How are things shaping up for our local non-league clubs?
We’re into the final month of the regular season in non-league football and things are hotting up across the board as teams fight for position.
Some are battling to go up, some are battling to stay up, and some are cruising towards mid-table security with their eyes firmly on the beach.
Here’s a run down of how things are looking for the teams on our patch down to step six.
With no representatives on the Chad patch currently playing above step four, it’s the NPL Division One East which is the first to cast an eye over and in particular Sherwood Colliery.
It’s been a tough first season at that level and they currently sit second-from-bottom, and with it likely to need a blistering end to the season plus other results going their way, it looks bleak for Wayne Savage’s men.
At step five, Eastwood Community are battling it out in a thrilling United Counties League Premier North title push in what is a three-way battle for the one automatic promotion spot.
As things stand after a poor result last weekend, they sit second in the league, two points behind Lincoln United who they also still have to play.
In the same division, AFC Mansfield are still very much in the play-off picture with four games to go, being sixth and level on points with fifth-placed Heanor, while Hucknall Town’s good form under Tris Whitman has seen them rise to safety and they’re now guaranteed step five football again next season.
It’s looking tough for Shirebrook Town though as they sit bottom of the table and nine points adrift with four games to play, a recent change in manager following Rudy Funk’s departure not so far having done enough to galvanise their fortunes. Kimberley Miners Welfare also in the relegation zone and battling it out with five other clubs to stay out of the bottom two.
At step six, the UCL Division One table sees Clipstone and Pinxton among those fighting it out for a play-off place, though both are currently sitting just outside the top five.
At the other end, Rainworth MW are very close to safety now with two games to play, but Selston’s relegation looks almost a certainty now and with it a drop back to step seven football.