“We are still in the melting pot and I wouldn’t swap our position for anyone’s except Sunderland.”Derby County consolidated their grip on a Coca-Cola Championship play-off place by beating Gillingham 2-0 at Pride Park. The Rams took the lead just past the half-hour when Paul Peschisolido got to the byline and pulled the ball back for Morten Bisgaard to score his third goal in three games. Peschisolido wrapped it up after 72 minutes.”We’ve maintained all along that 75 points [they have 73] or above would do it,” George Burley, the Derby manger, said. They play Midlands derbies with Leicester City and Coventry City and finish at Preston North End, who they could meet in the play-offs. “But we’ve only suffered one defeat in our last 14 games.”Meanwhile, Reading were losing 2-0 to Cardiff City at Ninian Park and dropped out of the play-off places as the Welsh side eased their relegation worries with goals by Peter Thorne and Cameron Jerome. “There are still plenty of teams who can get out of trouble at the bottom,” Lennie Lawrence, the Cardiff manager, said. “You just don’t know what’s going to happen.”Sheffield United’s hopes of a top-six finish continue to flicker after they grabbed a point from a 0-0 draw at Watford, who are still not free from relegation anxieties.The pressure on Dario Gradi’s Crewe intensified when they went down 2-0 at home to mid-table Stoke City.

Nor are Coventry City out of the woods yet after Tony Capaldi struck an injury time equaliser for Plymouth Argyle to earn a 1-1 draw at Home Park. Wolves avoided a 22nd draw of the season by dint of the fact that they were playing relegated Rotherham. They duly won 2-0, Kenny Miller scoring both goals.Luton Town are champions of League One after their 2-1 win at Wrexham and second-placed Hull City’s 3-0 loss at Walsall, Julian Joachim scoring a hat-trick. At the bottom Peterborough United won 1-0 at Bournemouth but are still relegated along with Stockport County because Torquay United won 2-1 at Oldham Athletic.In League Two, Cambridge United’s fall from league membership after 35 years was completed when they could only draw 0-0 with Rochdale at the Abbey Stadium. Kidderminster should join them after a 3-0 defeat at Boston United left them needing colossal wins in their final two games. At the top, the lead changed hands again when Southend United lost 2-1 at Oxford United and were replaced as leaders by Yeovil, who drew 1-1 at Wycombe.

Next weekend, Yeovil travel to Southend.The key issuesChampionshipSunderland are promoted and Rotherham relegated.League OneLuton Town are champions, Hull City promoted; Stockport County and Peterborough United relegated.League TwoCambridge United relegated.ConferenceBarnet champions; Hereford, Carlisle, Aldershot, Stevenage in play-offs; Forest Green, Leigh RMI and Farnborough relegated.. Darren Currie may be haunted by his stoppage-time miss at Elland Road as Leeds restricted Ipswich to a point and increased the likelihood that the play-offs will stand between Joe Royle’s side and promotion to the Premiership for the second year running. Ipswich have to contest second place with Wigan, who hold a two-point advantage.Though they went ahead inside 11 minutes, Ipswich conceded an immediate equaliser and were never able to impose themselves. But when Darren Bent rolled the ball into his path with only seconds remaining, Currie, who came on as a substitute, had the easiest goalscoring chance of the game only to sidefoot his shot wide from barely eight yards out. “I would back Darren to have scored 99 times out of a hundred but I can’t blame him,” Royle said.

“It was more disappointing that we gave away an equaliser straight after we had gone in front because we have done that too many times.”Sunderland have gone up because everyone in their team defends. We have not got that, although that is a statement rather than a moan We have had a fantastic season. But if we can make things difficult for ourselves, we will do. We now have to get six points and see what happens.”Ipswich’s last two matches are against sides battling against relegation, starting with Crewe at Portman Road next Saturday followed by Brighton away. Wigan face two play-off candidates in Preston, away, and Reading at home – potentially the more difficult opponents, although Royle would rather be in Paul Jewell’s position. “I’d sooner need four points than six with two games left,” he said.Royle had his side set up for goals, giving Spanish striker Pablo Counago his first start in six months alongside top scorer Bent and Shefki Kuqi, and the plan could not have had a much better start as Kuqi put them in front.But within another minute, Leeds had levelled with midfielder Matthew Spring, marking his first start since Boxing Day, heading Frazer Richardson’s cross beyond the reach of goalkeeper Lewis Price. That nullified Kuqi’s 16th goal of the season, created by Kevin Horlock’s through pass and finished with a shot tucked between the legs of defender Gary Kelly, a slight deflection wrong footing keeper Neil Sullivan.Kuqi could have restored Ipswich’s advantage but failed to connect when Jim Magilton’s flighted pass invited him to volley past Sullivan.Leeds matched Ipswich in midfield and kept their defensive discipline, too, although even manager Kevin Blackwell conceded that Currie ought to have scored.