A race to the end

The season might be over for nearly all at Steps 3-6 but the National League’s three divisions still have plenty to play for. Although Maidstone Utd have won the South Division with two games to spare there is still one more play-off place to settle, while Kent rivals Dartford and Ebbsfleet can still trade places in the final placings by next weekend.

The bottom of the table saw some drama over this weekend, a superb win for interim boss and ex-Barnet man Danny Brown saw Billericay triumph at play-off bound Eastbourne Borough but matched by Welling Utd at Hungerford leaving it unchanged between these two, Tonbridge still needing a point to be sure of safety in what’s been a tough season for Steve McKimm’s side.

The Wings will hope the champions celebrate hard this weekend and will know that if they win, anything less than the same for their Essex rivals they will survive with one game to spare.

In the North Gateshead are two points from the title although one would suffice given the goal difference swing of 21 goals. Brackley Town are assured of at least 2nd place. Like the South the play-off race is for at least one spot if York secure a point on Bank Holiday Monday. There are four sides still in with a shot of overtaking Boston Utd, however for Hereford to make it they are relying on the four sides losing both games and them winning both.

At the bottom it’s similar again to the South, although Farsley will need a win on Monday if Guiseley also win. In the middle of those two is AFC Telford who also need at least a win if not two depending on the others around them.

The top division are mostly one game further back with between two and four games to left for sides play overall. The bottom three are already gone with Kings Lynn’s relegation confirmed ahead of the Bank Holiday Monday games despite the odd ray of hope and the lack of form from Aldershot which they discovered some again recently.

The top of the table is becoming a little congested with Stockport suffering a mixed run of results throughout April allowing for Wrexham to come up on the blindside. The Welsh club now sit just a point behind heading into the last two weeks of the season although the Hatters do have a game in hand to come.

The sides meet a week on Sunday live on BT Sport which you have to class as a potential decider, you can’t really rule out Halifax Town who under Peter Whild have had a fantastic season with a much lower budget than the top two and while it would take both these sides to lose their remaining games for the Shaymen to win it, mathematically you can’t rule them out just yet.

Like the two lower divisions there is still a chance for those outside the play-offs to make their way in. Boreham Wood have the most to do even after the weekend win over leaders Stockport County and will need wins from all four of their games to make it in.

Just above them Dagenham & Redbridge appear to be timing a run but have they left themselves enough time to do it? Most alarming is Chesterfield’s slump in form, four points in front of the Daggers having played the same amount of games and only two wins from their last five.

Both Grimsby and Notts County have the same points tally as the Spireites which is why the Daggers will believe they can gate crash the party as they’re chasing down three sides instead of one but tough games in the final three facing Solihull Moors and then Wrexham on the final day.

It’s great that not everything has been decided before the final day arrives, certainly shows that things have been more competitive this year despite the huge sums of money spent at some clubs.

With the play-off final not until the first week of June it’s going to be a very short off season for some, but for us supporters itching for new action, that’s just the way we like it!