How Bradford City, Notts County, Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers' final 6 fixtures compare | OneFootball

Football League World looks at the respective end-of-season run-ins for the four promotion-chasing sides in League Two

The race for two of the three automatic promotion slots is not slowing down heading into the latter stages of the 2024/25 League Two campaign, with a number of sides still in firm contention.

League leaders Walsall appear likely to seal promotion as champions, even if their mighty grip on top spot has just loosened ever so slightly in recent weeks following a patchy run of form and Nathan Lowe’s return to parent club Stoke City.

The Saddlers are eight points clear of second-placed Wimbledon at this moment in time. However, just seven points separate Wimbledon from Crewe Alexandra in seventh, with at least five sides still in with a strong chance of finishing the season in one of the two remaining automatic places behind Walsall.

Third-placed Doncaster Rovers and sixth-placed Port Vale are separated by a mere three points, while Notts County and Bradford City are both sandwiched in between, tied on 54 points.

Football League World has taken a look at how each side’s final six matches of the season compare…

Doncaster Rovers’ final six matches of the season

Grant McCann’s side have a difficult end to the season, with more than one showdown against a direct promotion rival on the agenda.

They will hope to take all three points from Cheltenham Town on April 5. After that, though, they will host Wimbledon in a crunch affair.

Matches against Tranmere Rovers and Colchester United may prove more winnable before a daunting double-header to finish off the campaign.

Rovers will face Bradford and Notts County in their final two matches of the regular season. That may mean they will be looking to mount a strong run of form in the coming weeks to all-but-ensure promotion by the time those two fixtures come around.

Notts County’s final 6 matches of the season

Ironically, the Magpies have a rather similar end to the season to Doncaster.

The first of their final six matches will take place away at Colchester at the start of April, before they welcome play-off chasing Salford City to Meadow Lane.

It’s then a trip to fellow automatic promotion rivals Bradford in what surely must be classified as a six-pointer for both sides.

County will be hoping to avoid any potential banana skins against Cheltenham and Harrogate Town ahead of another seeming six-pointer against a direct rival in Doncaster at home on the final day.

Bradford’s final 6 matches of the season

Bradford have been in remarkable form thus far in 2025 and will hope that spark is still very much going by the time they roll into the crunch stage of the season, with numerous sizable tests in their way as they bid to finally seal promotion from League Two.

The first of their final six matches - after a potentially-huge showdown against Port Vale, of course - will come when they welcome play-off chasers Crewe to West Yorkshire on April 5.

The subsequent clash away at Swindon Town already feels like it could be a must-win, as Bradford will then lock horns with Stuart Maynard’s Notts side.

A trip to 10th-placed Chesterfield, who are the second-highest scorers in the division this term, could well be something of a banana skin if the Bantams are not careful.

They will round off the season with a huge affair away at Doncaster before hosting Fleetwood Town on the final day.

Port Vale’s final 6 matches of the season

Lastly, it’s hardly an easy run-in for Port Vale. Darren Moore’s side will get the ball rolling on their final six fixtures by travelling to Walsall on April 5.

They may stand a better chance at chalking up three points when they welcome Bromley to Vale Park a week later, and the promotion-chasers simply must see off bottom-placed Carlisle United on April 18.

Vale will then face play-off chasing Grimsby Town at home before a daunting trip to Wimbledon, which could go some way to deciding what division they’re playing in next season.

The final match of the season, however, should be a winnable one as Vale host 17th-placed Gillingham.

On paper, it does feel like Vale could have a slightly less-difficult end-of-season run-in compared to the rest of their promotion rivals - but that’s not to say it’s an easy one by any stretch.