It’s South East Play Off Tuesday!

Second place Ramsgate have had a magnificent season. Scoring goals for fun, reaching the Second Round of the FA Cup, there have been so many highlights- but for the second season in a row the Rams will have to go through the Play Offs if they want to achieve promotion. Saturday’s defeat to Three Bridges was an unfortunate way to end the campaign, and they’ll need to quickly bounce back, but they ended the season a full twenty points ahead of their opponents, Chichester City, and defeated them both home and away scoring four goals on each occasion, so they will be strong favourites.

City, however, are in fine form and looking for revenge. They’ve lost only once in fifteen matches- a defeat against the Rams ten days ago- and prior to that were thirteen games unbeaten, including a ten match winning streak and nine consecutive matches during which they didn’t concede a single goal. They are unlikely to be pushovers, and although they have achieved the clubs best ever finish won’t be happy to settle for that. They’ve only defeated the Rams once in eight attempts, but they did draw both of last seasons fixtures.

Sittingbourne ended the campaign two points ahead of their opponents, Three Bridges, but the difference in form between the sides is rather stark. The Brickies have two wins from their last seven, and were hammered at home by Littlehampton Town on Saturday; whilst Bridges ended the campaign with a win at Ramsgate and make the trip to Woodstock Park on the back of an eight match winning streak, and an unbeaten run which is fourteen games long. They also defeated the Brickies three-nil as recently as April 6th, revenge for a four-one defeat in Kent in November, so take real momentum with them as they hit the road. That said, their hosts have played some fine football this season, and if they find form would be a match for anyone.

Home has not really been a positive place for Sittingbourne this season- six of their seven defeats have come on their own patch- but Bridges have experienced most of their struggles away from their Jubilee Field.

The Final will take place on Friday evening at the home of the highest-placed side.

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