Today is the last day of the season in the Nationwide Conference. For the uninitiated among you (overseas viewers, man u fans etc) the Conference is the fifth tier of English football and the highest where some of the players are still part-time (although around three quarters of the teams are now fully pro). It also has two promotion places into the fourth division the third division league two. As Pete mentioned his team Barnet have run away with the league and will be automatically promoted. Things are not so simple for the play-off places (2nd to 5th). Although Carlisle and Hereford are definitely there, five teams are fighting today for the last two places. As one of these teams is my team, Exeter City, I will be following the tortuous mathematical equations that will be played out this afternoon live for your pleasure…
At the moment the table looks like this:
| |
|
P |
GD |
PTS |
| 1 |
Barnet |
41 |
48 |
86 |
| 2 |
Carlisle |
41 |
39 |
73 |
| 3 |
Hereford |
41 |
27 |
73 |
| 4 |
Morecambe |
41 |
19 |
70 |
| 5 |
Aldershot |
41 |
14 |
70 |
| 6 |
Stevenage |
41 |
11 |
69 |
| 7 |
Exeter |
41 |
19 |
68 |
| 8 |
Woking |
41 |
15 |
68 |
so, in order for Exeter to get into the play-offs, the following conditions must be met:
1. we have to beat Carlisle
2. either Aldershot or Morecambe must not win (draw is OK, because we’ll then have a superior goal diff to both)
3. if one of Aldershot and Morecambe win, Stevenage must not win as well
4. Woking must not beat our score by four goals
Easy… We also have far and away the hardest game of the five, against Carlisle (where TMFD editor Mr Tim ‘Opkins is cheering our glorious bauys on), but with the eternal optimism of the football fan WE’RE STILL IN IT!!!
further updates throughout the afternoon.