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EFL Team of the Week

EFL Team of the Week: Wrexham midfielder stars as Red Dragons secure third promotion in a row

The penultimate weekend of the EFL season played out over the past few days, with twists and turns across the entire 72.

Matty James bagged a brace of assists in Wrexham’s 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic PICTURE: Alamy

The penultimate weekend of the EFL season played out over the past few days, with twists and turns across the entire 72.

Promotions and relegations were confirmed, while some teams still have it all to play for on the final day.

Welsh clubs Wrexham and Cardiff City swapped places, as the Bluebirds were relegated from the Championship and the Red Dragons confirmed their third promotion in a row to get up to the second tier.

Whatever people say about the way that Wrexham have achieved their success, that is a mighty achievement.

Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers confirmed promotions from League Two, as Walsall’s monumental bottle job continued with a 1-0 loss to Accrington Stanley.

Countless other teams also had their fates decided, but here is the Team of the Week from an extremely eventful weekend.

Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Doncaster Rovers)

Football is often decided by individual moments.

On-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe’s 85th-minute penalty save from Tyreik Samuel Wright was the difference between promotion being secured and having to wait another week.

With the score at 1-0 to Rovers, the keeper dived to his left and palmed it away expertly to send the home fans into bedlam.

Billy Sharp doubled the lead a few minutes later, and a consolation goal wasn’t enough for the Bantams to get anything from the match.

Without that save, it would have been a different story.

Kellan Gordon (Notts County)

Notts County comfortably beat Harrogate Town 3-1 away from home, which secured their place in the League Two playoffs.

Former Crawley Town player Kellan Gordon was involved in a lot of the good attacking play that the Magpies had down his right-hand side, creating the most chances in the match and winning the most fouls.

Solid going forward, he also got himself an assist for one of Conor Grant’s goals.

A well-weighted Gordon cross was controlled and finished by the attacking midfielder to round off the scoring and make sure that all three points went back to Meadow Lane.

Ashley Palmer (Chesterfield)

Chesterfield have just about kept their playoff hopes alive with a professional 4-1 win against already relegated Morecambe in League Two.

The Spireites had to work hard to get their win, with three of the goals coming late on after a Jordan Slew equaliser for the Shrimps, but it was Ashley Palmer who stood out from the back.

He completed over 100 passes, as well as scoring the goal which turned out to be the winner.

Although it wasn’t an impressive strike, being an open goal volley from a corner after the goalkeeper had missed it, they all count.

Palmer won most of his duels and kept Morecambe’s attack quiet in a solid defensive performance.

Omar Beckles (Leyton Orient)

It was a huge win for Leyton Orient, who beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 to just about hold onto the final playoff spot in League One, finding themselves level on points with Reading but with superior goal difference.

Keeping the Chairboys’ attack quiet was a joint effort, with Omar Beckles’ inclusion in many ways representing the whole defensive unit that Richie Wellens put on the pitch.

Beckles was an experienced head and marshalled things well at the back.

Should Orient go up, they will remember this game as one of the key wins from the campaign.

Ben Jackson (Barrow)

Two firmly mid-table clubs in League Two, Barrow and Bromley, played out a brilliant 3-3 draw in one of the biggest examples of two teams that have nothing to play for and can have a bit of fun as a result.

Ben Jackson was great down the left-hand side and played his wing-back role to perfection.

Three chances created, the most fouls and duels won, and an assist is just about as much as you can ask for from his position.

A pass from Jackson to the edge of the box gave Isaac Fletcher space to finish low into the bottom corner for their second of the game.

Matty James (Wrexham)

Back-to-back-to-back.

Simply incredible from Wrexham and their Hollywood fairytale moves onto the Championship after automatic promotion was secured from League One.

Charlton Athletic went into this game as the in-form side in the league, with five wins and a draw in their past six games, but were absolutely blown away 3-0 at the Racecourse Ground.

Two assists from Matty James in a MOTM performance meant that he simply could not be left out of this team.

Formerly of Leicester City, the midfielder is as classy as ever.

His second assist was an absolute joy, with a dinked 25-yard pass looping over the defence and perfectly onto the foot of Sam Smith, who volleyed home past the keeper.

Pantuche Camara (Crawley Town)

Crawley Town are more than likely down, but they look set to take it to the final day (depending on midweek results) following a comfortable 3-0 win over Northampton Town.

Pantuche Camara was back to the best that fans saw a few years ago at Plymouth Argyle in the midfield, as he kept making things happen across the entirety of the match.

Six chances created and a deserved assist sums up just how impressive he was on the ball.

He picked it up in space about 35 yards from goal and threaded a beautiful pass for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy to finish to open the scoring for Town.

Conor Grant (Notts County)

In County’s solid win over Harrogate, Grant bagged himself a neat brace from attacking midfield whilst also being a creative outlet for his side.

Joint with the most chances created alongside fellow TOTW inclusion Gordon, he rounded off a fine performance with the second and third goals to secure victory.

Both goals showcased striker-like finishes, despite him being a midfielder, as he tapped in a rebound for his first and controlled a cross for his second.

The Irishman will be key in their playoff campaign and will hope to continue his great partnership with compatriot David McGoldrick.

Zian Flemming (Burnley)

Any suggestion that Burnley were going off the boil following promotion to the Premier League was quickly put to bed as they smashed Queens Park Rangers 5-0 at Loftus Road.

Dutchman Zian Flemming got two goals and an assist in the rout, contributing massively to the party atmosphere in the away end.

Two close-range finishes took the scoreline from 1-0 to 3-0 and effectively won the game before half-time.

Now top of the league, with Leeds United due to play Bristol City on Monday night, the cherry on top could be secured for the Clarets should their title rivals slip up.

John Marquis (Shrewsbury Town)

Shrewsbury Town may be down, but they played with a lot of pride away at Oakwell and came out 2-1 winners against Barnsley.

Big striker John Marquis netted both goals to take his tally up to 11 for the season, which is a decent haul given Salop’s struggles.

A traditional striker by all accounts, his two goals came from being in the right place at the right time and being able to stick the ball in the net.

It was a tidy flicked finish for his second, though, so maybe he isn’t just a target man after all.

Jaheim Headley (Port Vale)

Vale secured promotion to League One alongside Doncaster with a 2-0 win away against playoff side AFC Wimbledon.

Young winger Jaheim Headley was the star man playing on the left as he bagged a goal and an assist for the Valiants.

A well-weighted free kick from out wide was flicked on by striker Jayden Stockley to open the scoring in the 64th minute, before Headley doubled the lead himself just three minutes later.

He was played in behind after getting the right side of his man, took a touch and stabbed it home with his right foot, with Owen Goodman getting a hand but not having enough to stop it.

The scenes in the away end after his goal alone are enough to earn him a spot in this week’s Team of the Week.

READ MORE: EFL Team of the Week: Leeds United and Burnley players star in promotion triumphs

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