Non-League round-up: Hayes & Yeading on the brink
The penultimate weekend of the season looms for all of our local sides and for some it could decide which division they end up playing in next year.
Defeat to Mansfield Town at Kingfield in their last match has left Hayes & Yeading United needing to win at Lincoln City on Saturday if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation from the Blue Square Bet Premier.
It looks like a big ask though as the Imps, who include former Hayes and QPR striker Richard Pacquette in their squad, recently beat Nas Bashir’s side in the reverse fixture and held league champions Fleetwood Town to a 2-2 draw last time out.
Even if they do win, it may not be enough as the gap between themselves and Newport County is six points, meaning a draw for the Welsh club at home to Alfreton Town will be enough to keep them up and send Hayes down.
If they do end up in the Blue Square Bet South next season, one side hoping to play them will be local rivals Hampton & Richmond Borough.
However, the chances of this happening have diminished over the last week as the Beavers have slipped to defeats against Eastbourne Borough and Salisbury City.
The results have left in them in the bottom three, two points adrift of Havant & Waterlooville but with a crucial game in hand.
Saturday’s game at the Beveree against Welling United pits them against one of the better teams in the division who have already confirmed their place in the play-offs with two games still to go.
The Wings’ record against Hampton is decent having not lost in their last six meetings. Their overall league form though is a little more patchy having only won two of their last five, so there is hope for the hosts.
In the Ryman Premier it has been an excellent week for Wealdstone, who edged 2-1 past title challengers AFC Hornchurch at Grosvenor Vale before travelling to already relegated Tooting & Mitcham United on Tuesday and thrashing them 6-0.
The two wins have lifted them to sixth – just one point off the play-off places with a game in hand on Lewes, who they need to catch.
Saturday’s match at Metropolitan Police appears on paper to be a fairly routine one. Although their hosts were league leaders at one point, their form has drifted away and four defeats in their previous five games has left them in 11th.
With the three teams immediately below them all within a win of catching up there will be no room for complacency.
One of those team’s are Gary McCann’s Hendon who have also enjoyed a fruitful few days.
A 2-1 win over Kingstonian at Vale Farm on Saturday kept their promotion hopes alive and boosted them ahead of Wednesday night’s meeting with the same team in the London Senior Cup final at Metropolitan Police’s Imber Court ground.
Goals from Darren Currie and Jack Mazzone saw the Greens win 2-0 as they won the trophy for the fourth time in their history.
On Saturday they play host to Tooting & Mitcham and will hope to try and replicate Wealdstone’s midweek performance over the demoralised south London club.
In fact, anything less than a win will leave them with a mountain to climb especially if Lewes triumph – a defeat for Hendon in this scenario will end their promotion ambitions.
Another club facing a big weekend are Harrow Borough. After the highs of making the play-offs last season, Boro have returned to a sadly rather more familiar relegation dogfight.
A win over fellow strugglers Hastings United last weekend would have pretty much secured safety but somehow they managed to lose 3-1 to a team who hadn’t won in five and got sucked right back into the mire.
Dave Anderson’s team currently sit three points and two places above the relegation zone so appear to have a fighting chance. However, their run-in is challenging and it begins with a home match against AFC Hornchurch.
If fellow strugglers Leatherhead lose at home to Kingstonian on Saturday, Boro will only need to draw this match to stay up and they managed to do that the last time the sides met in January. Whatever happens, it is sure to be a tense afternoon at Earlsmead.
All Premier League and Football League season-ticket holders get in for half price at all our local non-league clubs’ home league games. Check their websites for details.
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