bring back the cowshed!
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- 1 Oct 2005
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- Alan King, Barry Dyson
I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm looking ahead at our remaining fixtures and trying to forecast how we might finish the season. It's a dangerous pastime, but I couldn't resist.
The table is beginning to become more static as the weeks progress. It looks like the current top four (Lincoln, Bury, Mansfield and MK Dons) will be fighting out the automatic promotion places. Only six points separate the next eight clubs (Exeter, Rovers, FGR, Colchester, Carlisle, Swindon, Stevenage and Newport) and I see these as the only realistic challengers for the other three play-off positions. The mid-table sides (Oldham, Grimsby, Crewe and Northampton) probably have too much to do to get promoted and look to be safe from relegation, so their season is effectively over. Any two of the bottom eight are in danger of dropping to the NL, although the bottom four look in the most trouble given their position and current form.
So, where does that leave our prospects? Well, the next three matches - all against mid-table sides, two at home and one at Oldham - look winnable and I think we have to get at least six or seven points. Following that, we have three games against play-off rivals followed by very tough games against MK Dons, FGR, Lincoln and Bury. We finish at Crawley, who hopefully will be safe and relaxed by then. So, it's a very challenging run-in (especially April). The key will be the next six matches. We need most of the points in the next three games and not to drop many points in the next three "six pointers". The next four will be very tough and realistically we can expect only a handful of points. So, I think it may go to the wire.
I think if we can stay fit and well disciplined, we can make the top seven. Then it will be a lottery, but with our experience of playing in the play-offs for the last two seasons we must have a good chance.
The table is beginning to become more static as the weeks progress. It looks like the current top four (Lincoln, Bury, Mansfield and MK Dons) will be fighting out the automatic promotion places. Only six points separate the next eight clubs (Exeter, Rovers, FGR, Colchester, Carlisle, Swindon, Stevenage and Newport) and I see these as the only realistic challengers for the other three play-off positions. The mid-table sides (Oldham, Grimsby, Crewe and Northampton) probably have too much to do to get promoted and look to be safe from relegation, so their season is effectively over. Any two of the bottom eight are in danger of dropping to the NL, although the bottom four look in the most trouble given their position and current form.
So, where does that leave our prospects? Well, the next three matches - all against mid-table sides, two at home and one at Oldham - look winnable and I think we have to get at least six or seven points. Following that, we have three games against play-off rivals followed by very tough games against MK Dons, FGR, Lincoln and Bury. We finish at Crawley, who hopefully will be safe and relaxed by then. So, it's a very challenging run-in (especially April). The key will be the next six matches. We need most of the points in the next three games and not to drop many points in the next three "six pointers". The next four will be very tough and realistically we can expect only a handful of points. So, I think it may go to the wire.
I think if we can stay fit and well disciplined, we can make the top seven. Then it will be a lottery, but with our experience of playing in the play-offs for the last two seasons we must have a good chance.