Drama at the top…and drama at the bottom

It all comes down to this. Walton and Hersham and Basingstoke Town have had magnificent seasons, and are separated at the top only by goal difference, but only one of them can take automatic promotion- and by five o’clock this evening we’ll know who.

The Swans are on the road to Thatcham Town looking for the three points which will send them up as champions. They’ve already scored one hundred goals this season, and are eighteen matches unbeaten- but they won’t be complacent about the challenge posed by the Kingfishers, as they’ll remember that they had to come from two goals down to win when the sides last met at the end of November. The Kingfishers were fantastic in the mid section of the season but have seen their form trail off a little since, and come into this match on a run which has seen only two wins from their last ten.

Basingstoke Town welcome South Park Reigate to Winklebury. All they can do is try to better whatever result Walton deliver at Thatcham, but with their goal difference significantly inferior to that of their rivals they’ll be praying that the Kingfishers can do them a favour. The Sparks are ending the season well and will be no pushovers- they’ve lost only one of their last seven, and are four unbeaten. A Bradley Wilson goal for Basingstoke was the difference when the sides last met in November.

The rest of our drama is at the other end of the table. The best that Bedfont Sports and Sutton Common Rovers- in nineteenth and eighteenth- can hope for is a relegation play off place. Merstham, in seventeenth, need a point against Westfield to avoid the chance of automatic relegation- and three points to put pressure on Ashford Town in the fight for survival. Ashford Town just need to avoid defeat to stay up- but to add to the drama, the Tangerines travel to Sutton Common Rovers, the hosts desperate for a win- a draw wouldn’t be enough to keep them out of the bottom two were they to lose and Bedfont Sports defeated Guernsey at the end of the Heathrow runway.

Sutton Common Rovers are in the best form of the quartet, with only two defeats from ten, and will be confident of inflicting defeat on Ashford, whose win over relegated Tooting & Mitcham United in midweek was their first in twelve matches. Bedfont Sports also have only one win from ten, whilst Merstham were five matches without victory until their last minute goal delivered three points at Chertsey Town last weekend.

Marlow, secure in third place, travel to fifth place Northwood- the sides could possible meet again in a play off semi-final on Wednesday evening, but that would involve a Northwood win today and defeat for fourth place Hanworth Villa, who travel to Chipstead. Villa were impressive in victory over Guernsey in midweek, but were hammered five-two by the Chips in November, a match in which Chips striker Andy Sumo got four goals.

Elsewhere, Southall welcome Chertsey Town to West London, the hosts on their worst run of the season, five defeats from their last six. The Curfews are in sixth place, but level on points with Binfield and Leatherhead, who meet at Fetcham Grove. The Tanners are seven unbeaten, but that run was too late to see them challenge for a top five spot.

Uxbridge play host as we wave a sad goodbye to our longest serving members, Tooting & Mitcham United.

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