In the Premier Division Central, Barwell will look to push clear of the relegation zone when they hope that visiting champions Banbury United will still be hungover after clinching the title last weekend.
Andy Whing’s side shared a draw with Tamworth at the Plant Hire Community Stadium in front of a fantastic crowd of 1,835 but Coalville Town’s goalless draw at home to Hednesford Town meant that the Puritans couldn’t be caught.
Very often, teams that have already won titles tend to relax in games remaining, and certainly Barwell will hope that’s the case on Saturday!
The race for play-off positions is now on after the destination of the championship and it’s a case of four from five, with Alvechurch being the outsiders currently in sixth place.
There’s a big game at the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium where Coalville welcome fifth-placed AFC Rushden & Diamonds, while Ian Long’s Alvechurch side will be hoping for a favour from the Ravens as they travel to eighth-placed Hednesford Town needing maximum points really if they are to stay in the race.
Coalville dropped to third in the table on Tuesday night after losing 3-2 at home to Royston Town.
Peterborough Sports, who won on the same night to take over second spot, and Rushall Olympic are the two other teams in the play-off places, with Jimmy Dean’s Turbines facing a tricky test at the Bee Arena against a Biggleswade Town side fighting for survival.
Rob O`Keefe’s side hasn’t played since holding Diamonds to a 0-0 home draw last midweek and are currently second-from-bottom and trail third-from-bottom Nuneaton Borough by four points but possess a couple of games in hand in Jimmy Ginnelly’s men.
Indeed, Nuneaton are arguably involved in the game of the day in the division as they have a `six-pointer` with Hitchin Town at Liberty Way on Saturday.
The Canaries pulled away from the drop zone last Saturday after a crucial 3-2 home win over bottom side Lowestoft Town but are only three points in front of Boro, so certainly can’t relax yet.
The Trawlerboys really need maximum points from their game against mid-table Tamworth at Crown Meadow as they are nine points adrift of the safety mark with only 15 left to play for.
Another team needing the points on Saturday are Bromsgrove Sporting and they welcome Needham Market to the Victoria Ground – the Marketmen having lost at home to Nuneaton last weekend and have only won once since losing their Buildbase FA Trophy quarter-final.
St Ives Town and Redditch United probably feel relatively secure but I am sure their respective camps will be happier if they managed to get something from respective home games against Stourbridge and Leiston.
The day’s other game sees League Cup winners Royston entertain fellow mid-table side Stratford Town at Garden Walk.
The race for the Premier Division South title could hardly be closer as we head towards that crucial Easter period.
And there’s game on Saturday’s fixture list that immediately catches the eye and that takes place at Imber Court where two of the main contenders, Metropolitan Police and Taunton Town, do battle.
Gavin Macpherson’s Met side dropped two home points last weekend when Harrow Borough held them to a 1-1 draw, also at Imber Court, while Rob Dray’s Peacocks went to the top of the table with a hard-earned 3-2 home win over Somerset rivals and play-off chasers Weston-super-Mare.
They lost leadership on Tuesday on goal difference when Hayes & Yeading United beat Salisbury 2-0 and then suffered a 1-0 defeat at Bolitho Park to Truro City on Wednesday night.
Truro, who still have an outside chance of sneaking into the top five themselves, maintained that chance when Niall Thompson scored the only goal of an entertaining encounter in Plymouth just after the hour-mark.
The two other main protagonists, Hayes & Yeading United and Farnborough, are both on home soil on Saturday.
Spencer Day’s Boro have a tricky one against Poole Town, who are tenth, while Paul Hughes` Hayes outfit welcome a Yate Town side still trying to chase down Weston for that final top five spot.
Farnborough also suffered a blow to their title hopes on Wednesday evening when they were beaten 2-0 at Tiverton Town, who played the final 38 minutes or so with ten-men after veteran defender Craig Woodman was sent-off.
Chesham United in sixth travel to South Wales to play a Merthyr Town side who will be in buoyant mood after their 5-0 hammering of Salisbury last weekend.
