Pilgrims go down fighting

Plymouth Argyle will be playing in Sky Bet League One next season, despite a heroic late surge for survival in the Championship.

The Greens prepared for their trip to Preston North End on a run of four wins from their previous nine outings and a general feeling of encouraging improvement under the stewardship of new manager Miron Muslic.

Despite the positive results, teams around Argyle have also started winning and the Pilgrims knew their fate could be effectively sealed before the kicked a ball in the North-West.

Argyle needed Luton Town to not win at home to Coventry in the lunchtime fixture and that wish was almost granted, but a last-minute goal for the Hatters meant relegation was all but sealed. While mathematically possible, the 15-goal swing needed for survival ended the Green dream.

The Argyle players, to their immense credit, ignored that huge disappointment to serve up an excellent 2-1 win at Preston, Mustapha Bundu and Callum Wright scoring the goals, but the Pilgrims know their final-day visit from Leeds United will be the Championship farewell.

Muslic said: "I feel empty and heartbroken. We gave it our all, but it was not easy for the lads to go from the first whistle knowing Luton had scored this unbelievable goal in minute 90.

"It was a tough one to take and be ready to give it our all one more time. We showed we have the right character but unfortunately it was not enough, and we will be relegated. It's a sad day for all of us. It's over, unfortunately.

"We had an obligation as a team and staff - and to the Green Army, who needed to see their team fighting."

Cardiff City are also dropping down to the third tier and will be joined by either Hull City, Derby County, Luton Town, Preston or Stoke City, as the Championship shapes up for a tense final day.

Leeds United and Burnley were confirmed as promoted to the Premier League last week. Sheffield United and Sunderland are in the play-offs but the other two slots are still undecided. It is between Bristol City, Coventry City, Millwall, Blackburn and Middlesbrough.

In League One, Birmingham are champions and Wrexham completed an incredible third successive promotion to reach the Championship. Stockport, Wycombe, Charlton and either Leyton Orient or Reading will contest the play-offs. Crawley, Bristol Rovers, Cambridge and Shrewsbury have been relegated to League Two.

In the fourth tier, Carlisle United and Morecambe will drop down to the National League, with Barnet guaranteed to come the other way. Doncaster and Port Vale will move into League One but the final two promotion slots are still up for grabs.