We appear to be making hard work of finishing in the top 5 after it seemed pretty safe a week or so ago. Here are some combinations of results that will see us secure a playoff spot:

*Beat Alfreton & Hyde
*Beat Braintree
*Beat Alfreton or Hyde and draw with Braintree
*Beat Alfreton or Hyde plus Braintree lose against either Dartford or Barnet
*4 points from Alfreton & Hyde games plus Braintree fail to take 6 points from Dartford & Barnet games

*We could lose all 3 and still qualify if: Braintree lose their 2 other games, Kiddy lose a game, Alfreton & FGR drop points.

Quoted from MeanwoodMariner

We appear to be making hard work of finishing in the top 5 after it seemed pretty safe a week or so ago. Here are some combinations of results that will see us secure a playoff spot:

*Beat Alfreton & Hyde
*Beat Braintree
*Beat Alfreton or Hyde and draw with Braintree
*Beat Alfreton or Hyde plus Braintree lose against either Dartford or Barnet
*4 points from Alfreton & Hyde games plus Braintree fail to take 6 points from Dartford & Barnet games

*We could lose all 3 and still qualify if: Braintree lose their 2 other games, Kiddy lose a game, Alfreton & FGR drop points.

I agree with everything you say, but I think the equation is more simple.
Going on the proviso that we will beat Hyde, and if we do then taking into account goal difference, Kiddy, Alfreton and FGR cannot overtake us, so all we need to do is not lose against Braintree, and that is only if they take six points from their next two games. If they lose one of them then our result against them doesn't matter.
So to sum up, if we lose to Alfreton and beat Hyde, then Braintree would need 7 points from their last three games, including beating us, and improve their goal difference because we are one goal better at the moment.

UTM

Thank goodness for a thread which looks objectively at the situation and puts last night's result into perspective (reading some of the posts anyone would think we were about to be relegated!)

Some people want to confront the realities of our performances, and some like to overlook them and rely on blind hope that they call 'positivity'. Even though I agree that verbally slating and scapegoating players is wrong, and people calling for Hurst to be sacked are ludicrous, remember; if you are one of those who moan at the so called 'moaners', that makes you one of them! Come on, be positive - live and let live! ;)

Of course a big win over Hyde could improve our goal difference and make it better than Braintree's.  At the moment we are +18 and they are +17. Since they'll have to beat us to go above us then if we could beat Hyde by 4 or more goals it could help us.

Concentrate on beating Alfreton first though!

Quoted from GrimRob

Of course a big win over Hyde could improve our goal difference and make it better than Braintree's.  At the moment we are +18 and they are +17. Since they'll have to beat us to go above us then if we could beat Hyde by 4 or more goals it could help us.

Concentrate on beating Alfreton first though!

THIS! UTM!! 8) 8)