[Dancingwilldoit]

9 pts available for most teams before the end of the season with a few twist and turns probable. I hope we manage 5th just so we get the home advantage in the first play off. We should manage to beat Wealdstone and with a crowd behind us I would expect us to get 3pts against Dagenham. If other results go our way that could be enough to clinch 5th spot just having to get a point against Halifax. We need to win by more than 3 against Wealstone to pull back our goal deference against Notts.

Our problem will be injuries. If Gunning breaks down we could have a problem. There's been no mention of Kerr but without Gunning we look powderpuff defending. We know Evans can do it but will he? I wouldn't like to have to rely on him if things are strained between him and Rowe which seems likely.

The top spot is wide open now. perm any 1 from 2 with 3rd and 4th pretty well cemented.

Notts have Bromley x 2, Wrexham and Weymouth = probable 5 or 6pts
Bromley have Notts x 2 and Aldershot = probable 5 or 6 pts
Halifax have Daggers, Maidenhead and us = probable 5 or 6 pts
Wrexham have Notts, Boreham, Daggers and a midweek game against Kings Lynn = possible 8 or 9 but I would say more of a 5 or 6
The team that could put the cat amongst the pigeons is Eastleigh with 5 to play. Barnet, Aldershot, Boreham, Altrincham and Solihull. Only 6 pts behind the pack but its a big ask for them.

The next 2 and a half weeks will be nailbiting for us thats for sure. Goal difference will play a big part.

[Devongone]

I'm worried about the crowd effect against Dagenham, much more worried than how Will Evans will perform if selected. A player who scores a last-gasp equaliser, then sees his keeper give away a penalty to be sent off, puts the gloves on and saves the decent penalty ........... I reckon he's the sort who wants to be a hero. He'll want to show James Rowe how wrong he's been (even if he hasn't!)

McCallum when he wants is a real handful and Balanta is a class above our football. I hope seeing a proper crowd doesn't get them up for it.

But if we don't win tomorrow it won't matter. Personally I'd like to see us come through a play-off to play away at Torquay ..... for obvious reasons.

[Devongone]

The good news for us is that I now think Wealdstone just did for us as far as the play-offs are concerned ...... and as you know I'm mostly wrong.

I'll never understand footie managers. Don't get why Whelan's a sub. Don't get why we buy Kairo Mitchell and consign him mostly to the bench after two games, and put him behind a loanee who has scored us only one goal.

If we win the next two and then go up through the play-offs I'll be full of admiration and manager love, but I doubt I'll understand it.

Whatever happens James Rowe has done a real job and provided hope for the future - and you can't ask much more than that.

Talking of the future I notice Warrington Rylands have reached the FA Vase Final. Kane Drummond, the young scouser I'd like us to sign scored! I'm sure he's the real deal. He's not intimidated by older, stronger players, he still showed when up against a team from a higher level and was the best player on the pitch, and yesterday he scored in a semi final so he can hold his nerve ......... Dare I write to James Rowe and tell him ......... if we don't snap him up someone else will? After all Rylands owner made his money as an agent ........

And now it really looks like SGB's Sutton all the way. 2-2 at Stockport. No Paddy Madden. Boden scores both for Torquay, whilst we can't score at all. But I still think it was the right move.

Sutton can now forget any pressure Hartlepool can exert on them next week, they only need to win their last game at Barnet and it's all over.

[spireitematt]

Looks like Sutton have won it unless they do a Devon Loch. If Sutton do win the league and looks like they will, will they rip up the 4G pitch and lay turf? Torquay look like they have got 2nd and it will be Stockport and Hartlepool battling it out for 3rd place.

Bromley have to play Aldershot and Notts County.

FC Halifax have to play Maidenhead and ourselves.

Eastleigh have to play Aldershot, Boreham Wood, Altrincham and Solihull.

I would say Eastleigh have an advantage over Bromley, FC Halifax and ourselves for 7th place due to the games they've got left to play but also they are in very good form with 4 wins out there last 5 games.

If we draw or lose to Dagenham on Saturday then the playoffs have gone. I think we need to look at this from the bigger picture though, at the start of the season we were really struggling, hovering just above the relegation zone and we were averaging around 1pt a game and to be in and around the playoffs towards the end of the season shows how well the team has come on in a short amount of time.

