League round-up: Addicks on the up but Donny sink

 

Geoff Brown
Saturday 14 April 2012 23:54 BST
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Doncaster Rovers have been relegated after four years in the Championship, while in League One Charlton Athletic have won promotion.

At the Keepmoat, Rovers yet again failed to hold on to an advantage. Having led fellow strugglers Portsmouth 2-0 in the fifth minute and 3-2 in the 90th, Rovers lost 4-3. The match turned on the sending-off of Donny defender Habib Beye for bringing down Dave Kitson in the 57th minute. Referee Mick Russell awarded a penalty, the first of two spot-kicks.

"Habib Beye is not the last man," fumed Rovers manager Dean Saunders. "It's not the reason we've got relegated but it sums up our season."

In the play-off places Birmingham City, fourth, came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home with Bristol City. Fifth-placed Blackpool drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest while Liam Lawrence struck as Cardiff City, sixth, won 1-0 at Barnsley.

Middlesbrough are poised to take advantage of any slip-ups after a 1-0 win at Derby County, Curtis Main's 80th-minute strike coming two minutes after his introduction as a substitute.

Millwall completed the double over Leicester, winning 2-1 at the Den, to relieve their relegation fears, while Hull were held 1-1 at Watford, who had Adrian Mariappa sent off. Coventry City drew 1-1 at Burnley and are still in trouble. Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town also finished level at 1-1 and Leeds United thumped Peterborough United 4-1.

Bradley Wright-Phillips's 22nd goal of the season gave Charlton promotion from League One as they won 1-0 at Carlisle United.

Conference

Grimsby's 2-2 draw at Wrexham saw Fleetwood Town crowned champions and sent them into the League for the first time in their 104-year history.

Scottish Cup

Garry O'Connor's first-half strike and Leigh Griffiths' cool finish five minutes from time at Hampden Park saw Hibernian reach the Scottish Cup final after a 2-1 defeat of Aberdeen.

Europe

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo broke his own La Liga scoring record when he netted his 41st goal of the season in 3-1 home win over Sporting Gijon. But later Barcelona's Lionel Messi equalled the record when he scored a 72nd-minute penalty at Levante, adding to his 64th-minute curler and giving Barcelona a 2-1 victory. They trail Real by four points at the top of La Liga.

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