With the season’s end fast arriving, the race for the Blue Square North play-offs are really hotting up. With second placed Stalybridge Celtic almost assured of their position in the end of season lottery, there are three slots up for grabs with five teams chasing them.

The five sides battling it out for the right to play for a place in the Conference National next year are; Harrogate Town, AFC Telford, Barrow, Southport, and our very own Nuneaton Borough. Last night two of the chasing pack played, as Barrow earned a good point with a 1-1 draw against Kettering Town, and Southport beat Alfreton 1-0.

With just over a week of the season left to play the top of the Conference North table looks like this:

POSITION	TEAM	GAMES PLAYED	POINTS
1	Kettering Town	39	88
2	Stalybridge Celtic	40	76
3	AFC Telford	40	74
4	Harrogate Town	39	71
5	Barrow	40	70
6	Southport	39	68
7	NUNEATON BOROUGH	40	68

Full Table

With all the teams left to play either two or three games this year, it couldn’t be tighter. I aim to bring you the lowdown on all the challengers. Including their recent form, remaining fixtures, and my tips on where I expect each of them to finish.

AFC Telford

Form: W-L-L-L-L-W

Remaining Fixtures: 19/4 Stalybridge Celtic (a), 26/4 Burscough (a)

Prediction: Telford’s form hasn’t been great of late, and a run of four straight defeats was only halted by a much-needed win against Harrogate on Saturday. They have two very tricky away trips to round off their season and I can’t see them taking any points from either of those games. 74pts 5th

Harrogate Town

Form: L-D-W-W-D-L

Remaining Fixtures: 19/4 Hucknall (h), 22/4 Tamworth (a), 26/4 Workington (h)

Prediction: Harrogate are another side with patchy form of late, and they have dropped some careless points as the end of the season has come closer. I can’t see this changing much, and I can see them winning, drawing, and losing each of their last three games. 75pts 4th

Barrow

Form: W-W-W-W-W-D

Remaining Fixtures: 19/4 Tamworth (h), 26/4 Worcester City (h)

Prediction: Barrow are by far and away the form team in the division, and haven’t lost since a 3-1 defeat to Stalybridge at the end of January. They have come from nowhere to storm into the play-off positions and surely must be shoe-ins to reach them with two home games left. Expect maximum points. 76 pts 3rd

Southport

Form: D-D-W-L-L-W

Remaining Fixtures: 18/4 Nuneaton Borough (a), 22/4 Leigh RMI (h), 26/4 Vauxhall Motors (a)

Prediction: Southport looked to be major title contenders back at Christmas but since then their form has been poor and they have plummetted down the table. A change in manager hasn’t really bought a change in fortunes having won and lost both games under the new boss. I think they will lose to Nuneaton, and only pick up four points from their other two games. 72pts 6th

Nuneaton Borough

Form: D-L-W-D-D-D

Remaining Fixtures: 18/4 Southport (h), 26/4 Tamworth (h)

Prediction: After surging up the table to join the play-off fight form has been inconsistent, and there have been too many draws. Losing leads against Gainsborough, Blyth Spartans, and Hucknall are likely to prove very costly. I expect a home win on Friday night against Southport, but I fear the drawing bug will be back when they face rivals Tamworth on the last day. 72pts 7th