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Hope Akpan (second right) netted his first goal for Burton since his move from Blackburn last summer

Burton Albion ensured the battle for survival in the Championship will go to the final day after beating fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers.

Hope Akpan lashed in an angled effort and Lucas Akins poked home following a scramble in the box to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead at half-time.

Filipe Morais went close after the break for Bolton, who are seven without a win and drop into the bottom three.

Burton move up to 22nd, level on 41 points with 21st-placed Barnsley.

Defeats for Reading and Birmingham mean Burton's prospects of staying up are much improved, with a trip to play-off hopefuls Preston on Sunday, 6 May.

Wanderers are a point from safety but, because of their vastly inferior goal difference, will have to win their game at home to Nottingham Forest and hope two of Birmingham, Barnsley or Burton drop points.

Bolton started brightly at the Pirelli Stadium, with Adam Le Fondre and Karl Henry sending volleyed efforts off target, but Akpan's clinical finish put Nigel Clough's side ahead and Akins bobbled the ball in to double the lead.

Morais threatened for the visitors in the second half but the Brewers looked more likely to extend their lead, with Trotters keeper Ben Alnwick saving Marvin Sordell's low shot and twice denying Boyce, while Luke Murphy fired over the bar from close range.

Burton sealed a third successive league win for the first time since January 2016, but Bolton boss Phil Parkinson will be counting the cost of a late-season slump and their poor away record.

Wanderers have won just once on the road in the league this season and a run of one win in 12 games has left them in danger of suffering an immediate return to League One.

Five sides go into the final day of the Championship season knowing they could be relegated to League One

Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby:

"In terms of everything we wanted with the performance today, it was all in abundance.

"Unless we get a result at Preston next week it will be for nothing. That's the message to the players so far, we've come this far, let's finish this off.

"We've won our last two home games. Whatever happens now, we go into next season on a bit of a high."

Bolton manager Phil Parkinson:

"I thought we started okay. It was pretty even up to the goal but the two goals are soft and Burton grew ten foot tall after that.

"The supporters are hurting but it is hurting me as well.

"We went down with a whimper today and I have always defended the lads as much as possible but there wasn't enough out there today to get us back into the game."