TOWN will take on Charlton in League I next season – but not Leicester or Hereford.
Two years after turning down the offer of the Town manager’s job to try to help keep Charlton in the Premier League, Phil Parkinson couldn’t prevent them slipping to relegation from the Championship.
Failure to beat Blackpool – it was 2-2 at The Valley – combined with results elsewhere consigned the Londoners to the drop and put a question mark against Parkinson’s future as manager.
He responded: “I don’t want to discuss my position because that would be disrespectful to everybody at the club.
“It’s not about me, it’s about Charlton Athletic – a fantastic club who have been relegated but will come back strongly.”
While there was misery for Charlton, there was joy for Leicester, who clinched promotion and the League I title with a 2-0 win at Southend.
Matty Fryatt took his season’s haul to 31 with a double while Peterborough pushed their claims for the second automatic promotion spot by winning 1-0 at home to Stockport.
MK Dons maintained their hopes by winning 1-0 at Scunthorpe through Luke Chadwick, but Millwall’s hopes were hit by a 4-2 defeat at Bristol Rovers.
Leeds strengthened their grip on a play-off place by beating Tranmere 3-1 at Elland Road, where Jermaine Beckford made it 32 goals for the season and Neil Kilkenny and Luciano Becchio also scored.
At the other end of the table, basement side Hereford’s relegation was confirmed by a 2-0 home defeat against Colchester.
“It was generally a lethargic acceptance of our plight and that was annoying,” said boss Graham Turner.
Cheltenham kept alive slim hopes of survival by winning 2-1 at Crewe, as did Brighton, who earned a pick-me-up before Saturday’s visit to Town by beating Oldham 3-1 at Withdean.
Ex-Sheffield Wednesday man Lloyd Owusu scored twice for Brighton, who had defender Andy Whing sent off.
