey when I walked through the door and in my fledgling managerial career it has to be a highlight to keep the club in the football league for another year."

Ryan Williams pulled a goal back for Oxford, but manager Gary Waddock was furious that his team had blown a play-off place having topped the table in December. He blasted:

"There was a lack of hunger and desire and we don't want a football team like that. That's not a Gary Waddock team. Come the start of next season, I'll be judged on the team I put together."

"We have a losing culture here and we have to change that. What I saw was just not acceptable. I know what needs to be done, and there will be a lot of work in the summer."

Gray had another angled shot well saved by keeper Ryan Clarke for the opener in the eighteenth minute, but strike partner Odejayi was first to react to bury the rebound for his seventh of the campaign from eight yards.

Clarke shut out Accrington twice in the first fourteen minutes with two smart saves.

Central defender drilled a low shot through a crowded box from ten yards in the third minute, but Clarke pushed it past his upright and the keeper then got down to save Gray's downward header from close in.

Bristol Rovers 1 Rochdale 2

Matty Lund sent Dale to the top of the table - and edged Rovers closer to the trap door.

Midfielder Lund tapped in his ninth goal of the season from one yard after left back Michael Rose's low cross somehow made its way to the far post through a crowded box.

Delighted Rochdale chief Keith Hill said:

"After the last two games when we've lost both 3-0, you think you're out of the title race, but we're not."

Substitute Joe Bunney had levelled in the 46th minute after racing on to a pass from striker George Donnelly to rifle in from a tight angle.

Midfielder Kaid Mohamed gave relegation threatened Rovers false hope when his toe-poked opener hit the post from ten yards before trickling across the line despite Rochdale protests.

Disappointed Rovers manager Darrell Clarke said:

"They're all crunch games now. We've got to keep going, keep fighting."

Cheltenham Town 1 Fleetwood Town 2

Josh Morris found the net for the first time to keep the Cod Army's promotion hopes alive.

Blackburn loanee midfielder Morris, 22, proved he is a great catch when ran on to a slick pass from striker David Ball to smash in his first senior goal from the left side of the box in the 64th minute.

Delighted Fleetwood manager Graham Alexander saw his team move to within three points of an automatic promotion place and seal a play-off place, but admitted:

"We put ourselves on the back foot in the first half and had to dig deep to get the three points. We didn't rant and rave at half time, just talked to the players calmly and I thought the response was great. They deserved the win."

Veteran striker Jamie Cureton, 38, brought the game to life in the 32nd minute with his ninth goal of the season.

Midfielder Harry Williams saw keeper Chris Maxwell do well to get down and save his low strike from eight yards, but Cureton pounced to fire in the rebound from the left side of the six yard box.

Midfielder Antoni Sarcevic pulled Fleetwood back into the game from the spot in the 55th minute.

Robins midfielder Matt Richards hauled down Iain Hume as the Preston loan striker darted into the right side of the box and Sarcevic blasted in his fourteenth of the campaign.

Maxwell played a big part in the win when he pulled off two great second half finger tip saves.

Defenders Sido Jombati and Steve Elliott both had Maxwell dive at full stretch to keep his team ahead as Cheltenham pressed for an equaliser.

Furious Cheltenham boss Mark Yates groaned:

"We seem to find ways to lose games. Words fail me. We've done what we've done well all season and thrown away the lead."

Bristol Rovers 1 Torquay United 2

Shaquile Coulthirst has put his Premier League ambitions on hold to join Torquay's unlikely fight for survival.

The Gulls are already seven points from safety with only four games left, but Tottenham loanee Coulthirst, 20, scored the first and set up the winner for skipper Lee Mansell.

England Under-19 striker Coulthirst signed up for the basement battle at the end of March after a chat with Tottenham manager, Tim Sherwood. He revealed:

"I have another year on my contract there and that's where I see my future, but I was definitely up for the challenge with Torquay when the boss called me on deadline day.

"Surprisingly, when I arrived the spirit was quite high. Everyone believed we could stay up and it's had an effect on me too. If we can win next week it'll make it interesting. We have no pressure on us, but the other teams do."

Torquay manager. Chris Hargreaves is refusing to throw in the towel and said:

"When I took the job I was told it was to keep us up or bring us back up, but I have to believe we can stay up and I genuinely do. We still have Wycombe to play and if we can win our next game, who knows?

"It is still a massive uphill battle. But it is my job to produce a team for the future whatever league we find ourselves in and I have to take encouragement from what I saw."

Rovers central defender Danny Woodards scored an injury time consolation, but boss Darrell Clarke saw his team fall to within one point of the drop zone and heard them jeered off at the final whistle.

