As we enter the last few games of the season it's getting tight at the top now with just five points separating the top four at the moment. It's Rochdale though who are in pole position three points clear after absolutely thrashing 9-0 at home on Tuesday afternoon a Blackpool side who have now lost 12 straight games in their collapse from top to 11th.The leaders then winning big again on Saturday morning as, on the road, they put five past Bury without reply to give their goal difference a real boost.
Burnley remain in second meanwhile despite losing the only game they played this week, that being a big defeat for the Clarets as they went down 1-0 away to in-form Preston on Wednesday. That victory for North End, coupled with the three points they got at Creighton on Saturday morning in a 3-1 win against Carlisle, means that the Lilywhites have now taken a remarkable 38 points out of their last 42, a run which now sees them sitting in fourth, five points behind Rochdale with a game in hand.
An inactive Port Vale this week still sandwiched between Burnley and Preston in third, but they are in the best position of the three chasers, as they are only four points off Rochdale having played a game fewer than the surprise package 'Dale. Into the mid-table reaches and there were plenty of draws on the go as 1-1 was the scoreline between Shrewsbury and Oldham, and Wrexham versus Macclesfield, then 2-2 was the result at the Walsall against Wigan match.
The final game played in the division saw two Lancashire sides locking horns on the west coast and it was Morecambe who came out on top as they beat Accrington Stanley 2-1 at home. That defeat for the Reds gives Carlisle some faint hope of not finishing bottom in the league this season, but to stand a good chance of that they really need to pick up three points in their last home game of the season, that coming on Thursday afternoon against Oldham in a 2pm kick-off at Creighton Rugby Club.
Result in the division on Tuesday 12th April
Rochdale 9-0 Blackpool (2pm)
Result in the division on Wednesday 13th April
Preston North End 1-0 Burnley (2pm)
Results in the division on Saturday 16th April
Bury 0-5 Rochdale
Carlisle United 1-3 Preston North End (11am)
Morecambe 2-1 Accrington Stanley
Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Oldham Athletic
Walsall 2-2 Wigan Athletic
Wrexham 1-1 Macclesfield Town
Fixture in the division on Monday 18th April
Tranmere Rovers v Wigan Athletic (2pm)
Fixture in the division on Thursday 21st April
Carlisle United v Oldham Athletic (2pm)
Fixtures in the division on Saturday 23rd April
Burnley v Morecambe
Bury v Oldham Athletic
Macclesfield Town v Tranmere Rovers
Port Vale v Wrexham
Preston North End v Blackpool
Rochdale v Shrewsbury
Wigan Athletic v Stockport County
Fixture in the division on Tuesday 26th April
Preston North End v Morecambe
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