Match Centre: Wins for Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City, Barnsley and Doncaster draw, Hull and York earn a point, Leeds United and Rotherham beaten

A busy Bank Holiday Monday sees Sheffield United live to fight another day and Leeds United drop further behind in the race to the Premier League

Full-time scores and reports. For full reports and reaction read Tuesday’s Yorkshire Post.

Championship

Barnsley 2 Doncaster Rovers 2

Kieran Trippier hit a stunning free-kick to earn a point for Barnsley and prevent Doncaster from securing their npower Championship status at Oakwell.

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It had looked as if Rovers were going to earn their first win in 10 games, and at the same time move eight points clear of the bottom three with two games to play, but the right-back stepped up with three minutes remaining to steal a draw.

Two goals from Jason Euell, either side of a Stephen Foster leveller, put Rovers on course for a deserved victory before Trippier struck.

But their safety is still all but guaranteed as Sheffield United or Scunthorpe must make up a considerable deficit in goal difference to have any hope of overhauling Rovers.

Barnsley’s safety was sealed on Saturday but boss Mark Robins must have some concerns about their end-of-season form as they have just one win in the last eight games.

Crystal Palace 1 Leeds United 0

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Neil Danns struck a crucial early goal that was enough to all but secure Crystal Palace a place in the npower Championship for another season and deal Leeds’ play-off hopes another huge blow.

Palace midfielder Danns fired home through a melee of players from the edge of the penalty area in the second minute and although the Londoners were unable to build on their advantage, the onus was on Leeds and it took Simon Grayson’s side until the final 20 minutes before they rose to the challenge.

Leeds substitutes Sanchez Watt and Davide Somma both went close to snatching a point for the visitors, but it was too little too late and Palace, who had Danns sent off for two yellow cards in stoppage time, held on for victory.

Considering so much was hingeing on the result at Selhurst Park the tepid nature of the contest was baffling, but Palace were happy to merely contain their out-of-sorts visitors, who have secured only two points from their last five games and slipped to ninth place, three points adrift of the final play-off spot with two games remaining.

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Palace escaped relegation on the final day of last season when a point from a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday was enough to send the Owls down at their expense, and they were never properly troubled by the Yorkshiremen.

Victory lifted Dougie Freedman’s side up to 47 points, six better than nearest rivals Sheffield United with Palace holding a far superior goal difference.

QPR 1 Hull City 1

QPR began their promotion party this afternoon despite being pegged back by a late leveller by Hull in the npower Championship at Loftus Road.

The draw keeps alive Hull’s faint hopes of reaching the play-offs.

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Norwich’s late winner against Derby means Rangers need another point to rubber-stamp their promotion back to the top flight for the first time in 15 years.

But Cardiff would also have to engineer a 13-goal swing to deny Neil Warnock the seventh promotion of his managerial career.

Warnock’s long-time leaders have stuttered on the home straight and David Amoo’s equaliser made it a defeat and three draws from their last five outings.

But the fans still sprinted on to the pitch as a packed Loftus Road partied in the spring sunshine while even Flavio Briatore, no longer the Rangers chairman but still a shareholder, put in a rare appearance to join the knees-up.

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When Briatore bought the club in September 2007 he boldly claimed they would be in the Premier League within four years - and despite a fair few hitches along the way the Italian has just about delivered that promise.

Warnock is Rangers’ ninth manager since the ex-Formula 1 chief bought the club, and his side have virtually led the race from pole to flag.

QPR never do things the easy way, though, and as well as the maths there is still the small matter of a Football Association hearing into the transfer of midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in less than a fortnight to negotiate.

The club are confident they will not be deducted points, however, and certainly no-one in this part of west London seemed unduly concerned when the final whistle blew this afternoon.

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Hull arrived as potential party poopers with an impressive unbeaten record in their last 16 away matches.

Reading 2 Sheffield United 3

A sensational comeback from Sheffield United saw them beat Reading to stave off relegation from the npower Championship for another day.

Goals from Noel Hunt and Hal Robson-Kanu put Reading into an early lead but the Blades rallied to level at the break thanks to goals from Darius Henderson and Lee Williamson.

Henderson then added a third early into the second half to give Micky Adams’ side a fantastic result which keeps their slim hopes of survival alive.

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United are six points from safety with an inferior goal difference but can hope to catch Doncaster if the Yorkshire side suffer some heavy defeats in their final two games.

The defeat prevented Brian McDermott’s men from cementing a play-off place but another point from their final two fixtures will book their place in the lottery.

League One

Huddersfield Town 2 Dagenham and Redbridge 1

Huddersfield continued to match automatic promotion rivals Southampton stride for stride with a 2-1 win over Dagenham and Redbridge.

Jordan Rhodes gave Town the lead before Romain Vincelot offered the Daggers hope of avoiding relegation with a shot into the top corner for 1-1.

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But Rhodes headed his second from six yards to grab the win and extend the hosts’ unbeaten league run to 23 games.

At the top, Huddersfield kept up the pressure on second-placed Southampton and stay level with their rivals on 83 points, although the Saints have a game in hand and a vastly superior goal difference.

Sheffield Wednesday 3 Swindon Town 1

Victory for Sheffield Wednesday moved them up to 14th in the league but it relegated Swindon Town.

Neil Mellor scored twice to continue his good form and extend the Owls’ recent run to just one defeat in seven games.

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After early Robins pressure the hosts went ahead through Darren Potter’s deflected strike from Mellor’s lay-off.

Mellor then looped a header home from Jon Otsemobor’s diagonal 50-yard ball before former Leeds United man Jonathan Douglas reduced the arrears from long range.

Mellor notched his brace after a one-two with Gary Madine as the hosts held out for a comfortable victory.

Swindon had been League One play-off finalists last year.

League Two

Bradford City 2 Aldershot Town 1

Bradford City are at last all-but safe from relegation after a late goal from David Syers gave them three priceless points.

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Syers struck in the 90th minute to move the Bantams six points clear of second bottom Barnet with two games to play.

Although Barnet’s goal difference is better and makes it mathematically possible for them to catch Bradford, there are four teams between the two clubs.

Omar Daley opened the scoring in the fourth minute before Vincenti equalised just before half-time.

There were some nervy moments for Peter Jackson’s men before Syers at last put an end to their relegation concerns.

Rotherham United 0 Gillingham 1

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Rotherham United’s promotion hopes are all but over after conceding a late goal to fellow play-off hopefuls Gillingham.

Barcham’s 79th-minute goal moved the Gills into the fourth and final play-off place on 68 points and left the Millers ninth on 62 points.

With only one goal between them there is still a chance for the Millers to overhaul the Gills but they would need to beat Aldershot and Torquay and hope the Kent side lose twice.

New manager Andy Scott is still searching for his first win as boss after three games in charge.

Blue Square Bet Premier

York City 0 Cambridge United 0

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York City’s late run to the play-offs has run its course after a goalless draw in their home finale with Cambridge United.

Fleetwood’s 1-0 win over Barrow means the Lancashire side who occupy the fourth and final play-off place are five points clear of York with only one game left.