EFL Championship closing day: Live scores, workforce information and updates

This was just beautiful from Russell Martin’s men. They’ll be aggrieved to not be in the top two conversation today.

Half-time at Ipswich, by the way. 1-0.

Ipswich haven’t lost any of their enthusiasm or glee on the ball – they want more. Luongo just blasted over from the edge of the D on his weaker foot.

Kieran McKenna will be preparing the biggest team speech of his career in his head right now.

As things stand, Ipswich are going up with a six-point advantage over Leeds. A dramatic swing is needed to change that.

We’ll bring you all the permutations at half-time.

The pressure is piling on Birmingham.

Joe Edwards has put Plymouth ahead at Home Park, putting themselves three points of Birmingham as they stand.

Josh Windass has doubled Sheffield Wednesday’s lead as well. Good luck catching them…

St Andrew’s stood still for a few minutes due to a medical emergency in the stands.

We’re back underway in Birmingham but they’re afew minutes behind.

This is Burns’ goal from before in all its jubilant glory.

Take a bow, Kyle Walker-Peters.

He turned into prime Lionel Messi there, twisting past his marker on the goalline, dribbling inside, and finding the onrushing Will Smallbone, who puts Southampton ahead.

Chaplin felt he was pushed by Pearson in the box, and he is still simmering, but he went down too easily in my opinion. There was contact, but it came with all the force of a moth. Not enough to go down there.

We’ve had a few goals trickle in across the division as things liven up.

Stoke 1-0 Bristol City

Middlesbrough 1-0 Watford

Rotherham 1-0 Cardiff City

Besides the games we’ve already provided updates on, everywhere else remains at a stalemate.

Liam Palmer has given Sheffield Wednesday the lead in what could be a pivotal moment down at the bottom.

At one point this season they looked destined for the trap door but Wednesday have rallied under Danny Rohl. The fans love him there and at the moment he is leading them to safety.

Very unwelcome news for Birmingham.

Portman Road erupts!

Chaplin sets up Wes Burns on the right side of the area, and he has a moment to set himself.

Bodies clad in yellow come flying towards him, but he only sees one thing – the net, which bristles a moment later.

An emphatic strike past Maxwell and Portman Road is in full song.

Huddersfield replace Jack Rudoni with Alex Matos, seemingly a tactical change.

A chance goes begging!

Wes Burns was threaded through on goal with a beautiful ball and Maxwell came dashing out and made himself big.

If Burns had had the guts to dink him, it would’ve been a goal. But he tries to bend it round him and fires wide.

Joel Piroe has restored parity at Elland Road, smashing past Alex McCarthy. Leeds have responded in style and Daniel Farke will be delighted at the initiative his side have showed, pursuing that equaliser relentlessly.

Wes Burns has just blasted an effort over after Armstrong played him through on the counter attack. Could have gone 1-0 up there.

Elland Road falls deathly silent!

Adam Armstrong puts Southampton ahead with a close-range effort, which resulted from a corner.

The news has filtered through the Portman Road, where the mood has lifted. As things stand, they’re going up.

Joe Bernstein tells us of the uplift at Portman Road:

The roars around Portman Road tell you the fans have a hotline to Elland Road and transmitted news of Leeds conceding straight to the pitch. Followed by gleeful chants of “Leeds, Leeds are falling apart..again”

Chaplin found space 20 yards out, got the ball out of his feet, and unleashed a left-footed shot. It was wide of the mark but if they get in that position enough, Ipswich will find goals.

Leeds have had a couple of chances at Elland Road, where they’ve only lost once all season – 1-0 to Blackburn. You imagine it won’t end 0-0 there against Russell Martin’s Southampton.

Well, we’ve been deprived of goals up and down the country so far. If we’ve got any stats boffins in our ranks, let us know the odds of every game ending goalless.

We don’t want that, do we?

Alright, scrap what I said – Ipswich HAVE come here to seal the deal in style.

They’ve stepped up the pace and won a couple of corners and are pressing high. A penalty shout from Hutchinson gets waved away. This is going to be an open game by the evidence of the last few minutes.

Joe Bernstein has given his thoughts on the opening skirmishes:

There were a few here who thought Ipswich had scored when Alex Tuanzebe’s shot ruffled the side-netting.

Unfortunately not, though if Ipswich dominate the tempo as much as they’ve done in the early stages, it will come.

It’s an interesting dynamic in Suffolk because Ipswich know a draw is all they need. Do they curb their attacking instincts or try and score a couple of early goals and settle the nerves?

The Tractor Boys have pushed into the Huddersfield box a couple of times and are finding space on the right flank but it’s mostly been played in the middle third so far. Tuanzebe had a strike from outside the area and won a corner.

Some blue balloons have snaked their way on to a pitch.

The action had to stop at Leeds as the assistant referee needed to tape his ear piece back on! The cynics will say he’s an Ipswich fan!

Play is back underway but it’s a unique start at Elland Road.

And we’re underway across the country!

Huddersfield are already resorting to their long balls, while Ipswich will be aiming to keep it on the ground and play the football they know.

Can the Terriers crash the promotion party and pull off the impossible?

Whether you’re at a ground anxiously checking outt eh other action, down at the pub, in front of the sofa, or on Mars with surprisingly good WIFI, let us know where you’re watching from and who you’re supporting.

Any predictions also welcome.

Kick-off in 12 Championship games imminent.

Leeds shared their final warm-ups a few minutes ago. Players trying to shake the jitters out.

What a story it would be if Sam Morsy can make the step up to the Premier League.

