YP Power Rankings: Who's top of the tree in Yorkshire?

HERE it is, the final Yorkshire Post Power Rankings list of the regular season, which is now over after 46 games of many ups and downs.
TOP DOG: Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson. Picture: Simon HulmeTOP DOG: Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson. Picture: Simon Hulme
TOP DOG: Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson. Picture: Simon Hulme

And never mind the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, here are the scores on the doors that matters for all you White Rose supporters.

1: Bradford City WDLWWW (=)

No-one can deny that City - who equalled a 48-year record in claiming their seventh successive home league win for the first time since January 1968 in Sunday’s ultra-comfortable 2-0 verdict against Chesterfield - have considerable momentum heading into Sunday’s home semi-final first-leg with Millwall.

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Top of the League One form guide, with one defeat in nine matches and seven wins and seven clean sheets. Mightily impressive.

2: Barnsley WDWDDW (+1)

On their date with the destiny, the redoubtable Reds, backed by 4,700 supporters, held their nerve to secure a stunning 4-1 victory at champions Wigan, who copped their first home defeat since way back on December 12.

It confirmed Barnsley’s top-six place - a truly remarkable achievement given that the Oakwell club were bottom of the pile at the end of November.

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Here’s another statistic; Barnsley have lost just once away from home since November 24. Only kept off top spot by Bradford’s fine recent run.

3: Middlesbrough WWDDDD (+2)

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Boro may have finished the season with four draws. But let’s face it, some draws are bigger than others, with Saturday’s point against Brighton in what was effectively a cup final for both sides - with the side promoted to the Premier League netting a cool £170m - falling into that bracket.

The Teessiders held their nerve, just, at the Riverside - a venue where they have lost just twice this term and conceded a miserly eight goals in 23 Championship games in 2015-16.

They also maintained their solid form against the top-six rivals, which has seen them lose just once in ten matches against Burnley, Brighton, Hull City, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday.

4: Sheffield Wednesday LDDDWL (=)

With play-off participation sealed the previous week and a home leg against the side who missed out on automatic promotion in Saturday’s Riverside Stadium being a given, Carlos Carvalhal rested his regulars in Saturday’s 2-1 reverse to Wolves. No harm done, with key Brighton midfielder Dale Stephens’ dismissal at Boro being a bonus ahead of Friday nights’ first-leg with Albion.

5: Rotherham United WDDDLL (-3)

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Neil Warnock, in the wake of the Millers’ 5-1 final-day drubbing at Hull, quickly acknowledged that his side were on the footballing equivalent of the beach after a hefty loss in East Yorkshire.

But let’s face it, given their stupendous 11-match unbeaten run to secure one of the most captivating of Great Escape stories in recent years - which saw the likes of Boro, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich beaten - few could begrudge the Millers being in their flip-flops and sombreros.

6: Hull City WWDWLW (+2)

A dead-rubber against Rotherham it may have been on the final regular day of the season for Hull, but the primary task of generating a fair bit of momentum was sealed with a big tick - with the likes of Robert Snodgrass, Jake Livermore and Mo Diame heading into the play-offs with a spring in their step again after a 5-1 blitzing of the Millers.

7: Guiseley DLWLLW (=)

Now planning for a second season in the National League after securing their safety.

8: Leeds United WWWDLD (-2)

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Pipped at the death in their quest to give those 5,500 travelling hordes - who created a party atmosphere in the away end at Deepdale - a winning send-off.

How knows what the summer will bring after another decidedly average campaign for Leeds, who continue to make more headlines on the pitch than on it. Mid-table finish for the Whites for the fifth season running.

9: FC Halifax Town LLDWD (+2)

Up two after relegation, you say? Well, there is not the inconsequential factor of an FA Trophy final against Grimsby Town to look forward to at Wembley on May 22, which is at least giving Shaymen supporters a bit of consolation in their quest to salvage something from a tough old campaign.

10: Huddersfield Town DWDDLL (-1)

To say that Town have ended the season with a whimper is an understatement. After a poor 4-0 loss in their final away outing of the season at Bristol City, David Wagner’s side provided an unfortunate encore, crashing 5-1 at home to Brentford in their last home game of 2015-16. Summer’s here, thankfully.

11: York City DLWLLD (+1)

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Also move up a place by default really after they ended their desperate, wretched season with a low-key 1-1 draw at Morecambe.

At least, the end of term means York can draw a line under a horror 2015-16 and start again.

12: Doncaster Rovers LWDWLD (+1)

The formality of Rovers’ relegation was confirmed after a tepid 0-0 draw with Burton, with Rovers having now started planning for a first season in the bottom level since 2003-04 following a disastrous season.

13: Sheffield United DWWDLL (-3)

This season’s big underachievers, bar none, for sure.

The pre-season promotion favourites from League One, with the biggest budget, ended a totally forgettable campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Nigel Adkins’s old club Scunthorpe.

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The post-match lap of ‘honour’ was witnessed by hardly any Blades fans, while some of those who did grit their teeth and hang around certainly letting the players know in no uncertain terms what they thought about an embarrassing season.