It makes a change from recent years that we have not been involved in a relegation dog fight. Our fantastic start no doubt helped, and the team must be given credit for their continued fight through a tough winter.
With only five games to go for the bottom four sides, we take a look at who we could see leaving us at the end of the year.
Soham Town Rangers
The Cambridgeshire side are undoubetly one of the surprises at the bottom of the table. When we visted them on the opening day of the season, we were told of a playing budget which would make some step 3 clubs look frugal. It took them a while to get used to the unique brand of football in Division 1 North, and only six wins all season has seen them spend most of the season precariously close to the bottom two. Their last four matches could yet prove to be the most important. Today, they travel to AFC Sudbury, before hosting Great Wakering Rovers and Ilford on consecutive Saturdays, before finishing off the season away to Maldon and Tiptree. One would expect that four points from these four games should see them safe, as at the time of writing, they already have a seven point gap above the bottom two.
Ilford
Unlike Soham, few would have expected Ilford to have had a season where they have been anywhere else than in the bottom few positions. On the occasions that I have seen Ilford this season, they have certainly not looked as bad as their league position would suggest. Though there’s no avoiding the league table which shows our landlords with only 24 points from 37 games. It seems that all the bottom sides are playing each other at the end of this season, and Ilford finish with matches again Brentwood (today), Ware, Soham Town Rangers and Harlow Town. Colin Walton will be hoping to take maximum points from Brentwood, whose season is effectively over, but the games again Ware, Soham and Harlow will prove to be a lot more difficult.
Great Wakering Rovers
Despite appointing former player and hero Dan Trenkel, the Southend club have not been able to reverse a decline which began at the start of the season. Great Wakering had been continiously improving in recent years, but as we have seen with the likes of Wivenhoe, one bad season came spell the end of a club’s step 4 status. With the joint worst defence in the league, it is no surprise that Great Wakering are 21st in the table. They have lost 23 matches, fewer than Ilford and Ware, but they have only won four times all season. Rovers finish with matches against Tilbury, Soham, Waltham Forest and Romford.
Ware
Another side who many did not expect to be at the bottom of the table is Ware. Finishing with matches against Harlow, Ilford, Potters Bar and Waltham Forest, the Hertfordshire club have possibly the hardest run out of the bottom four clubs. They also sit six points from safety, meaning it would take a near miracle for them to be saved. It does not look good for Ware in terms of a reprieve either, as they currently sit 9th in line to be saved, with only Stourport Swifts below them.
At this late stage, Soham Town Rangers should have enough points on the board to stay up. Ilford, known for their strong finishes will no doubt show their team spirit once more which has got them out of trouble so many times before. Unfortunately for Great Wakering and Ware, it would appear that any further victories would be too little too late.