The state of the- Premier- nation

It’s been a fantastic season- despite almost three months of constant rain part way through- and we’re very much at the sharp end, so we thought we’d round up both what we know and what we don’t know.

Of course, Folkestone Invicta are worthy champions, their title confirmed with victory at St Albans City on Easter Saturday- but things remain rather interesting behind them.

Aveley and Billericay Town, in second and third, will be contesting the Play Offs- but the battle for second place, which could bring hosting rights all the way to the Promotion Final, remains live and thrilling. The Millers, who have a two point advantage over the Blues, are at home to relegation-threatened Carshalton Athletic on Saturday and then end their campaign away to Wingate and Finchley on 25th; whilst Billericay welcome Whitehawk on Saturday and expect a bumper crowd, before travelling to Welling United on the last day of the campaign. There’s a possibility that the Wings might need points in their survival fight, so the Blues will want to have secured at least third place before they make that trip. They head into the penultimate weekend of the campaign looking for a tenth successive win. 

Billericay have a four point cushion over fourth place Brentwood Town, who have a trip to Cheshunt and a home match against Chichester City to look forward to. The battle for fourth and fifth spot remains very much live with two matches remaining, with only three points between Brentwood in fourth and Dartford in sixth. 

Chatham Town go into their last two matches in fifth place, only two points above the Darts. The Chats got back to winning ways by hammering Wingate and Finchley on Saturday, that victory following two defeats, and they have a trip to already-relegated Potters Bar Town on Saturday before ending their campaign with a home match against Lewes.

Dartford are in fine form, with only one defeat from ten, and will want to be ready to capitalise if the two sides above them drop points. The Darts travel to Chichester City at the weekend, and then welcome a Cray Valley PM side who may need to defeat them to have a chance of staying up. It seems a long time since the two sides were meeting in a Play Off Semi-Final, but of course it is less than twelve months. 

At the other end the relegation of Canvey Island and Potters Bar Town has already been confirmed, but the last two relegation positions are yet to be decided. We say two- as you will be aware, Hashtag United, currently fourth from bottom, have asked to be relegated whatever happens on the field, but that’s a decision for the FA and we can’t second guess it. From experience, it’s important that the clubs at the wrong end of the table pick up as many points as possible whatever position they find themselves in- but they know that already!

The Welling United revival has seen them take thirteen points from their last six matches, points which have seen them go from relegation certainties up to seventeenth place. They also have a game in hand over the teams around- a match which they play against Potters Bar Town tonight- but then have two tricky matches, a trip to seventh place Cray Wanderers and a home match against promotion-chasing Billericay Town.

Carshalton Athletic, a point above the bottom four, have- as we’ve already mentioned- a rather difficult trip to Aveley on Saturday, and end their campaign with a home match against St Albans City. Right behind them they have the Tags, who travel to Ramsgate and then take on Dulwich Hamlet on the last day, and then we have the side in the biggest danger, Cray Valley PM.

The Millers will face the champions at the Artic Stadium on Saturday and will be hoping that their visitors start their summer holidays early, and then finish their campaign with that trip to Dartford. They have only two points to make on up Carshalton Athletic, but they would struggle to have two more difficult matches in which to do it. 

Whatever happens, 25-26 has already brought both joy and despair, and it will undoubtedly have more of the same ready to dish out over the next few weeks.