Play-Offs

[Realist]

this time on Monday we will know exactly if it can still come down to the mats game against Gateshead or not.

 

[Shrimperjohn]

It’s actually a very simple equation now .. win our last 3 matches and we get to 70 points ., Gateshead only get 3 points out of their last 3 games( including home to us )and they get to 69 points , so with 7 points secured we scrape into the play offs before an amazing couple of away victories in the play offs takes us to Wembley where we win the final on penalties after equalising in the last minute of full time !! You heard it here first !!

 

[Leeboy]

we threw the playoffs away after 93 minutes 40 seconds versus Sutton

since then we have looked a shadow of ourselves, totally shot of confidence

 

[NZamba Legend]

Never thought we’d make them, despite also backing Kev. Voted no from the start. This is a hastily put together team with many deficiencies.

 

[* ORM *]

The sharp end of the season isn’t just a pain for us. Look at the form of some of the D1 hopefuls or worse still Walsall. Dead certs for auto promotion to can barely manage a draw.

We dared to dream and appear to have come up short over the last 3 games. Win in Monday and IF other results go our way it’s still all to play for at Gateshead. I’ll be back in the UK but not yet confirmed I can go due to other commitments.

 

[Stuart W]

Never thought we’d make them, despite also backing Kev. Voted no from the start. This is a hastily put together team with many deficiencies.

Agree about the deficiencies, but a hastily put together team?
Paul Sturrock’s side in 2010/11, now that was a hastily put together team.

 

[Barling Magna]

OK. Time for my consistently inconsistent predictions:

Friday 18 April

ALTRINCHAM v ROCHDALE What a crucial fixture this is for us. We cannot afford Altrincham to win. A defeat for them would be preferable but I predict a DRAW

Fylde v HALIFAX Fylde have collapsed recently with seven straight defeats following good performances at Gateshead and Altrincham last month. Halifax's form isn't much better with four draws and two defeats in their last six matches. It's Halifax that we have the best chance of catching I think but unfortunately I predict that they will WIN

GATESHEAD v York Surely Gateshead will lose this despite their recent upturn in form. I predict LOSE

OLDHAM v Hartlepool I predict DRAW

SOUTHEND v Braintree Difficult..... we have to win so I predict DRAW

TAMWORTH v Solihull Tamworth Tamworth will WIN this.

If all that comes to pass we will slip down the table:

4th Oldham 67 points
5th Halifax 67 points
6th Gateshead 66 points
7th Rochdale 65 points
8th Tamworth 63 points
9th Altrincham 61 points
10th Southend 61 points

So..... how did I do? Sadly I got our result, Tamworth and Halifax's correct. More usefully for us I also got Gateshead's defeat correct and Oldham and Altrincham's predicted draws wrong but at least the Alty defeat was in our favour.

So, not too bad predictions although I say it myself..... and incredibly we still have a chance of crawling into the playoffs at the expense of Gateshead. But we do need to score goals!!!

 

[CanveyCastle]

I cashed out out my playoff bet weeks ago.

Made a nice few bob as well.

#maherout

 

[Stuart W]

So..... how did I do? Sadly I got our result, Tamworth and Halifax's correct. More usefully for us I also got Gateshead's defeat correct and Oldham and Altrincham's predicted draws wrong but at least the Alty defeat was in our favour.

So, not too bad predictions although I say it myself..... and incredibly we still have a chance of crawling into the playoffs at the expense of Gateshead. But we do need to score goals!!!

Assuming we win at Ebbsfleet (I would give it 70/30), and Gateshead lose at least one of their next 2 games, both are away at Hartlepool and Boston, or even that they are both drawn (I would rate one of those scenarios at about 75/25), then it would be back in our own hands, with the first being a live TV game v Wealdstone at 5.30pm.

Sounds simple eh? Provided they can draw a line under the dross of the last two home games and think more about what they did against Oldham recently, then they have a chance still.

 

[Barling Magna]

My future predictions for the last three matches of the season need only focus on two teams now, ourselves and Gateshead. So....

