City's Promotion Rivals - The Other Matches

THE RUN-IN

The league has split up into 3 sections:
The Top 10: All of these teams will still be eyeing promotion. Orient got a big win yesterday and I think will stay 1st. Barrow and Sutton are still in touching distance of the playoffs but I don't think either have enough to make it in the top 7.
11th - 19th: Midtable. None of these teams have any realistic chance of making the playoffs or being worried about relegation
20th-24th: Relegation battle. 5 teams battling to avoid the drop. Rochdale will need something very special to get out of it.



Fixtures remaining
Top 10 - Red
Midtable - Yellow
Relegation scrap - Green


Leyton Orient still have to play 5 of the top 10 (4 of them away) and looks like the toughest run-in. I don't think they will blow their lead at the top but they will have to take points of a few of our rivals at least. Will be interesting to watch.
Northampton and Stevenage both have decent run-ins and will be difficult to catch.
Carlisle - not an easy run-in at all although I expect Barrow and Sutton's seasons will be over by they time they play them
Stockport - not easy either. Penultimate game could be an Orient champions party and a final game scrap against a Hartlepool trying to avoid the drop
Bradford City - I don't mind this list at all. There's definitely a few banana skins in there but with our away form I can't see us dropping out of the playoffs. Will be a big ask to catch the top 3, but 1 of them will slip up a bit so we need to put together a run to capitalise
Salford/ Mansfield - not much to say. Can see Mansfield sneaking into top 7.
Barrow - need to put a run together in the next couple of weeks but I think they will miss out.
Sutton - horrendous fixtures for them. Lose to Stockport on Friday and it's another season in Lg2

 

Mansfield look hot atm. There is always a team at the end of the season running hot. We have to keep the pressure up on the top three. If we go for it, you just never know.

 

How, they have won only 1 in their last 5?

 

And that was against Crawley. I know Mansfield thumped them, but judging by the highlights on TV last night I think Crawley looked woeful. I think Hartlepool might catch them if we play properly on Friday.

 

This is ours for the taking. Orient will go up as champions and Northampton look to be the form team of the top 8. After that there isn't anyone to worry about and that includes Stevenage. I've watched Carlisle the last few games, they can't even get a shot on goal at the moment.
For me it ends like this.

1. Leyton Orient
2. Northampton
3. Bradford City

Playoff winners.

Stockport County

 

There’s always teams that hit form in the last 10-15 games or so, and likewise there’s always teams who looked strong but then crash tremendously. The latter is Stevenage, and I genuinely think we will replace them for the 3rd auto spot. They’ve only taken 13 points from their last 36. We’ve taken 23 points out of the last 36

And if that is a feat we achieve, it will be all the more sweeter due to the antics of fatty Evans and his odious assistant Raynor. The mind games they were playing against us at their place with the groundsmen, their general berating officials, their crap style of football. Their whole philosophy is based on tall players, long balls, and centre halves who know where the net is but can’t defend for toffee

 

Orient winning was a blow but the goal yesterday was freakish. City, Orient, Northampton is the correct top 3 but I'm convinced Orient will not win this league.

 

How was it a blow? It was by far the best possible outcome, I can’t imagine any other City fan will have a similar opinion.

 

Just watched the highlights from yesterday. They just look like a team with the bit between their teeth, just a feeling. Sorry not really into stats, I just like to watch.

 

Good work Asafa.

didnt realise Stevenage had a favourable run. That’s frustrating!

carlisle’s run….wow….that’s tough.

Glad we have more away than homes left.

 

Absolutely. In terms of City, prior to yesterday Orient were out of sight. Orient beating a further automatic hopeful was a truly excellent result for the chickens. The automatic position is not in our control but we have given ourselves an real opportunity

 

Yes third place could be ours, but Orient are out of sight. So it was a very good result as far as we are concerned that Orient beat Carlisle, another promotion rival, yesterday. It improves our chances of getting third more than a draw would have done.

 

We'll have a beer together if that prediction is right.........................and why not a beer if it isn't .

 

If Orient fancy taking 3 points off each of Salford, Sutton, Mansfield and Stockport as well that's fine by me. As long as they understand the deal ends on the 29th of this month

 

We play Northampton on the 29th. I presume you're referencing the last game of the season v Orient and got dates / fixtures mixed up (or I've misinterpreted your post!)

 

City need to get at least 6 more points than Orient in the next 3 games. Difficult but not impossible and they had one of their best players sent off on Saturday.

 

Not a lot of margin for error looking at other teams fixtures,especially Stevenage who have 2 gimmes in Wimbledon and Doncaster who have both given up on the season and are on their holidays. We get 88 points if we won every game,so to get automatic promotion I would think we can only drop 6 points to get 82 points. A tall order it would mean winning 5 drawing 3 and losing 0, not impossible but tough.

 

You've misinterpreted. Orient play Stockport on the 29th. The post was about Orient's games, nothing to do with us, or Northampton.

 

I think we cement play offs 1st so anyone of Mansfield, Sutton, Salford and Barrow need to be losing this weekend.