Relegation run-in: who’s going down?

The next six days are set to be momentous in the battle for survival at the foot of the Essex Senior League.

Talk from the start of the season was that as many as four teams would go down to newly-formed Eastern Senior League at step 6. With Eton Manor expected to count as one of the relegated teams, the Essex Senior’s Twitter account stated the bottom three teams in the league table will get relegated, but offered little other clarification.

With that in mind, we take a look at the bottom seven teams who could end up in the bottom three places come the 2nd of May.

Barkingside and Hullbridge Sports look all but safe. But at this stage, they’ll need five points from their remaining three games to ensure they can’t be caught even if Waltham Forest, Stansted and Wadham Lodge were to win all their remaining fixtures.

But things then start to get more complicated. Forest’s win over Stansted on Saturday did the world of good to their survival hopes, and now sit five points above the drop zone. However, the Airportmen have a game in hand over Forest, and play their final two games, Enfield (H) and Basildon United (A) before Forest’s final game on Saturday.

Here’s how Stansted’s results could affect Forest:

• WW: Would make it impossible to finish below Forest
• WD/DW: Forest would have to beat Ilford on the final day of the season
• WL: Forest would have to beat Ilford on the final day of the season
• DD: Forest would need a point on the last day of the season
• LD/DL: Would finish below Forest

Wadham Lodge know they’ll have to take at least four points to overtake Stansted – owing to Stansted’s far superior goal difference – and that’s if Stansted lose both their games. A 3-0 win against Ilford last week was promising, but Wadham were brought back down to earth at the weekend with a 5-1 hammering at the hands of West Essex. Three games in five days could prove tough on Lodge, especially the ageing legs of front duo Sherwin Stanley and Danny Francis. Their fixture against Tower Hamlets looks the most winnable.

Burnham Ramblers are in need of a miracle. They need to win both their games and hope Stansted only take a point and Wadham Lodge four at most.

Hackney wick are dead and buried, but could still finish third bottom should they win their three remaining games and Wadham and Burnham lose their remaining fixtures.

The majority of teams should know their fate by 5PM this Saturday, but the season extension means Wadham Lodge and Barkingside have the final say on Wednesday 2nd May.

Remaining fixtures (bold denotes home games)

Image: @ABridgeTooFar16