A four club battle for two play off places- and a four club battle to avoid two play off places!

We have an intriguing last day of the season in the battle for the play off places- and, at the other end, the battle to avoid the play off places. Fourth place Beckenham Town need just one point to confirm a top four finish, but they travel to Burgess Hill Town, who may need a victory to avoid dropping into the relegation play off places. Fifth place Cray Valley are only one point ahead of Sheppey United and Hythe Town, but have to play the Ites, who know that victory is likely to send them through to the end of season lottery. The seventh place Cannons need to win and hope that the sides above them drop points, but they welcome Haywards Heath Town, who must win to have any chance of escaping the relegation play off places. As you can see, it’s all rather complicated!

Beckenham have lost only one of their last eight matches and will be confident as they head to Mid Sussex. Not only did the defeat Hill two-one back in November, but their hosts have lost five of their last six matches and were hammered at Sittingbourne in midweek. The More Than Tyres Stadium will undoubtedly have a large, noisy crowd- but can they inspire their side to victory? Only that victory will guarantee their safety.

Cray Valley PM are looking for big support as they welcome Sheppey United, and to attract it they are letting everyone in for free. The Millers defeated the Ites three-one in November, but their visitors are in superb form, winning seven of their last eight. Cray Valley are no slouches on the form front, either, winning six of their last eight. Both sides will have to go for a win, as a draw could let in Hythe Town and see them both miss out.

The Cannons know that they have to defeat Haywards Heath Town at Reachfields to have any chance of a top five place- but Heath need to win to have any chance of avoiding a relegation play off- and even then they’d need a Burgess Hill defeat and for VCD Athletic to fail to win. Hythe have won their last five matches, and indeed have six wins from seven; whilst Heath have only one win from ten.

VCD Athletic travel to Sussex to take on East Grinstead Town. The Wasps haven’t been in the best of form, with only two wins from their last ten, but are safe from danger; whilst Vickers have the same number of victories from their last ten matches but have lost the other eight of them. They were moments from taking a point in midweek until Cray Valley PM hit a late winner with the last kick of the game, but to escape the bottom four they need to win and hope that Burgess Hill Town don’t- or they need to win by quite a margin and hope that Lancing are thrashed!

Lancing are still mathematically involved in the relegation play off battle. Two point better off that fifth bottom Burgess Hill Town, three points better off than fourth bottom VCD Athletic, simply avoiding defeat will be enough to allow them to avoid a second consecutive relegation play off- and given they have a goal difference eight better than Vickers it will need a big turnaround to see them drop into the bottom four. The Lancers have only two wins from ten, however, whilst their visitors Sittingbourne are in superb form, twelve games unbeaten and having finished the campaign like an express train, with five wins in a row.

Champions Chatham Town are also in Sussex, on the road to Littlehampton Town. The Golds, in twelfth place, have only one win from seven- but they did test the Chats when the two sides met in Kent in November, only a late Dan Bradshaw goal giving the hosts the points.

Only a point separates Ramsgate in second and Whitehawk in third, and both sides will want to finish second and take the advantages that might bring to the play offs. The Rams are on the road to Ashford United, with neither side in the best of form. Ramsgate have four draws and a defeat from their last five, whilst three consecutive defeats brought the Nuts and Bolts play off hopes to an end.

Whitehawk welcome relegated Corinthian to the Enclosed Ground, and will hope to pile the pressure on the Rams with victory- and also set themselves up for their play off semi-final on Tuesday night. The Hawks are three unbeaten and have been particularly good on their own patch, whilst Corinthian have actually taken more points on the road than they have at home- although that is still rather a small number.

Sevenoaks Town have got back to winning ways too late to make an impression on the top five, but they have won their last two and will want to end on a high as the side directly behind them in the table, Chichester City, come to call.

Finally, relegated Faversham Town play host to the side with the worst away record in the Division, Three Bridges. The visitors have earned forty two points so far this season, and thirty three of those came on their own patch. Victory over Littlehampton Town last weekend made them safe, whilst the Lilywhites, who have used eighty three players this season, will hope to end the campaign on a high as they focus on their attempts to bounce straight back.

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