[Devongone]

I agree Matt, a few months ago, before relegation was ruled out anyway, we were worrying about National League North next season.

Dagenham are probably the best side in the league at the moment and we have to beat them on Saturday without the spine of our team - 2 centre backs out, Weston maybe not there yet, and biggest blow no Asante till Christmas or worse. We've even swapped keepers.

To win on Saturday we have to frustrate McCallum and Balanta. Both like things to go for them. They don't like it if you mess things up for them, so we have to cut their supply lines and tackle and hustle the fcku out of them. Hopefully that will knock the team out of its stride and they'll make a mistake. Otherwise I just think they've got a better team than us at present.

Like us Halifax have a lot of injuries and are out of form. Wrexham's game tonight could have some impact. And I'll make a bold prediction that Eastleigh will only win against Altrincham in their remaining games. Altrincham's decline since Kosylo has been out has been spectacular. If he's going to be fit for next season he would be my No 1 target as a signing. He is on a two-year contract, so it would be another transfer fee, and his current injury is to the knee and was reported to be improving towards the end of April - he is basically an EFL Division One player permanently confined non-league football IMO.

[spireitematt]

Even if we do get 7th then we will end up playing the likes of Stockport or Hartlepool in the quarter-final, 2 good sides who you have to admit are better than us.

[Devongone]

Hartlepool at times have looked better than anyone else, but they aren't better, or possibly even as good as us, player for player. Football is a team game, and when they are together they look good. When they are off their game they get beat and fairly easily too.

Stockport are impressive player-wise, as they should be with the investment they apparently now have available. As a team they under-achieve as much as Hartlepool over-achieve.

None of the teams in the top half of the table could guarantee beating any of their top-half rivals. In fact if you threw a team like Solihull, who can't reach the play-offs, into the mix, could you find anyone who would be confident of beating them?

If we were in the play-offs, which we won't be, it wouldn't be like our last play-off experience playing Preston NE. We knew we'd have to be at our peak, despite a weakened team, against a team who were better than us anyway, at a time when we knew we were losing our manager and half the team were going out of contract ......... This time any of our rivals could beat us, but equally we could beat them.

Whoever just scrapes into the play-offs will be much happier than the teams who feel they are in there because they missed out on automatic. Stockport, Torquay and Hartlepool could all have taken advantage of Sutton's fcku-ups and they didn't and they know that. Stir in the pressure that Wrexham usually crumble under if they reach the play-offs and the high expectations of Notts County, even if it's Eastleigh who make it, if they really want it, they could take advantage of the vulnerability of their rivals.

[Devongone]

So Hartlepool have the incentive of going third if they can beat Sutton. Sutton know they only need to beat Barnet to win the league next week. But Torquay couldn't beat Barnet yesterday.

We have to win at Halifax. Hmmm. We have to hope that either Eastleigh don't win both their games, and Wrexham don't win at Dagenham (please let Balanta and McCallum be fit and playing!)

Eastleigh have to go to Altrincham on Tuesday, for whom Kosylo was back yesterday and suddenly they're back among the goals for. If he plays again that game won't be easy and Eastleigh follow up away at Solihull and I'd expect Solihull to come out on top in the normal course of events. But when was the last normal course of events?

Bromley play Notts County at home. County will want to retain fifth spot so will want to gain at least a point in case Wrexham win at Dagenham and overtake them on goal difference ....... and if Hartlepool lose today County could grab fourth if Weymouth spring a surprise and hang the monkeys next week. Bromley's goal difference means they'll need to get or stay above three from Wrexham, Chesterfield, Halifax and Eastleigh.

At least it's not complicated. If we could win at Halifax we'd be unlucky if we didn't make it. Unfortunately I don't think we can win at Halifax, but a draw might do if Bromley slip up once and Eastleigh slip up twice. Unfortunately .....

[Lord Snooty]

Sutton are promoted today if they win, aren't they?

[Dancingwilldoit]

Yes and they are. They have done well to keep it going.

Fingers crossed we do the same.