Despite Preston being second in the table at present we can't really start anywhere else but with them as they crashed in a remarkable 17 goals over the weekend in a 9-0 home win over Blackpool on Saturday, then an 8-2 home victory over Morecambe on Tuesday, that game against the Shrimps having been switched to North End's training complex of Springfields from Lancaster and Morecambe College.
It's still Rochdale in the box seat for the title though as they sit two points ahead of Preston with just one game left after beating Shrewsbury 2-0 at home at the weekend, while the 'Dale also have a goal difference advantage of five goals over North End, although the way the Lilywhites are scoring at the moment a draw might still not be enough for Rochdale at lowly Tranmere this coming Saturday. On the subject of Rovers they started last week off with a good 3-1 home win over Wigan, only to then get thumped 5-2 at Macclesfield on Saturday morning.
Rochdale's win means that Burnley in third are now out of the title race really on goal difference despite their 1-0 home win over Morecambe last Saturday. Port Vale meanwhile now looking likely to clinch fourth spot after a 0-0 draw at home to Wrexham, that being the only all-square game across the week in the division as Wigan defeated Stockport 3-0 at home and Oldham won 2-0 on the road at Bury.
That being the second away victory for the Latics inside two days as on Thursday they thumped Carlisle 6-3 at Creighton Rugby Club despite United being 3-1 up at half-time thanks to goals from David Symington (2) and Will James. While the Blues are now odds-on favourites for the wooden spoon with one game left, away at Macclesfield this Saturday, their fall from grace hasn't been as spectacular as Blackpool's.
The Seasiders, since being top of the table at the turn of the year on the back of nine wins and one defeat from ten games, having now put up a remarkably bad record of one draw and twelve defeats from their last thirteen matches, their goal difference in those games, which have included two 9-0 losses, being a truly incredible scored five and conceded fifty-three. And you thought their first team had struggled in the same period!
Result in the division on Monday 18th April
Tranmere Rovers 3-1 Wigan Athletic (2pm)
Result in the division on Thursday 21st April
Carlisle United 3-6 Oldham Athletic (2pm)
Results in the division on Saturday 23rd April
Burnley 1-0 Morecambe
Bury 0-2 Oldham Athletic
Macclesfield Town 5-2 Tranmere Rovers
Port Vale 0-0 Wrexham
Preston North End 9-0 Blackpool
Rochdale 2-0 Shrewsbury
Wigan Athletic 3-0 Stockport County
Result in the division on Tuesday 26th April
Preston North End 8-2 Morecambe (switched from a Morecambe home game)
Fixtures in the division on Saturday 30th April
Macclesfield Town v Carlisle United (12noon)
Port Vale v Morecambe
Stockport County v Preston North End
Tranmere Rovers v Rochdale
Walsall v Accrington Stanley
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool
Wrexham v Burnley
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