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Elsewhere Reading boosted their chances of gaining automatic promotion with an easy victory over already relegated Oxford. Jamie Cureton put the Royals ahead with his 26th goal of the season, taking full advantage of Sammy Igoe’s excellent work.
Reading wrapped up the point’s midway through the second half when Martin Butler stroked the ball home after latching onto a rebound.
A thrilling game at the Bescot Stadium was edged by Walsall who cemented their play-off place with a narrow win over Brentford. George Leitao fired Walsall into the lead with eight minutes on the clock and Tom Bennett doubled their advantage ten minutes before the interval.
Brentford then produced a stirring fight-back to reduce Walsall’s advantage courtesy of a Mark McCammon header and then to level the scores when Ian Roper put through his own goal in the 53rd minute.
The Saddlers were not to be denied however and Leitao hit the winning goal, when he fired home from the edge of the penalty area to register his second goal of the game.
At Dean Court Bournemouth kept alive their outside hopes of making the play-offs by putting a dent in Stoke City’s chances courtesy of Jermain Defoe’s 17th goal of the season.
He was left to tap the ball into an unguarded net in the 38th minute when a through ball bounced over the head of the onrushing Stoke keeper, Gavin Ward.
In the remaining fixture Colchester twice fought back from falling behind against Peterborough to earn a point. Jason Lee put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute before United equalised courtesy of a Stockwell volley.
David Oldfield restored Peterborough’s advantage early in the second half from an unlikely angle before Kemal Izzet converted a Micky Stockwell through ball with thirteen minutes left on the clock to earn a share of the spoils for his side.
