Peterborough fought back from 3-0 down with 25 minutes to go against third-placed Lincoln to grab a dramatic 3-3 draw and secure promotion from League One with a penalty from Jonson Clarke-Harris deep into stoppage time.
Imps midfielder Anthony Scully broke the deadlock on the half-hour, with Jorge Grant adding another from the penalty spot just before half-time. Scully got his second in the 53rd minute to seemingly leave Posh’s promotion party on hold and keep Lincoln’s hopes alive.
However, Siriki Dembele started the fightback before Clarke-Harris set up a tense finale with a 75th-minute free-kick – and then kept his cool from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.
Hull claimed the League One title with a 3-1 home win over Wigan. The Tigers – already made sure of their place back in the Championship after beating Lincoln last weekend – went in front through Keane Lewis-Potter’s header in the 17th minute, but Joe Dodoo soon had Wigan level.
Hull, though, were back in front again in the 22nd minute through George Honeyman and Josh Magennis wrapped things up with a third in the second half.
At the other end of the table, Rochdale were relegated after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Doncaster, while Northampton are also down following a 3-0 defeat by Blackpool.
Sunderland move above Lincoln into third after they won 3-1 at Plymouth. and Portsmouth kept up their own play-off push with a 3-1 win at AFC Wimbledon. Oxford are just a point outside the top six after they won 3-2 at Shrewsbury.
Southend have been relegated from League Two despite a 2-1 victory at Barrow. The Shrimpers needed to win and hope either Scunthorpe or Colchester lost to retain hope of avoiding joining bottom side Grimsby in the National League next season.
They played their part as goals from John White and Terrell Egbri saw them hit back to win at Holker Street after Scott Quigley’s opener, but results elsewhere meant it was not enough.
It is the first time in the club’s history Southend have dropped out of the Football League, with the appointment of Phil Brown as manager having come too late to save them.
Colchester ensured their survival with a 1-0 victory over nine-man Salford that dealt a huge blow to the Ammies’ play-off hopes. Scunthorpe could also celebrate staying up after a goalless draw at Bradford.
Third-placed Bolton missed the chance to secure promotion as they slipped to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at home to play-off chasing Exeter, who climbed to eighth. Fourth-placed Morecambe closed within a point of Bolton with a 2-0 win at Walsall.
Leaders Cheltenham are already promoted but missed the chance to clinch the title as they lost 1-0 away to another side in the play-off hunt in Newport. Joss Labadie scored what proved the winner after just four minutes, lifting the Welsh side to fifth and needing only a point to reach the play-offs.
Forest Green climbed into the top seven with a 2-1 home win over Tranmere despite finishing with 10 men.
In the Championship, Norwich were crowned champions and were in celebratory mood as they thumped Reading 4-1 at Carrow Road despite falling behind to Josh Laurent’s 12th minute header.
Kieran Dowell’s double either side of the interval and late strikes from Xavier Quintilla and Teemu Pukki sealed the hosts’ coronation in style.
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Second-placed Watford, whose return to the Premier League was also secure, went down 2-0 at play-off bound Brentford, whose goals came early in the second half from Marcus Forss and an Ivan Toney penalty. The win was enough to secure third place in the table for the Bees, guaranteeing them a home game in the second leg of the play-offs.