Matchday 30 Results & Updated Tables

Championship

Audenshaw Dynamo  4   Hungaria  3

Blyth Spartans  2   Marlow   0

Gainsborough Trinity  8   Matlock Town   1

Hartlepool United  5   Red Star Sunderland   0

Liverpool St Helens  5   Burnley   0

Oxford Excelsior  3   Northwich Victoria  1

Stalybridge Celtic  2   Manchester City   2

Wrexham  5   Mossley   3

Second Division

Atletico Espanol  1   Hendon Hotspur   2

Bradford City  1   Marine   0

Crystal Palace  2   Merthyr Tydfil   0

Gateshead Dynamo  4   South Liverpool Red Star   3

Inter-Italiano  4   Crewe Alexandra   4

Newcastle United  2   Newcastle Blue Star   1

Sheffield Wednesday  5   Manchester Newton Heath   1

Spartak-Slavia  2   Nelson CBR   2

With the league championship already decided in Stalybridge Celtic's favour, attention was focussed on the other end of the table today, with Matlock Town needing to win at potential runners-up and Cup finalists Gainsborough Trinity, a squad motivated by the fight for a starting place in the final, and hoping that Marlow wouldn't prevail at faltering Blyth Spartans (the other Cup finalists next weekend) in order to leapfrog the deposed champions and escape the clutches of relegation.

Alas for them, although Marlow duly lost in Northumberland, a fitting end to a truly miserable campaign, Matlock failed spectacularly to capitalise, victims of an 8 - 1 trashing by Trinity - who thus confirmed second place and moved a point closer to Stalybridge after Celtic, in celebratory mood, were held by Manchester City - and will therefore accompany Oxford Excelsior, who enjoyed a valedictory victory over Northwich Victoria, down into next season's Second Division.

Elsewhere in the top flight, more goals flowed - eight at Wrexham as they beat hopeless travellers Mossley 5- 3, seven at Audenshaw as the Dynamo edged Hungaria 4- 3, and five each for Hartlepool United and Liverpool St Helens as they both signed-off in fine style with thumping to-nil victories.

The nerves again afflicted those jostling for promotion from the Second Division, all of which meant that, despite losing by a single goal at Bradford City, Marine still finished top of the pile and go up, while Spartak-Slavia's draw at home to Nelson CBR enabled them to accompany Marine in second place, staying that crucial point ahead of Crewe Alexandra after the latter could only earn a share of eight goals at Inter-Italiano, running out of time after at one stage being 1 - 4 behind.

At the opposite end, Newcastle United, controversially elevated to the second tier before the season kicked-off, beat city neighbours Blue Star but that ultimately wasn't enough to save them from finishing in last place, and demotion back to the regional leagues, as Crystal Palace rescued themselves with a vital 2 - 0 victory over Merthyr Tydfil, also enabling them to climb and finish above the South Walians.