Loan watch and ex-Blues: Nugent and Annan set for last-day drama

Kai Nugent is set for a dramatic final day of the season after the Carlisle United loanee helped Annan Athletic to a valiant point.

A 3-3 draw with unbeaten champions in Scottish League One kept Peter Murphy’s side in sight of survival.

Nugent, who is being released by the Blues, started and played the first 73 minutes at Galabank as Annan came from 3-1 down to claim a dramatic draw.

They remain eighth ahead of next Saturday’s showdown with ninth-placed Stirling Albion.

The clubs are level on points but Annan’s superior goal difference means a point would be enough to ensure survival – but defeat would consign Murphy’s men to the play-offs in order to fight for their third-tier status.

Nugent’s 26th appearance of his season-long loan came as Annan went behind to Liam Henderson’s goal before Wullie Gibson levelled from the spot.

Further Falkirk goals from Henderson and Aidan Nesbitt put the visitors in control but another Gibson spot-kick got Annan back into things – and then Aidan Smith struck at the death for the hosts.

Stirling kept their own safety hopes alive with a 3-1 win at relegated Edinburgh City.

Elsewhere in Scottish League One, Max Kilsby’s Queen of the South secured survival with a 2-0 win over Cove Rangers.

Blues loan defender Kilsby - also released today by United - was an unused substitute as goals from Jordan Houston and Lee Connelly, the latter from the spot, made seventh-placed Queens safe.

United youth midfielder Jake Allan was in the Workington Reds side as they signed off the Danny Grainger era with victory.

Allan came close to a first-half goal and played the first 69 minutes before being replaced at Borough Park, as the retiring Sam Smith struck a fairytale late winner on his final appearance after Steven Rigg’s earlier striker had been cancelled out.

It was Grainger’s final game in charge of the Northern Premier League Premier Division club, while Smith, Conor Tinnion and Scott Allison also played their last games for Reds.

A number of ex-Carlisle United men were in the thick of things over the weekend, meanwhile.

Jarrad Branthwaite helped Everton keep a crucial clean sheet as they defeated Brentford 1-0 at Goodison Park to secure Premier League safety.

Dean Henderson was in goal for Crystal Palace as they fought back for a 1-1 draw at Fulham.

In League One, Kyle Dempsey hit an early goal for Bolton Wanderers in a 3-3 draw at Peterborough United which saw the Trotters finish third, ahead of a play-off semi-final against Barnsley.

Also in the third tier, Owen Moxon came off the bench for Portsmouth as the champions wrapped up their season with a 2-0 win at Lincoln City which denied the Imps a play-off place.

In League Two, a Tom Anderson own-goal helped Gillingham earn a 2-2 draw against in-form Doncaster Rovers.

Calum Kavanagh, son of ex-United boss Graham, and Andy Cook were both on target as Bradford City defeated Newport County 4-1, the Bantams missing out on the play-offs by a point.

In the National League play-off semi-finals, Mark Beck was a late substitute for Solihull Moors as they thrashed Barnet 4-0 to reach Wembley.

They will face Bromley for a place in the EFL after the Ravens defeated Altrincham 3-1 in the other semi-final on Sunday, Byron Webster starting for Bromley and Olufela Olomola coming off the bench.

In NPL Premier, ex-United trialist Stephen Walker netted for Whitby Town in their 2-0 win over Macclesfield.

James Hooper scored in Runcorn Linnets’ 5-0 win at 1874 Northwich in NPL West.

A late Dan Kirkup strike earned Carlisle City a 3-2 home win over Northallerton Town in their last game of the Northern League Division One season, after earlier goals from Tom Mahone and Jordan Holt, Jim Nichols’ side finishing eighth.

United hero Jimmy Glass was celebrating as Wimborne Town – where the former goalscoring keeper is general manager – clinched the Southern League Division One South title with a 3-1 win at Melksham Town.

In Finland's top flight, Luke Plange came off the bench to score his first goal for HJK Helsinki to earn a 1-1 draw against Haka.

And in Australia’s A-League, a late goal from substitute Ryan Edmondson helped Central Coast Mariners to a 3-1 win over Newcastle Jets.