Reading on a roll as Crewe so solid

Premiership football in Berkshire edged a little closer yesterday as Reading confirmed their Nationwide First Division play-off place with a 2-1 defeat of relegated Grimsby Town, while in the Second Division Crewe Alexandra ensured a swift return to the First by claiming the second automatic promotion berth when they drew 0-0 at Queen's Park Rangers, who had Clark Carlisle and Stephen Kelly sent off.

Other issues decided saw Huddersfield Town and Mansfield Town relegated to the Third Division while Wrexham bagged the third automatic promotion place from the Third after a 5-0 defeat of Cambridge United at the Racecourse Ground.

Goals in the first 22 minutes by Glenn Little and Andy Hughes sealed Reading's play-off participation. "It was important to get there as quickly as we could" their manager, Alan Pardew, said. "Now I want us to finish third and to beat the club's best points total in the First Division."

But Neil Warnock, the Sheffield United manager, knows it's unnecessary to finish third to gain an edge in the play-offs. The Blades and Wolves drew 3-3 at Bramall Lane, suggesting that a final between them would be quite a showpiece. Warnock has contested four play-offs and won them all. "I finished fifth with Huddersfield and I've also finished third twice, and fourth once. It's not that important to finish third."

Next weekend Reading will have a hand in deciding the relegation issue when they play at threatened Stoke City. The Potters lost 1-0 at Crystal Palace, Dele Adebola scoring the decisive late goal.

Ipswich Town's play-off aspirations ebbed away quickly at Portman Road when they missed a hatful of first-half chances and Wimbledon made them pay, David Connolly scoring twice in a 5-1 rout of the dispirited Suffolk side. "A daft day," the Ipswich manager, Joe Royle, said. "We defended like amateurs and missed chances. The best sides have 11 men defending, not just four or five."

Already relegated, Sheffield Wednesday are ending the season in some style, thrashing Burnley 7-2 at Turf Moor. "It gives the supporters a lift for next season," the Owls' manager, Chris Turner, said. Less than uplifted was the Clarets' Stan Ternent. "It's back to five years ago and I can't wait for the summer so I can build a new team – because I have to."

Coventry City, who are still more than £20 million in debt and put 15 players on the transfer list last week, drew 0-0 with Gillingham to make it 11 games without a win, while Preston's Pawel Abbott got the only goal of their home game with Bradford City and Walsall's Junior scored a hat-trick in the 3-2 defeat of visitors Derby County.

Despite those sendings-off, QPR will contest the Second Division play-offs with Oldham, Bristol City and Cardiff, such is the weakness of Tranmere's goal difference. Chesterfield's 2-0 win over Bristol City, who also had two players, Aaron Brown and Tony Butler, sent off, meant relegation for Huddersfield, 5-1 losers at Port Vale, and Mansfield, who were trailing 2-0 at Tranmere when an individual scaled a floodlight pylon creating a safety problem that led to the game's abandonment.

Wrexham joined Rushden & Diamonds and Hartlepool United in promotion from the Third. Bournemouth and Bury are in the play-offs with Scunthorpe favourites to join them and Lincoln and Oxford battling for the fourth place.

Shrewsbury Town look destined for Conference football next season, with Exeter, Carlisle and Swansea struggling to avoid joining them. Last-day wins for Woking and Leigh RMI meant relegation from the Conference for Nuneaton and Southport.