Promotion races will soon be decided along with the fights to avoid relegation as fans across the country prepare to chew whatever is left of their nails.

After 2006-07 saw four Yorkshire clubs relegated and not one qualify for even the play-offs, the hope was that March this year would see many of our sides chasing success.

The reality, however, is rather different in the county with only Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United this morning sitting in the promotion or play-off places in their respective divisions.

Hull City do, of course, still harbour hopes of forcing their way into the Championship's top six despite Saturday's defeat at Bristol City, while Leeds United at least brought a damaging seven-game winless run to an end with a narrow 1-0 win at Swindon Town.

Elsewhere, however, it is a sorry tale with the two Sheffield clubs, Huddersfield Town and Bradford City all seriously under-performing.

Even Barnsley, who are this week looking forward to an FA Cup quarter-final tie at home to holders Chelsea, are in something of a rut with their last six League outings having brought just one win.

For me, the topsy-turvy nature of this season for Yorkshire clubs – memorable days such as Barnsley's Cup win at Liverpool and Huddersfield's giant-killing of Birmingham being followed by a run of disappointing defeats – has been encapsulated in the past seven days in a trio of derby encounters.

First up was Bradford v Rotherham, which was one of the best games this reporter has seen in a long time.

The final score could easily have been 7-7 rather than the
3-2 victory that Bradford claimed with both sides putting the emphasis on attack. It was a pleasure to watch and showed what can be achieved with a positive attitude.

Typically for this season, however, both Bradford and Rotherham were poor in respective defeats to Dagenham & Redbridge and Accrington Stanley just five days later.

The night after that thriller at Valley Parade saw Sheffield United travel to Middlesbrough and anyone who saw the game on television will know this was, by no means, a classic.

The manner of Sheffield United's exit was, of course, heartbreaking with perhaps the worst bit being that it denied those of us who had sat through 120 largely turgid minutes the excitement of a penalty shoot-out. But it just about summed up what has been a wretched campaign for the Blades.

Then, finally, came the derby at Oakwell between Barnsley and Sheffield Wedensday where the desperate nature of the two sides' battle to move up the Championship table was evident throughout.

Both could, nevertheless, take comfort from a battling display and a clean sheet to suggest that both will meet again in the second tier next season.

And in a year where most of our clubs have under-performed, that is probably the best we can expect.

Let's hope at least a couple from Doncaster, Rotherham, Leeds and Hull can finish strongly and earn some long overdue success.