title contenders fixtures

Just had a look at the 4 title contenders remaining fixtures. Looking at them it seems us and brizzell have the easiest run ins. I have included teams a) with a decent sniff of the play offs but also those scrapping against relegation are considered difficult games because as we know from our time in the championship, there are always crazy results at this time of year when the bottom teams produce unexpected wins or manage to scrape a draw against the big boys.
we have eastleigh, welling, gateshead, alfreton and southport
barnet have a shocker - eastleigh, halifax twice, welling, alfreton, nuneaton dartford, & gateshead
bristol rovers have the easiest of the lot just halifax, macc southport and alfreton
macclesfield have gateshead, nuneaton, bristol rovers, halifax, fgr & dartford

have to say on that basis it still looks like it's bristol's to lose

It will be interesting to see how Bristol react to the loss they suffered on Saturday and that teams are closing in on them, if we win Satuday and Bristol lose or draw then things will get really interesting, still think Bristol will just Nick it though unfortunately.

9 games left for us, 9 wins and we have a chance.

Is it our turn to do the "Mansfield" and plough upwards in the final third from a lower position.

Keeping the strikers fit is going to be a large part of our bid for auto promotion - hopefully warmer weather will keep the hamstrings looser for Ollie and John Paul. Either can play off L-J L or as a pair together.

I also think that Mackreth will be a form player from now to the season end - getting more confidence to put crosses in where it hurts !

Don't forget Scott Brown - we'll need him for the run in as well !

It wouldn't surprise me if the club threw some new supporter offers to pull higher crowds in, so the home atmosphere needs to be similar to that away from home !

The wonderful away fans - my grandsons are included - are doing the dress ups and creating a great atmosphere for the players to really enjoy playing in front of, so something needs to happen at home as home themes to keep that noisy atmosphere appearing at Blundell Park instead of the shouting moaners who seem to congregate in the Main stand at times, usually right next to the commentators as well.

Quoted from cmackenzie4

It will be interesting to see how Bristol react to the loss they suffered on Saturday and that teams are closing in on them, if we win Satuday and Bristol lose or draw then things will get really interesting, still think Bristol will just Nick it though unfortunately.

They've only lost 2 in 30+ games, so i think it extremely unlikely they'll blow it now. with that sort of record they probably deserve to go up

Quoted from forza ivano

They've only lost 2 in 30+ games, so i think it extremely unlikely they'll blow it now. with that sort of record they probably deserve to go up

The team with most points at the final whistle of the season deserves to go up, Bristol may not have lost that many but they have drawn a fair few, which has been our downfall so far in this division, we are now managing to avoid draws by and large but the home losses will almost certainly have done for us, Barnet still have the edge for me as they score goals and win so many friggin penalties..
certainly getting close though....
however the Championship table this week looks incredible !!

Rovers lost at home after 20 games unbeaten. A fine run.  However, once a team suffers the shock of a defeat after such a run, they often have a run of defeats.  Maybe as well, their form has dipped at a crucial time for the run-in.  Let us hope so.

Quoted from moosey_club

The team with most points at the final whistle of the season deserves to go up, Bristol may not have lost that many but they have drawn a fair few, which has been our downfall so far in this division, we are now managing to avoid draws by and large but the home losses will almost certainly have done for us, Barnet still have the edge for me as they score goals and win so many friggin penalties..
certainly getting close though....
however the Championship table this week looks incredible !!

if the form at the bottom of your post are correct - WWLLWWWLLWWWW

We are changing them draws into wins ! 9 wins out of 13 is not bad going - 27 points out of 39 = just over 2 points per game, promotion form

The one thing about Barnet is that if they loose Akinde for a few games, they are not the same team, & their penalty's would run dry.

If he plays for all their games they have a chance. If not......

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

Rovers lost at home after 20 games unbeaten. A fine run.  However, once a team suffers the shock of a defeat after such a run, they often have a run of defeats.  Maybe as well, their form has dipped at a crucial time for the run-in.  Let us hope so.

Very true.

And look at Barnet. At one point they were a mile clear of the pack and could do no wrong. It looked like they would run away with it and were by far the best team in the division. Yet now I think they have lost 5 of their last 7 or 8 matches. All teams have a bad run sooner or later.

I think it's still possible for us.  

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

if the form at the bottom of your post are correct - WWLLWWWLLWWWW

We are changing them draws into wins ! 9 wins out of 13 is not bad going - 27 points out of 39 = just over 2 points per game, promotion form

7 wins out of the last 9. If we repeat that over our last 9 games we will get to 89 points. One more win and we might just sneak it.

I think we can only afford to drop 4 points 5 at the most,

That would give us 90 or 91 points,

We have a better goal difference than Rovers so they might need 92 points,

If they reach that total, well good luck to them,

We will just have to win the play offs,

BTW  Does anybody know what the champions receive in prize money,

Compared to winning the play offs ?

after the highly unlikely results on Saturday, anything can happen against any team. We are likely to lose a game against someone we are expected to beat as will others.

Quoted from RonMariner

Very true.

And look at Barnet. At one point they were a mile clear of the pack and could do no wrong. It looked like they would run away with it and were by far the best team in the division. Yet now I think they have lost 5 of their last 7 or 8 matches. All teams have a bad run sooner or later.

I think it's still possible for us.  

Ron, can you word your last sentence a bit different please,not sure if you mean us win the title or us have a bad run   .

We've nothing to fear IMO, well not at this stage anyway.
Keep the momentum going and the 3 points keep accumulating I'm sure the teams around us will drop points. That said, I'm fairly confident we will too but one thing I will say is it won't be through lack of effort. The players look like they genuinely appreciate the effort the fans are putting in and relishing playing in front of the black and white army. I see Pitman say that this is the first time he's enjoying his football in 3 years - hardly surprising is it? I'm sure this is what you dream of as a lower league pro.
Like others pointed out Mansfield won the league from a very similar position as us a few years back, so it is possible. If next Saturday goes our way... Things really could get exciting
I do need to stop fantasying over a Augero style last minute winner on the last day by Magnay though  

Quoted from Grimal

Ron, can you word your last sentence a bit different please,not sure if you mean us win the title or us have a bad run   .

Both are possible, but I am hoping it's the former rather than the latter that applies in our case.....

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

if the form at the bottom of your post are correct - WWLLWWWLLWWWW

We are changing them draws into wins ! 9 wins out of 13 is not bad going - 27 points out of 39 = just over 2 points per game, promotion form

I was thinking the exact same thing. When you look at it laid out like that, it is a pretty impressive run of results.

Whilst it still seems improbable to me, as acko indicated earlier, maybe we can do what Mansfield did a couple of years back. They looked very unlikely champions for much of that season and tho I wouldn't bet my house on it, we are in with a fighting chance.

UTM

This League truly is a marathon and not a sprint. We've always topped the table too early, a wobble is always around the corner and Bristol are due one, if it hits home now it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. We have to go on on a winning run, and a little rub of the green is always helpful.

A 1500 meter race is a better analogy, the winner invariably takes the leader on the last bend.

One thing is for sure. The league is tighter than it has been in previous seasons and there is no impossible to catch, runaway leader. Any of the top 5 can still win it and i think the top spot may change hands a few times now. Nobody is winning games comfortably, except maybe FGR, who are in great form. If only Hannah had buried that chance there at 1-1......................................