League Two leaders Swindon travel to play-off chasing Gillingham on Saturday, while rock-bottom Hereford host Northampton.
Plenty to play for at both ends of the League Two table
League Two leaders Swindon travel to play-off chasing Gillingham on Saturday, while rock-bottom Hereford host Northampton.
But first there is a top-versus-bottom clash on Friday between fifth-placed
Southend and relegation-threatened
Barnet.
The clash at Roots Hall will be Martin Allen's first game back in charge of the Bees after he replaced Lawrie Sanchez this week with the Underhill outfit sitting just three points above the drop zone.
Southend are currently six points off the automatic promotion berths and will be looking to win to maintain their faint hopes of finishing third.
The rest of the League Two action takes place on Saturday, with plenty to play for at both ends of the table.
Paolo Di Canio's
Swindon visit ninth-placed
Gillingham looking to bounce back from a 2-1 reverse to Aldershot last time, with fans allowed to attend Saturday's game after a row over policing costs was resolved.
Second-placed
Shrewsbury also face an away trip to mid-table
Accrington as they seek to maintain their four-point gap on the chasing pack.
Crawley will be looking to win at
Dagenham & Redbridge to keep their place in the last automatic promotion berth, while the hosts will be aiming to earn at least a point to make relegation a mathematical impossibility.
Positive result
Any slip-ups and fourth-placed
Torquay can leapfrog Town with a positive result at mid-table
AFC Wimbledon, who held Crawley 1-1 last time.
Eighth-placed
Crewe host sixth-placed
Cheltenham knowing a win will haul the Railwaymen to within a point of their opponents.
Oxford occupy the last play-off berth and face a tough trip to
Plymouth, who need a win to make them mathematically safe.
Play-off chasing
Rotherham will be looking to shrug off a 3-1 reverse at Shrewsbury last time against mid-table
Morecambe.
Burton suffered their heaviest defeat as a Football League club when they lost 7-1 to Bristol Rovers last weekend and caretaker boss Gary Rowett will be demanding a response against
Aldershot at the Pirelli Stadium.
Bristol Rovers will be buoyed by that big win when they travel to
Port Vale, who can leapfrog their opponents in the table with victory.
Down at the bottom,
Hereford host
Northampton looking to earn a much-needed three points after seven league games without victory.
Second-from-bottom
Macclesfield are also three points from safety and face a tough trip to
Bradford, who just about assured safety with a 3-1 win at Northampton last week but require another point to make relegation a mathematical impossibility.