A win for Dorchester Town at home to Hendon could relegate Merthyr and a point for Kings Langley at home to Swindon Supermarine could also put bottom side Wimborne Town out of their misery.
Weston have only three games remaining, including Saturday’s trip to Privett Park to play Gosport Borough, so will need maximum points really.
Hartley Wintney gained a vital 2-0 win at Tiverton Town last Saturday to move nine points clear of third-from-bottom Kings Langley, but they will want to beat Wimborne at New Cuthbury to ensure they are safe.
Wimborne’s tenure in the Premier Division South ended on Tuesday night after they suffered a 4-1 home defeat to Harrow Borough, confirming their relegation.
Beaconsfield Town against Tiverton at Holloways Park and Harrow against Salisbury at Earlsmead are the two other games in the division this weekend.
The title race in Division One Central looks like going to the wire, although leaders Bedford Town, who hold a three-point advantage over second-placed Berkhamsted, have a significantly better goal difference worth virtually another point to them.
The Eagles boosted that goal difference last weekend with a 7-0 hammering of a now relegated Wantage Town – moving a further six goals ahead of Berko who won 1-0 at Waltham Abbey on the same day.
Saturday sees Bedford face a tricky test at Herns Way against play-off chasing Welwyn Garden City, while the Comrades also have a tough task when they make the relatively short journey to Wodson Park to play another top five side Ware in arguably the game of the day in the division.
AFC Dunstable and North Leigh are the other contenders, and both have home matches this weekend.
Creasey Park host FC Romania, who are 11th, while the Millers welcome Hertford Town side to Eynsham Park.
Ben Herd’s Hertford are still in a battle to avoid that third-from-bottom play-off spot, along with Kempston Rovers and Kidlington.
All three are on their travels on Saturday, with Kempston at the Meadow to play Aylesbury United and Kidlington travelling to the Arena to take on Harlow Town, who managed a 2-0 win at Barton Rovers last weekend – a result that lifted the Hawks to eighth in the table.
Thame United would need to win all of their remaining four games to stand any chance of slipping into a top five spot, starting with Saturday`s tricky trip to St Neots Town, but they do have AFC Dunstable and Ware to play, although they certainly could have done with all three points from their trip to Colney Heath last weekend – a result that still saw Heath`s one season in the league come to an end.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Barton Rovers welcome Waltham Abbey to Sharpenhoe Road, Biggleswade FC take on Didcot Town at the Eyrie and the two relegated teams Wantage and Colney Heath, can console themselves when they meet at Alfredian Park.
The championship race in Division One South is heading towards being another nail-biting affair.
On paper at least, any one of the current top five could still win the title, although Winchester City, who won at Larkhall Athletic last weekend, would need a catastrophic collapse from the teams above them and the same time win all four of their remaining games to claim top spot themselves.
But they host Melksham Town on Saturday hoping first and foremost to hold AFC Totton off of pushing them out of the play-off places.
The Stags welcome Evesham United to the Snows Stadium, with the Robins still requiring a point or two to steer clear of that third-from-bottom play-off spot.
There are two candidates for the game of the day in the division with the four other top-five teams facing one another!
Cirencester Town have in-form Plymouth Parkway visiting the Corinium Stadium, while Frome Town, who went back to the top of the table last weekend after winning 2-1 at Willand Rovers, have a Bristol Manor Farm outfit travelling down on the back of a good 1-0 win against Sholing last time out.
Sholing are on their travels again on Saturday as they face relegation-threatened Cinderford Town at the Causeway Ground.
Barnstaple Town’s valiant attempt to avoid relegation could end on Saturday if they fail to beat Highworth Town at home and results elsewhere go against them, while second-from-bottom Mangotsfield United need to win at neighbouring Paulton Rovers really to go into Easter still with any chance of staying up.
Every game in the division this weekend has something riding on it as the other two matches see Bideford AFC and Lymington Town both facing difficult away games in their battle to avoid finishing in what realistically looks like being that third-from-bottom spot.
The Robins are at Larkhall Athletic, and Lymington faces the long trek across from the New Forest to Devon to play Willand Rovers.
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