Monday 21st April

Ebbsfleet v Southend. Ebbsfleet will be without Passley following his red card yesterday but Moncur and Cosgrave will be keen to perform well against us. A draw would seem likely but I predict we will WIN this.

Hartlepool v Gateshead. The Heed will fear this one. Despite their off field issues Hartlepool have been on a decent run and they will be anxious to beat their local rivals, and I think they will. So Gateshead to LOSE.

Should these results come to pass we will be just two points behind Gateshead.

Hmmmmm..........

 

[graingerroad54]

My future predictions for the last three matches of the season need only focus on two teams now, ourselves and Gateshead. So....

Monday 21st April

Ebbsfleet v Southend. Ebbsfleet will be without Passley following his red card yesterday but Moncur and Cosgrave will be keen to perform well against us. A draw would seem likely but I predict we will WIN this.

Hartlepool v Gateshead. The Heed will fear this one. Despite their off field issues Hartlepool have been on a decent run and they will be anxious to beat their local rivals, and I think they will. So Gateshead to LOSE.

Should these results come to pass we will be just two points behind Gateshead.

Hmmmmm..........

Ebbsfleet 2-0 Southend. Scorers Moncur, Cosgrave

 

[Barling Magna]

Ebbsfleet 2-0 Southend. Scorers Moncur, Cosgrave

The sad thing is that wouldn't be too surprising.

 

[Zeuss]

Agree about the deficiencies, but a hastily put together team?
Paul Sturrock’s side in 2010/11, now that was a hastily put together team.

Yes indeed. Big difference being that Sturrock was tactically astute,knew what he was doing.

 

[Holy Joe]

So..... how did I do? Sadly I got our result, Tamworth and Halifax's correct. More usefully for us I also got Gateshead's defeat correct and Oldham and Altrincham's predicted draws wrong but at least the Alty defeat was in our favour.

So, not too bad predictions although I say it myself..... and incredibly we still have a chance of crawling into the playoffs at the expense of Gateshead. But we do need to score goals!!!

According to the beeb Tamworth lost

 

[NYPOOLIE]

Hi folks, Hartlepool fan here who has posted previously on here, usually it’s when we play each other & I regale (bore) you with yarns about my Southend supporting neighbour. Quick question, were you to make the playoffs final, how many fans do you think you would take to Wembley? Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

[Gremlin]

Hi folks, Hartlepool fan here who has posted previously on here, usually it’s when we play each other & I regale (bore) you with yarns about my Southend supporting neighbour. Quick question, were you to make the playoffs final, how many fans do you think you would take to Wembley? Good luck for the rest of the season.

I'd go with my son. Anyone else?

 

[NZamba Legend]

Agree about the deficiencies, but a hastily put together team?
Paul Sturrock’s side in 2010/11, now that was a hastily put together team.

Yeah hastily put together in that we missed out on signings due to embargo, so we were delayed in that respect, then lost the spine of the team before the season and replaced them at short notice, lost Collin and Crowther to long term injury, Pepple was recalled- we were always playing catch up / patch up and to be honest, you’re unlikely to seriously compete with that going on. Hopefully we get a better run at it next season. Obviously Sturrock’s team was put together quickly too (more so I agree) and that team also finished mid table

 

[Barling Magna]

According to the beeb Tamworth lost

Oooh, you're right. That was a good result for us.

 

[Barling Magna]

Hi folks, Hartlepool fan here who has posted previously on here, usually it’s when we play each other & I regale (bore) you with yarns about my Southend supporting neighbour. Quick question, were you to make the playoffs final, how many fans do you think you would take to Wembley? Good luck for the rest of the season.

We have taken over 30,000 to the Millenium Stadium in the past I think. We would be likely to take 20,000 now I reckon.

More importantly..... please thrash Gateshead on Monday.

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

This table based on every team's most recent 25 league games appeared on the BBC Lincolnshire Sports website to show how well Boston have done since Graham Coughlan was appointed as their manager 25 games ago. I was surprised to see where we are on that table. I guess it shows how inconsistent all except Barnet and York are.