Clarke said:

“We deserved the stick we got. I am here to stand up and be counted, and I need the players to do exactly the same thing.

Rovers came close to opening the scoring in the first six minutes when striker Chris Beardsley nodded full back Lee Brown's cross inches over from six yards and then central defender Krystian Pearce nearly turned the ball into his own net before Rice saved on the line.

Cheltenham Town 1 Southend United 2

Barry Corr and Kevan Hurst are on a mission to settle some unfinished business at Wembley.

The pair grabbed a goal each to keep Southend firmly in the play-off race.

Striker Corr, 29, cancelled out Byron Harrison's first half opener in the 64th minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute, before revealing:

"We lost in the Johnstone's Paint final at Wembley last season. I was on the bench and gutted not to play. I'd love to be back in the starting eleven and win there."

Corr was making his first appearance after completing a three match ban following a red card picked up against Bury. He said:

"It was unfortunate and a bit silly from me, so it was good to get the goal to repay the boys a bit. That's three wins on the bounce for us and at this time of the season building some momentum as you go into the play-offs.

And winger Hurst, 28, is determined to banish his own bad memories of Wembley. He explained:

"I've been there five times and only won once when I was with Scunthorpe when they were promoted, but I was injured and missed the final. Hopefully it will be sixth time lucky for me."

Delighted Shrimpers manager Phil Brown was especially pleased for Corr and said:

"It was brilliant for Barry who has had a bit of a tough time. He has had a harsh red card and a three-game ban. He then has to suffer the indignity of a club fine. To have him on the bench was just fantastic."

Furious Cheltenham boss Mark Yates called his players 'pathetic' and said:

"Maybe it is time to give one or two of the young kids a game - I can't wait for this season to end."

It was Brown's inspired substitution that kept Southend in the play-off places and killed off Cheltenham's lingering hopes.

Brown brought on Corr in the 62nd minute to ruffle the Robins' feathers.

Former Sunderland boss Brown added:

"One or two harsh words were said at half time. We made substitutions in a positive manner and it got us the win. Barry has worked hard for us and deserved his goal."

Striker Corr drilled in a low shot from just inside the area for his ninth goal of the season.

Hurst sealed the win three minutes later when he raced on to a defence splitting pass from midfielder Ryan Leonard and chipped in his twelfth goal of the campaign over keeper Scott Brown from twelve yards.

Striker Byron Harrison had opened the scoring for Cheltenham in added time at the end of the first half.

Winger Jermaine McGlashan laid the ball back to the edge of the box and Harrison drilled a low shot past keeper Daniel Bentley to notch up his fourteenth goal of the season.

But Yates blasted:

"The players know that I'm the angriest man in the world tonight. We stopped doing our jobs for ten minutes."

Lee Barnard had four chances to put Southend up before the break.

In the sixteenth minute Brown did well to block Barnard's shot from the edge of the box and eight minutes later the striker saw a shot from fourteen yards bobble past the upright.

Barnard then saw Brown claim a 25 yard drive before he glanced a right wing cross from Hurst narrowly wide of the far post.   

Cheltenham Town 1 Southend United 2

Barry Corr and Kevan Hurst are on a mission to settle some unfinished business at Wembley.

The pair grabbed a goal each to keep Southend firmly in the play-off race.

Striker Corr, 29, cancelled out Byron Harrison's first half opener in the 64th minute, shortly after coming on as a substitute, before revealing:

"We lost in the Johnstone's Paint final at Wembley last season. I was on the bench and gutted not to play. I'd love to be back in the starting eleven and win there."

Corr was making his first appearance after completing a three match ban following a red card picked up against Bury. He said:

"It was unfortunate and a bit silly from me, so it was good to get the goal to repay the boys a bit. That's three wins on the bounce for us and at this time of the season building some momentum as you go into the play-offs.

And winger Hurst, 28, is determined to banish his own bad memories of Wembley. He explained:

"I've been there five times and only won once when I was with Scunthorpe when they were promoted, but I was injured and missed the final. Hopefully it will be sixth time lucky for me."

Delighted Shrimpers manager Phil Brown was especially pleased for Corr and said:

"It was brilliant for Barry who has had a bit of a tough time. He has had a harsh red card and a three-game ban. He then has to suffer the indignity of a club fine. To have him on the bench was just fantastic."

Furious Cheltenham boss Mark Yates called his players 'pathetic' and said:

"Maybe it is time to give one or two of the young kids a game - I can't wait for this season to end."

It was Brown's inspired substitution that kept Southend in the play-off places and killed off Cheltenham's lingering hopes.

Brown brought on Corr in the 62nd minute to ruffle the Robins' feathers.

