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Wed 5th April 2000 - The relegation race. 7 games to go. |
| April Headlines |
With the seasons end only just over 4 weeks away the relegation battle is hotting up. This time last season we were sweating on getting the last few points needed to confirm promotion. This time around we need points for an entirely different reason. There's no doubt that this has been a disappointing season. No one imagined we'd be in this position. Remember the euphoria after beating Oxford at the Manor Ground way back last August, our next game at home to Wrexham would have seen us go top of the table if we had won. The play offs were in everyone's mind, I had even regretted booking a holiday for May which would have meant me missing a potential play off final. Well, my holiday is now in 6 or so weeks time and the play off final will be of no interest to me at all. The rest of the season as they say is history. Poor form, failed takeover, departure of Frank Burrows, under acheiving players, need I go on. We find ourselves in a mess. Not helped at all by Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford winning last Saturday and Cambridge winning last night. A gap has appeared. We sit 21st in the table, the magical 20th place, currently occupied by Oxford is 3 points away, the heady heights of 19th place is currently being kept warm by Cambridge who are 4 points ahead of us. If there is any consolation we have a game in hand on both of those teams. We will continue to have that game in hand until we play it at Gillingham on May 2nd. We play Cambridge on May 15th. Depending on this Saturdays results (if we get the same outcomes) then the Cambridge game at Ninian could be make or break for us. A City win will keep the relegation race alive, a U's will will probably save Cambridge and be enough to keep them above us at the end of the season. The games that Cardiff have left do not do us any favours. Four of the seven remaining games agaist teams in the top seven. I have mentioned the Cambridge game and the other two are aginst teams with the comfort of mid table obscurity. My writings have not taken into account the three teams below us. Chesterfield at the bottom of the table are sunk. They are level on games with us but are 10 points behind. I stand up now and say they are relegated. I will do any forfeit you would wish upon me if they recover and stay up. That leaves Blackpool and Scunthorpe. City have a game in hand on them both. Blackpool in 23rd place are 2 points behind us, Scunny in 22nd place are 1 point away. With City away at leaders Preston this Saturday and Blackpool and Scunny playing mid table nothing to play for sides Colchester and Luton respectively it would no surprise if we find either of those teams overtaking us. Thats not wishing trouble but being realistic. I am as optimistic as they come. I still think we can and will stay up. My forecast is that we need to win 3 of our seven games, plus at least one draw. That would take us to 47 points. I think that will be enough to see off Scunny and Blackpool. They both would have to win 4 of their remaining 6 games to better that. We must then hope for a dip in fortunes of either Cambridge or Oxford or both. If we get to 47 points and still go down I will be happy that we went down fighting. If we do not make 47 points then it will be the tin hat on the season from hell. Bottom half of the table. Remaining fixtures. Friday 7 April Saturday 8 April Tuesday 11 April Saturday 15 April Tuesday 18 April Friday 21 April Saturday 22 April Monday 24 April Tuesday 25 April Saturday 29 April Sunday 30th April Tuesday 2nd May Saturday 6 May |
Copyright Michael Morris 2000.
