National League

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Boreham Wood have signed Ipswich Town winger Leon Ayinde on loan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old Irishman has yet to play for the Championship club, but scored twice in 27 National League appearances for Rochdale while on loan last season.

Ayinde began his career at Cork City and joined Ipswich in January 2023.

He joins a Boreham Wood side fourth in the table despite a run of four successive defeats which was ended by Wednesday's 3-2 home win against Yeovil Town.

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The National League has confirmed dates for the play-offs, with the final to be held on Sunday, 10 May at Wembley Stadium.

Fourth to seventh place will face each other in April in an eliminator round before the respective winners progress to the semi-finals on Sunday, 2 May to face either second or third.

The dates will be as follows:

Eliminator A (fifth v sixth) – Tuesday, 28 April

Eliminator B (fourth v seventh) – Wednesday, 29 April

Semi-final (second v eliminator A winner) – Sunday, 3 May

Semi-final (third v eliminator B winner) – Sunday, 3 May

Promotion final – Sunday, 10 May

The 2026-27 season will commence on Saturday, 8 August and conclude on Saturday, 24 April 2027.

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Rochdale midfielder Harvey Gilmour has extended his contract through until the end of next season.

The 27-year-old has made 110 league appearances for Dale since joining in July 2023.

Jim McNulty's men are top of the National League, two points clear of York City.

"It was extra special to reach 100 games and I'm loving every second of it," he told the club website, external.

Image source, BBC Essex

Southend United captain Nathan Ralph could miss most of the rest of the season as he is likely to need surgery on a knee injury.

The 32-year-old has been with The Shrimpers since 2019 and has made 25 appearances this season.

"There's a tear in there so he'll probably need an op on it," boss Kevin Maher told BBC Essex.

"Until they go in there and do what they need to do we won't know fully but it's going to be a number of weeks (out), of course."

Southend are eighth in the National League, two points outside the play-off places, after reaching the final at Wembley last season, only to lose 3-2 to Oldham Athletic.

They are at home to Morecambe on Saturday but Maher expects they will have to play as many as nine games in March following Wednesday's postponement at Aldershot because of a waterlogged pitch.

Maher's side are also still in the FA Trophy and have a quarter-final away to Horsham on 28 February.

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Braintree Town have signed winger Taylan Harris on loan from Championship club Luton Town for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old spent the first part of the season with Tranmere Rovers, scoring once in 19 appearances - 13 of them in League Two.

Harris began his career with Reading, playing once for them in the EFL Trophy before moving on to Luton two years ago.

Braintree were 21st in National League before Wednesday evening's game at relegation rivals Sutton United but in the bottom four on goal difference only.