How Bradford City, Walsall and Notts County’s final games compare | OneFootball

FLW have looked at how the race for automatic promotion in League Two is shaping up ahead of the last game of the season

The battle for promotion in League Two has already seen two teams claim their place in the third-tier for next season, but Bradford City, Walsall and Notts County are each set to battle it out for the final automatic promotion spot on the final day of the season this weekend.

It has felt like no team has wanted to go up from the fourth-tier in recent weeks, with a number of the top sides dropping points at crucial moments to stall their push for a top-three finish.

Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale each managed to overcome any respective struggles to clinch promotion last time out, however, as the former beat Bradford 2-1 at the Eco Power Stadium to move clear at the top of the table, while the latter came away with a 2-0 victory at AFC Wimbledon to seal their own return to the third-tier.

The weekend's results have left the Bantams in third place with 75 points, while Walsall sit fourth with 74 points after their downfall continued with a defeat to Accrington Stanley last time out, and Notts County are in fifth on 72 points, with an outside chance of automatic promotion following their 3-1 win over Harrogate Town.

FLW have looked at whom each of those three teams face on the final day of the season this coming weekend, and weighed up who looks most likely to finish third in League Two and occupy the final automatic promotion spot come Saturday evening.

Bradford City - Fleetwood Town (H)

Bradford have been there or thereabouts near the top of League Two throughout most of this campaign, and for so long it looked as if they were the team that was on their way to automatic promotion, especially after they set a new club record of 10 home wins in a row in early March.

Their form has dropped off right at the vital moment over the last few weeks, however, with just one win in their last seven games heading into this weekend's decider against Fleetwood Town in front of a sold-out Valley Parade.

The Cods have little to play for on the final day though, as they sit comfortably mid-table, and so Bradford will surely fancy their chances of a vital home victory to finally seal promotion and return to League One after six long years away.

A win would see them safely up, but a draw would mean they would have depend on Walsall not winning to come third, while a loss could see either the Saddlers or Notts County leapfrog them, based on their own results.

Walsall - Crewe Alexandra (a)

Walsall's drop-off in the second-half of the League Two campaign has unfortunately been one of epic proportions. They were 12 points clear at the top of the table in mid-January, but have been able to muster just two wins from their 20 league outings since, and now potentially face a play-off campaign that seemed unthinkable just a few months ago.

Head-coach Mat Sadler has faced a lot of flack from supporters in recent times due to their almighty collapse, but there could still be light at the end of the tunnel for the Saddlers this weekend as they make the short trip to Gresty Road to face mid-table outfit Crewe Alexandra.

The Alex have experienced a similar drop-off themselves in the latter stages of the campaign, albeit from the play-off spots to their current 12th position, and so, despite their poor form, Walsall will hope to put the pressure on Bradford with a win on Saturday.

They will only need a draw to finish third if the Bantams lose and Notts County fail to gain three points, while a Bradford draw would leave them needing maximum points to go up automatically.

Notts County - Doncaster Rovers (H)

Last but certainly not least in the race for League Two automatic promotion on the final day is Notts County, who are yet another side that have struggled to pick up points as the campaign has edged ever closer to its conclusion.

Their 3-1 win at Harrogate last time out saw them move past AFC Wimbledon into fifth spot, but it was their first victory in five games, following a desperate run of three losses in four outings that has landed them with an outside chance of finishing third on Saturday.

Stuart Maynard's side take on already-promoted table-toppers Doncaster at Meadow Lane, which is obviously a tough game on paper, but could well be made slightly easier by the visitors having secured their status as a League One club next season last weekend.

County's hopes of an automatic promotion berth will not only rest on them picking up three points, but in that instance, they will also have to hope that Bradford lose and Walsall do not win, which would then see them clinch third on goal difference.