Former Sunderland boss Brown added:

"One or two harsh words were said at half time. We made substitutions in a positive manner and it got us the win. Barry has worked hard for us and deserved his goal."

Striker Corr drilled in a low shot from just inside the area for his ninth goal of the season.

Hurst sealed the win three minutes later when he raced on to a defence splitting pass from midfielder Ryan Leonard and chipped in his twelfth goal of the campaign over keeper Scott Brown from twelve yards.

Striker Byron Harrison had opened the scoring for Cheltenham in added time at the end of the first half.

Winger Jermaine McGlashan laid the ball back to the edge of the box and Harrison drilled a low shot past keeper Daniel Bentley to notch up his fourteenth goal of the season.

But Yates blasted:

"The players know that I'm the angriest man in the world tonight. We stopped doing our jobs for ten minutes."

Lee Barnard had four chances to put Southend up before the break.

In the sixteenth minute Brown did well to block Barnard's shot from the edge of the box and eight minutes later the striker saw a shot from fourteen yards bobble past the upright.

Barnard then saw Brown claim a 25 yard drive before he glanced a right wing cross from Hurst narrowly wide of the far post.   

Birmingham City 2 AFC Bournemouth 4

Yann Kermorgant warned Bournemouth's rivals: We have nothing to fear - you do!

Kermorgant shrugged off an early knock to his ankle to play his part in destroying relegation-threatened Birmingham and edged the unfancied Cherries closer to the play-off places.

Winger Matt Ritchie scored one and nineteen goal hit man Lewis Grabban added a brace as Bournemouth toyed with the Blues in the first half before defender Ian Harte scored a fourth after the break.

Kermorgant's slide-rule pass led to Grabban's second from the spot after Darren Randolph recklessly brought down the striker in the box. 

Former Charlton striker Kermorgant, 32, then said:

"We want to be in the rush towards the end - and why not? There's less pressure on our shoulders than maybe Reading, QPR or Brighton who are expected to be in the top six at the end of the season.

"We can create momentum with no pressure if we play every game as we are at the moment. They have pressure, we have no pressure. It could be like Blackpool a few seasons ago. Never been in the play-offs, but got there on the last day and then won them."

And Kernorgant is so impressed with boss Eddie Howe, he is even looking to move his family to the south coast. He revealed:

"We live in London at the moment, but I'm hoping to buy a house down there. It's such a good club and a lot of that is down to him. He's young as well - only a few years older than me. But that's good because football is different to the way it was ten years ago and he can relate to it. Sometimes you get older managers who want to play the game the way it was played twenty years ago."

Substitute Federico Macheda, 22, pulled back two second half goals, but the Manchester United loanee said: 

"I'm happy with the goals, but not happy about the result because the most important thing was that we won.

"We can't understand why we're so low in the table, but that's the reality right now and we've got to stick together and try and win games."

Under-fire Birmingham boss Lee Clark was more concerned with a boot than the sack after winger Jordan Ibe's footwear malfunction left his team one player short for Bournemouth's opener.

Clark was unhappy with his back room staff and complained:

"I couldn't believe how long it took to get the lad back on.

"I'm not blaming the officials because the laws of the game say if it's equipment then the game has to stop before he comes back on. What I need to ask is should my player have come off and, if he did, should we not have been quicker in getting a replacement boot to him?"

Howe was not getting carried away, but admitted:

"We scored four in midweek and five against Doncaster. There are good signs going forward. It was a really good first half for us."

Grabban scored twice in the midweek 4-1 demolition of Leeds and then served up more of the same to punish the woeful Blues.

Bournemouth moved to within five points of the play-offs, but boss Howe played down his team's chances and said:

"I still think it's going to be difficult. You look at the sides above us and their destiny is in their hands not ours.

"We've had a good month. On paper it was tough with a lot of away games, but we've scored a lot of goals and we look a lot more confident."

Grabban even had a hand in Bournemouth's thirteenth minute opener when he floated a cross over from the right for winger Matt Ritchie to volley in his sixth goal of the season from a tight angle.

Former Millwall hit man Grabban netted his first seven minutes later.

Midfielder Harry Arter set Marc Pugh away down the left and the winger's slow cross deflected off Chris Burke and away from helpless keeper Darren Randolph to leave Grabban a simple tap-in at the far post.

But Randolph was fully to blame for Grabban's nineteenth goal of the season from the spot in the 28th minute.

Kermogant left the Birmingham defence flat-footed to pick out co-striker Grabban in the box and Randolph dived at his feet to up-end him with the ball long gone.

Veteran Ian Harte then turned back the years to add a fourth seven minutes after the break as they continued to dominate.

