Season's end promises busy finish as five groups struggle for three places

You will find, for all purposes and intents, five Championship groups fighting for three playoff spots. Those five teams (Nottingham Forest, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, and Brighton & Hove Albion) are separated just by three things and it is only purpose difference that separates two pairs of these teams. With only three matches left in the campaign, the end of the 2012/2013 year is likely to be hectic. Four of those five groups have three matches left to perform. Crystal Palace may be the exception with four to go because they have to constitute a match with Millwall that was delayed due to the Lions' FA Cup run. Bolton's run-in is made up of home match against Middlesbrough, an absent trip to Premier League-bound Cardiff City, and a finish at home against Blackpool. Nottingham Forest (currently behind Bolton on goal big difference) have a match against Barnsley this weekend, a visit to the Den to manage Millwall next weekend, and eventually a game against Leicester city. Leicester City (currently one point above Bolton) have a difficult schedule in front of them. They travel to Crystal Palace before returning home to face Watford, who are pressing for automatic promotion. They end the standard time in a property match against Nottingham Forest. Crystal Palace (currently three points above Bolton) will take on Leicester City at home and then travel to Blackburn before a difficult Tuesday night visit to Millwall to take on the Lions at the Den. They finish in the home against Peterborough United who, as things stand, are one point above the drop zone. Brighton & Hove Albion (currently three items above Bolton and have a target big difference edge on Crystal Palace) will welcome Blackpool to the Amex. They then go Elland Road to face Leeds United that are flying high under Brian McDermott, having won equally matches since his visit. Brighton will finish in the home against Wolves who are one level and one spot above the drop zone. None of the playoff hopefuls have simple matches ahead of them. Hardly any groups in the Championship have nothing to play for at this time and mid-table mediocrity hopefully will not be a issue as it pertains to deciding who'll occupy the playoff spots. No matter which way you consider it, among Bolton's playoff opponents can drop items. Leicester City accept both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest and when they get a gain in every one of those, that means that both the Eagles and the Foxes fall three items. Pulls mean two points each for many parties and four points fallen throughout the table. The story is very much the same for every every team but Brighton & Hove Albion who'll not perform any matches against teams currently above them in the table. Of course, the table-watching will prove ineffective if Bolton Wanderers don't do the job in front of them. As things stand, Bolton Wanderers are out from the playoffs by way of a single point. When all is said and done, six highlights of nine available may (and that's a thorough may) be sufficient for Bolton Wanderers to do the task but it'll make for tight seeing. Eight things should do the job. Seven details could nail it. Bolton Wanderers supporters may have some nervy vacations forward.