Thankfully, a last day relegation dust-up we're not involved in!

The last weekend of the season is upon us.  Rushing up as if out of nowhere.  Just like an unwelcome, angry, yet confused rabid-bison.  Well, not "us" obviously as we're done and dusted due to Nuneaton's demise.  Thanks mostly to Lavery's end of term efforts we're well clear of the relegation shoot-out.  Probably just as well as a trip to Nuneaton needing something was no-one's idea of a clean underpants day-out.

Now we are well clear of such undignified shenanigans we'll take a comfortable look at today's relegation decider.  As the table stands this morning long-time Poppies relegation dance partners AFC Sudbury have heroically hauled themselves out of the drop zone in favour of the monstrously free-falling Hitchin.  Two points separate the combatants on this last Saturday.  Sudbury have a stern test away to Leamington who need a win to completely guarantee their play-off spot and secure a home draw.  Hitchin have a home game with comfortably mid-table Stourbridge.

On paper you can make a case for razor-sharp Leamington turning Sudbury over and beach-headed Stourbridge succumbing meekly at Hitchin allowing them to leap-frog Sudbury to safety.  But as we know, games aren't played on paper.  They're played on a mixture of grass, mud, clay and various synthetic materials that make up artificial pitches.  Plus millions and millions of horrible tiny black rubber bits, which anyone who has played on a 3G pitch know, get EVERYWHERE.

Sudbury have fought back after losing a whopping 6-points after Nuneaton's results were expunged dropping them into the relegation zone.  Hitchin lost 4-points but didn't feel the pain as much as they were looking more at the play-offs than relegation.  At least then.

As we all know, Hitchin have embarked on a heroic effort to achieve relegation after a far too successful first half of the season.  Since the start of December Hitchin have suffered a dizzying 21 defeats.  And of the 3 wins registered during the same period one was against already relegated Berkhamsted and another in the crunch Roy Izzard Testimonial match with a Luton Town XI.  Even Leese-run Poppies have come away from Top Field with a couple of wins.

So, who's for the drop today?  Despite Hitchin's truly appalling record they perhaps start as very slight favourites.  But then again, they've got into a losing mentality and Sudbury are proving to be decent fighters.  

Patgod Predicts - Hitchin draw and Sudbury lose but stay up*

*subject to alteration without prior notice

Patgod on the beach. 
Just like the 20-odd Poppies players that
Lavery will soon whittle down to 2 or 3....