After 41 league games, the last game of the season will decide, for a number of non-league clubs in many divisions, who will go up, secure a play-off place and who will go down - and in the Southern League Premier division South, where Yate Town play their football, it has gone down to the wire, as you can see from the table below.
With three teams already relegated whoever finishes in the fourth from bottom place after Saturday’s games will face the drop, and it couldn’t be much tighter and goal difference may well play a part.
The fixtures involving the teams in danger are:
Berkhamsted v Weymouth
Hanwell Town v Basingstoke
Havant & Waterlooville v Yate Town
Taunton Town v Evesham United
Taunton Town, who play host to Evesham United, have been on a magnificent run of form, winning their last 5 games and this has included wins against the top three sides in the division, culminating in a 1-0 home win against second placed Farnham Town on Monday evening, so guaranteeing their safely. The home game against Evesham United, who at present occupy 19th place (the last relegation spot) could possibly have been a potential decider of who might go down out of these two teams but now as Evesham have everything to play for, how will Taunton react to this game as they are now safe after their wonderful run of form? With goal difference so tight a win for Evesham will put massive pressure on the teams above them but won’t guarantee their safety.
Weymouth, in 18th place and following their fine 5-1 win at home to Chertsey last Saturday, need to win at Barkhamsted, who can guarantee a play-off spot if they secure a point and Weymouth will be keeping an eye on how things are progressing at Taunton, but a win will keep them up.
Yate Town, in 17th place, who have gained 14 points from their last 6 games and hauled themselves up the table out of the bottom four, play at Havant & Waterlooville, in 9th place, needing a point to guarantee their safety and will need to ensure that their goal difference is better than Evesham’s even if results go against them. It could even come down to goals scored.
Hanwell Town, who are in 16th place and the only team in danger to be at home, and with exactly the same goal difference as Yate Town, also need a point to guarantee safety with a point and again will be looking at results around them and also the scoreline. They are at home to Basingstoke who are currently in 13th position and have nothing to play for, as neither do Havant & Waterlooville and Taunton Town – apart from pride and the three points.
It’s going to be a nail-biting couple of hours come Saturday afternoon!