The automatic promotion places were all wrapped up with time to spare as Doncaster, Plymouth and Portsmouth all sealed a path to League One.

The battle for the play-offs though was ridiculously tight as the final day saw seven sides vying to join Luton and Exeter in the end of season shoot-out.

Carlisle and Blackpool were best placed of the rest going into the final round of fixtures, but Stevenage, Cambridge, Colchester, Wycombe, and Mansfield all harboured ambitions of gatecrashing the top seven ahead of the end of season lottery that is the play-offs.

At the bottom though, Hartlepool suffered a miserable run that put them in the relegation zone, while Newport look set to be the fifth side in the past six seasons to avoid relegation having been bottom of the Football League at Christmas. Leyton Orient will certainly be playing non-league football next season after a disastrous campaign on and off the field.

So, in what was a fascinating month of action in the fourth tier, here are the Shoot! Awards for the month of April in League Two…

Manager of the Month – Paul Cook (Portsmouth)

It may have appeared inevitable that Portsmouth would eventually get promoted from League Two given their fan base and history, but they have got through their managers giving it a try.

It has taken four years to go up but in Paul Cook they finally found a manager who was able to deliver.

They went through April unbeaten, dropping just two points and eventually sealing promotion on Easter Monday at Notts County.

Cook has got the Pompey chimes ringing once more.

Player of the Month – Mickey Demetriou (Newport County)

The Exiles looked dead and buried at Christmas but made a real fight of things in April and went into the final day with their fate, remarkably, in their own hands.

Mickey Demetriou was more than significant for County during that time.

He was part of a defence that kept four clean sheets and also scored half of Newport’s six goals in the month.

Impressive stuff, and Newport have reaped the rewards of signing the 27-year-old in the January transfer window, formerly of Shrewsbury Town.

Goal of the Month – Sam Saunders (Barnet v WYCOMBE WANDERERS)

Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe Wanderers knew that they needed all three points at Barnet to keep their slim play-off ambitions alive, and they need just that thanks to goals from Sam Saunders and Joe Jacobson.

Yet it was Saunders’ strike that really stood out.

The 33-year-old picked the ball up in the midfield and spotted home goalkeeper Jamie Stephens off his line, and pursued to fire a wonderful effort over his head from midway inside the Barnet half.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game, and sent the Chairboys on their way to three massive points.