A dramatic final round of the Football League campaign has set up a series of intriguing play-off ties as the remaining promotion contenders gear up for one last push.
Several Irish players are involved in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two games as the semi-final first legs loom this weekend.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunderland v Luton, Saturday 5.30pm
Sunderland went into their final-day trip to Preston last Monday knowing even victory might not be enough to edge them into the play-offs, but a 3-0 victory, coupled with Millwall's remarkable capitulation at home to Blackburn, saw them snatch sixth place to keep alive their unlikely hopes of back-to-back promotions.
Under Tony Mowbray, who replaced Alex Neil at the helm in August, they are unbeaten in nine and finished the regular season – during which star striker Ross Stewart was largely absent and they were without a recognised central defender – strongly to give themselves a chance to exorcise the ghost of successive relegations from the Premier League to League One.
Luton, who have not played in the top flight since 1992, were already assured of third place and their play-off berth before Monday’s 0-0 home draw with Hull, which extended their unbeaten run to 14 games. Republic of Ireland under-21 midfielder Louie Watson played the full 90 minutes in his first appearance since January.
Rob Edwards’ men, who boast Wearsider Mick Harford among their backroom staff, have lost only once in the league since 14 January and climbed from 10th place into the top three after the former Watford manager’s appointment as Nathan Jones’ replacement in November.
Coventry v Middlesbrough, Sunday 12pm
When Mark Robins accepted the hot seat at Coventry in March 2017, the club was hurtling into League Two and faced an uncertain future amid deepening financial problems.
He has since guided them back up the pyramid to within touching distance of the Premier League, where they last played during the 2000-01 season, after a run of just one defeat in 16 games, including Monday’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.
Meath man Luke McNally has played every minute at centre-back in that time but Ireland international Sean Maguire has not completed a full game since moving from Preston in January.
Former Manchester United and England star Michael Carrick, who was on the books at Boro as a youngster, inherited a team which had won just four of its first 16 league games and was languishing inside the relegation zone when he replaced Chris Wilder in October.
Carrick has overseen a concerted drive up the table, fuelled in large part by revitalised 28-goal striker Chuba Akpom, which at one point saw the club flirt with automatic promotion.
Irish defender Darragh Lenihan has been ever-present for Middlesbrough this season.
LEAGUE ONE
Peterborough v Sheffield Wednesday, Friday 8pm
Peterborough’s last-gasp surge into the play-offs represents a triumph for persistence. Manager Darren Ferguson, who resigned in February last year with the club slipping inexorably towards the Championship exit, returned for a fourth spell in charge in January following successor Grant McCann’s departure.
Sunday’s 2-0 win at Barnsley enabled the Posh to leapfrog Derby into sixth place with a helping hand from Wednesday, who beat the Rams 1-0.
Owned in part by Dubliner chairman Darragh MacAnthony, Peterborough are the underdogs going into the play-offs.
Former Ireland U21 midfielder Jack Taylor made 44 league appearances for Peterborough this campaign, scoring eight goals and providing five assists.
Owls boss Darren Moore will hope that the weekend's result is as far as his side’s charity extends, having seen them finish 19 points clear of their semi-final opponents and just two adrift of second-placed Ipswich.
They lost out to Sunderland at the same stage last season and will head into their latest two-legged appointment on the back of a four-game winning run.
Bolton v Barnsley, Saturday 3pm
Bolton’s quest for a return to the second tier for the first time since 2019 caps a season of real positivity after a difficult spell in the club’s history.
Promoted from the fourth tier two seasons ago, Ian Evatt’s men have lost only one of their last 10 games in all competitions, a sequence of results which includes a 4-0 Papa Johns Trophy final victory over League One champions Plymouth.
Relegated from the Championship at the end of last season – having won just six of their 46 games a year after reaching the play-offs – Barnsley are looking to make an immediate return under Michael Duff.
They rather limped over the line, taking just a point from their final three fixtures with runners-up Ipswich and fast-finishing Peterborough both winning at Oakwell.
There are three Irishmen on the books at Barnsley: Former Celtic and Ireland U21 midfielder Luca Connell has eight assists in 39 games while a January signing, ex-Shamrock Rovers full-back Barry Cotter, has come off the bench in their last three games. Cork defender Conor McCarthy has been out of action since injuring his cruciate ligament last September.
LEAGUE TWO
Salford v Stockport, Saturday 7.45pm
Salford, famously backed by Manchester United’s Class of ’92, survived a final-day scare as they clung on to the final play-off spot despite a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham.
Led by former United Academy coach Neil Wood, the Ammies have made it to the end-of-season festivities for the first time since their emergence from the National League in 2019.
Former Ireland U18 Midfielder Shane McLoughlin has not made an appearance since March but was on the bench for the loss to the Gills.
Stockport boss Dave Challinor is targeted a third-successive promotion have steered County back into the Football League last season having done the same with Hartlepool 12 months earlier.
They missed out on automatic promotion to Northampton on Monday after a 1-1 home draw with already-relegated Pool, but are unbeaten in 13.
Dubliner Paddy Madden has scored 10 goals in 36 games while centre-back Neil Byrne has played 10 matches since joining from Tranmere in January.
Irish underage international Bobby Jones (21) is third-choice goalkeeper and has yet to make an appearance for the Hatters.
Bradford v Carlisle, Sunday 7pm
There are few bigger managerial names in the lower leagues than that of Bradford boss Mark Hughes, but the Bantams are going to have to do it the hard way if they are to make it back to the third tier.
They won only one of their last five regular season fixtures – although drew 1-1 with champions Orient to seal their play-off place – and failed to score in either game against the Cumbrians.
Bradford have four Irishmen in the squad: Winger Dara Costelloe played 10 games after joining on loan from Burnley but has only come off the bench once since March while midfielder Emmanuel Osadebe has come on in the last seven games.
Ex-Bohemians centre-back Ciaran Kelly has had 40 minutes in four sub appearances and four-cap international Colin Doyle is goalkeeping coach but has not been needed on the pitch.
Carlisle’s 1-1 draw with Sutton ensured their continued participation, although their form too is patchy with only two wins in their last 11 games.
Paul Simpson, the man who took the club from the Conference to League One in successive seasons during his first spell as boss, is back in charge having successfully fought his own battle with kidney cancer and hopes are high for a significant upturn.
Ex Ireland U21 right-back Corey Devitt has played 25 league games, including starting the last four, midfielder Jamie Devitt had a run of recent substitute appearances before a torn hamstring ended his season and sub-keeper Michael Kelly has only appeared in three EFL Trophy ties since joining from Bray Wanderers.