Former Leeds full back Harte, 36, drifted past static midfielder Callum Reilly on the right and curled his first goal of the campaign into the far top corner of Randolph's goal.

Manchester United loanee striker Federico Macheda then netted two himself as Birmingham eventually woke up.

Winger Jordan Ibe nodded down Reilly's cross in the 57th minute and first half substitute Macheda buried a low shot from twelve yards.

In the 73rd minute Macheda scored his seventh goal since joining the Blues in January, when he drilled in a twenty yard volley to leave keeper Lee Camp stranded.

Birmingham could have been more than three goals down at half time.

Ritchie and Grabban both came close shots that flew just over the bar.

And in the second period Ritchie fired an angled shot narrowly wide of the far post while Randolph had to prove his true worth to beat away a fierce drive from Harte.

Birmingham were jeered off after slipping closer to the drop zone and manager Clark fumed:

"All the goals were poor from our point of view - all preventable. Even the penalty was caused by us. We got the ball taken off us for making the wrong decisions.

"We were poor defensively throughout the side. I'm not only blaming the defenders. It looked like we didn't do what was necessary."

Gary Waddock - You read it here first!

The day after Chris Wilder walked out on Oxford, I added a piece to my usual rambling report asking whether Gary Waddock might not be suited to the job. I was delighted to see that he has now been installed as manager and believe that - whatever happens this season - he will eventually get Oxford promoted to League One and he'll do it playing good football.

Meanwhile, my finger wasn't quite on the pulse at Bristol Rovers where John Ward had taken a job upstairs as the Gas fight the dreaded drop out of the league. However, Ward is one of the most honourable men in the game and fans should have no doubts that he will play his part in ensuring their survival.

Walsall 1 Leyton Orient 1

Paul Downing went from fall guy to hero and then back again, but still dented Orient's automatic promotion hopes.

Manager Dean Smith dropped Downing for three outings following a recent nine game winless run that had seen the Saddlers slide out of play-off contention.

But central defender Downing celebrated his return to the starting line-up by scoring his first goal of the season in the fourteenth minute when he fired in Craig Westcarr's corner from twelve yards.

In the 78th minute though, he unwittingly deflected a long range effort from opposite number Nathan Clarke past helpless keeper Richard O'Donnell.

Smith still believes the Saddlers can keep their play-off dream alive. He said:

"We have to keep working hard and continue to believe." 

But Smith was furious and blasted:

"We should've had a foul on Febian Brandy in the build up to their goal. It should've been all three points as their goal shouldn't have stood."

O's skipper Clarke had shut out Walsall twice before Downing's opener.

In the sixth minute Chelsea loanee winger Milan Lalkovic hit the post with a low shot from the edge of the box and Clarke lashed the ball clear as it ran along the goal line.

Three minutes later central defender Clarke blocked winger Brandy's angled goal bound effort from twelve yards.

And Downing made sure his goal counted when he cleared defender Mathieu Baudry's header off other line in the 42nd minute. 

Both keepers kept the score down in the second half.

Orient stopper Eldon Jakpovic did well to beat away a twelve yard strike from Westcarr and then O'Donnell shut out both Chris Dagnall and co-striker David Mooney in the space of one minute.

Orient have now lost two games on the bounce and lost ground on table toppers Wolves and Brentford. 

Boss Russell Slade admitted that the chance of an automatic promotion spot was fading and said:

"I think it's fair to say it's the play-offs, but we'll keep going, we won't stop. If we go into the play-offs we want go into them in the form we showed in the second half."

"We got a valuable point. It might not be enough, but they're a terrific group and they won't give up."

Nathan Clarke is hoping his lucky strike keeps Orient's automatic promotion hopes on track.

Central defender Clarke's 81st minute shot took a wicked deflection off opposite number Paul Downing to cancel out the Walsall player's first half opener, but the O's are now five points adrift with games running out.

Defiant skipper Clarke, 30, said:

"We've got to keep grinding out results because you never know what might happen. If we ease off and then the teams above us have a couple of bad results, we'll be kicking ourselves."

And Clarke admitted he felt for Downing. He said:

"It was tough on him because he had a really good game. It was one of those things. I'll still claim the goal though and I'll try not to lose too much sleep over it!"

Downing, 22, was pleased with his first goal of the season, but also to be back in Walsall's starting eleven after being rested for three games. He said:

"No-one likes to be dropped and I want to play every game, but the manager picks the team and he sees things differently.

"Perhaps if I held my hands up, I'd agree with him. I'd maybe got a little tired and started making one or two errors, so the break's helped me. I feel refreshed - mentally and physically."