The 32-year-old has played in League Two, League One, and the Championship, but never the Premier League. He’s a rock of a midfielder, and he has a few promotions on his CV, too.

Arsenal are looking to take a step closer to the Premier League title – and away from Manchester City – with a win over Bournemouth, who are still an outside shout for Europe.

Harry Bamforth is running our live blog for that, so do check it out, but make sure you scurry back here for a thrilling day of Championship football. Kick-off at 12.30 for 12 second-tier games.Wonderful stuff.

Joe Bernstein is watching Ipswich vs Southampton for us and has filled us in on the mood there.

Suffolk sunshine has only added to the mood of excitement and anticipation at Portman Road.

Thousands greeted the team coach and plenty of them stayed outside to enjoy a pint and a hot dog in the Fan Zone, before filtering their way to their seats.

Some are terrified to count their chickens. In one overheard conversation, one fan admitted to his pal…”This is the first time I’ve felt nervous all season!” They are so close.

Blackburn have every right to be nervous going to Leicester today. They are not out of the relegation conversation and have the toughest game you could ask for on the final day. Yikes.

They’ve been back in the Championship for six seasons since getting promoted from League One. That was their only season in the third tier since 1979-80. They won the Premier League in 1994-95. Blackburn going down would be huge.

Leicester are already confirmed as champions, and this is what it meant to them. Pure, unadultered, undistilled ecstacy.

There was even space for some digs at Leeds, with a bit of booze to boot…

Ed Sheeran is hoping for a PERFECT day. Get it? Get it?

The globally heralded singer and Ipswich fan has had to wait a while for as much joy on the pitch as he has had on stage.

He has sponsored the shirts of the club’s men’s and women’s teams since 2021, although he is at the F1 this weekend.

Might he regret going to Miami when he could miss the biggest day in Ipswich’s recent history?

Norwich (73 pts), West Brom (72 pts), and Hull (70 pts) are fighting for the two bottom play-off spots.

Absolutely no surprises with the first two, but Hull have been big surprise packages this year under Liam Rosenior.

His calm, debonair, meticulous management has given them every chance on the final day of the season to sneak into the top six.

Norwich travel to Birmingham, while Hull go to Plymouth – both teams fighting against relegation.

On paper West Brom might have less hungry opponents. They host Preston, whose play-off dreams faltered a few games ago. PNE have finished 12th or 13th for three years in a row – I guess they’re fighting to finish above that? They sit 10th at the moment.

Here’s a bit more joy at Leeds!

Daniel Farke and his players have been greeted with smiles at Elland Road. It’s been such a topsy-turvy season yet here they are. Can they scramble back among the elite?

It’s like Palm Sunday at Portman Road, such is the fanfare and joy laid on for the arrival of their coach.

Alright, not quite, but it’s still massive in wordly terms.

Kieran McKenna waves to the fans and high-fives a lucky few.

Birmingham City must be looking forlornly at Aston Villa’s fortunes, especially with their current plight.

This season started so promisingly, and it could end with devastation. Either way, it will be gut-wrenching.

One of Ipswich and Leeds will not go up automatically today, and that is such a shame.

Earning 90 points wins you the title most seasons. Last time Leeds went up in 2019-20, West Brom finished second on 83 points. They’ll be so unlucky if they don’t go up.

It’s been a great year of Championship football. Who are you backing?

Tom Collomosse followed Ipswich to Coventry on Tuesday, where Kieffer Moore and Cameron Burgess helped them to a tival 2-1 win.

What a loan signing Moore has been, by the way. He’s brought his brash, combative style to the side and scored seven times in 17 appearances.

Remind yourself of the action here.

Leeds face a stern test against Southampton today, who are already solidly in the play-offs and will want to drag Leedsin to the scrap with them.

Ipswich will be feeling optimistic as they meet Huddersfield, who are all but relegated.

Five teams are STILL involved in the relegation battle going into the final day – Birmingham, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn, and Huddersfield (just about).

Birmingham currently occupy the final relegation spot after a disastrous season.

Has their American ownership been a false dawn? They were sixth when they sacked John Eustace, but Wayne Rooney’s tenure saw the club plummet to 20th. Gary Rowett, appointed in March on an interim basis, is trying to save them from dropping into the third tier for the first time since 2002.

Plymouth are just a point above them, with Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn three points above Birmingham. Birmingham will overtake Wednesday or Blackburn with a win if one of them loses due to goal difference.

Plymouth, three points from safety, would need results to go their way and a monumental goal difference swing to stay up.

The mood at Elland Road is less jubilant as fans know they need a miracle to go up – a Leeds win and an Ipswich loss.

Leeds start the day in third, three points behind Ipswich but with a superior goal difference. They’ll be hoping the upstarts slip up and give them a chance.

If Leeds do go up, it will be an immediate return to the Premier League under boss Daniel Farke, who has struggled to win over fans at times this season. All that will go out of the window if they seal an automatic promotion spot.

What a job Kieran McKenna has done at Ipswich, whatever happens today.

McKenna is aiming to bring Premier League football back to Portman Road for the first time since 2002.

Ipswich take on Huddersfield knowing that a draw will confirm their promotion, while their opponents come into the day just a point above the drop zone.

It has been an exhilarating rise since McKenna joined the Tractor Boys in December 2021 with the club 12th in League One. Can they win double promotion?

Good morning and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog of the final day of the Championship season!

We’ve got an absolutely manic day lined up, with nine teams still fighting for their dreams, or whatever their dreams have been reduced to, be that automatic promotion, a play-off spot, or survival.

We’ll be across all 12 games for you with reporters at the major grounds of the day.