| pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts | |
| . | |||||||
| Oldham (c) | 30 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 102 | 32 | 79 |
| Preston | 27 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 62 | 28 | 57 |
| Tranmere | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 59 | 41 | 50 |
| Port Vale | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 56 | 45 | 49 |
| Rochdale | 29 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 58 | 46 | 48 |
| Stockport | 30 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 53 | 45 | 46 |
| Burnley | 27 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 55 | 65 | 46 |
| Chester | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 52 | 53 | 37 |
| Carlisle United | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 35 | 51 | 37 |
| Walsall | 29 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 43 | 46 | 36 |
| Wigan | 28 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 39 | 47 | 36 |
| Blackpool | 28 | 11 | 2 | 15 | 25 | 41 | 35 |
| Bury | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 43 | 48 | 31 |
| Shrewsbury | 29 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 34 | 58 | 26 |
| Macclesfield | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 69 | 25 |
| Wrexham | 30 | 7 | 0 | 23 | 31 | 63 | 21 |