Peterborough United could effectively secure safety from relegation on Good Friday and Easter has generally been very good for the club in recent seasons

The gap between Darren Ferguson's side and the relegation zone shrunk to six points last Saturday. Posh had no League One fixture as they were going through their final preparations for the Vertu Trophy Final at Wembley the following day.

But a win for a now buoyant Posh side against promotion-chasing Stockport County at the Weston Homes Stadium on Good Friday coupled with defeat for Bristol Rovers at Wrexham would pretty match guarantee another season in the third tier. Rovers, who have lost their last six League One matches, would then be nine points adrift of Posh with far inferior goal difference (currently -10 to -26) and they would only have three games to play, one fewer than Posh.

It looks like Crawley Town have joined Cambridge United and Shrewsbury on the doomed list, but several other teams still have to work to do to stay out of the bottom four.

Bottom 9

POSH P41 -10 48

Mansfield P41 -10 47

Wigan P41 -4 47

North’ton P42 -17 47

Burton P41 -15 42

Bristol R P42 -26 42

Crawley P42 -32 36

Cambridge P42 -26 35

Shrewsbury P42 -34 30

Here are the remaining games for those still involved in the relegation battle.

With the exception of Roverss, Posh look to have the hardest remaining fixtures. The next four opponents all beat Posh in the reverse fixture.

Darren Ferguson’s side face Rotherham United away on the final day. Posh came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with ‘The Millers’ in October.

POSH (5): Stockport (H), Barnsley (A), Bolton (H), Mansfield (A), Rotherham (A).

MANSFIELD (5): Rotherham (A), Reading (H), Birmingham (A), Posh (H), Exeter (H)

WIGAN (5): Shrewsbury (A), Rotherham (H), Blackpool (H), Burton (A), Northampton (A)

NORTHAMPTON (4): Charlton (A), Shrewsbury (H), Crawley (A), Wigan (H)

BURTON (5): Exeter (A), Birmingham (H), Cambridge (H), Wigan (H), Charlton (A)

BRISTOL R (4): Wrexham (A), Stevenage (H),Reading (H), Blackpool (A)

The Easter weekend is always a pivotal time with all clubs playing on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

With the holiday falling so late this year there could be some decisive results. Posh have been good at Easter in recent seasons apart from last year's Good Friday blip at home to relegation-bound Carlisle. That is the only Easter defeat in the last six seasons, although the Covid-interrupted campaign of 2019-20 was cancelled before the holiday weekend.

Posh even won both holiday games in their Championship relegation season of 2021-22.

Recent Easter results

2023-24: L1-3 v Carlisle (H) (Randall); W2-1 v Orient (A) (Kyprianou, Mason-Clark).

2022-23: W3-0 v Shrewsbury (A) (Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark, Taylor); W3-1 v Exeter (H) (og, Mason-Clark, Clarke-Harris).

2021-22: W2-1 v Blackburn (H) (Szmodics, Marriott); W2-0 v Barnsley (A) (Marriott, Taylor).

2020-21: W1-0 v Fleetwood (A) (Clarke-Harris); D1-1 v Sunderland (H) (Dembele).

2018-19: D1-1 v Fleetwood (A) (Maddison); D1-1 v Sunderland (H) (Godden).