Scarborough Athletic travel to Bedford Town on Saturday knowing a victory will guarantee them a place in the National League North promotion play-offs.
Scarborough Athletic make the long journey to Bedfordshire tomorrow for their final game of the National League North season against Bedford Town.
The crucial fixture kicks off at 12.30pm, and the Seadogs have their play-off destiny firmly in their own hands. Following a brilliant home victory against play-off rivals Merthyr Town last Saturday, Boro currently sit in fifth place in the league table with 72 points after 45 games played.
In the National League North, teams finishing second through to seventh qualify for the promotion play-offs. The mathematics for Scarborough are simple: a win against Bedford Town guarantees a play-off spot. A victory would see them finish on 75 points, which is entirely out of reach for eighth-placed Merthyr Town, who have 70 points, and ninth-placed Darlington, who sit on 69 points.
However, if the match ends in a draw, the situation becomes statistically risky for the Seadogs. Chester, Buxton, and Merthyr Town are all within two points of Scarborough. Consequently, a draw means Boro would need at least one of Chester, Buxton, or Merthyr to fail to win their final match.
A loss would keep Scarborough Athletic stranded on 72 points. In that scenario, they could be overtaken by Buxton, Chester, Darlington, and Merthyr Town if any of those teams secure a victory. If three of those four chasing teams win their final games and Scarborough lose, Boro would be pushed entirely out of the play-off positions.
Club chairman Trevor Bull says the team is set to break a club record on Saturday after a tremendous run of form:
"It seems to have all been about the second half of the season. Since the turn of the year, I think we've only lost three games, which is absolutely incredible. It's an incredible run. Probably you could argue that we've drawn too many, but we are where we are and we deserve to be in those play-off places.
It's certainly going to be the highest league finish that Scarborough Athletic has ever been in the football pyramid. We've already achieved a new record in that respect, highest number of points, etc. Let's see if we can take it that step further."
The match promises to be a challenging encounter, as Bedford Town are fighting for their own survival in the division. The Eagles currently sit in 18th place on 52 points, and safety from the drop is not yet guaranteed. They are currently enjoying a good run of form, remaining unbeaten in their last five games. Most recently, Bedford put up a strong fight against South Shields to share the points in a 1-1 draw at the 1st Cloud Arena.
This weekend will mark the first time Scarborough Athletic have travelled to Bedford Town. The hosts secured the Southern League title last season in a title race that came down to the final game of the season, where a 2-0 win against Stourbridge allowed them to hold off Kettering Town and achieve promotion. That success marked back-to-back promotions for Bedford, who had achieved success via the play-offs the season prior.
When the two sides met earlier this season, the Seadogs had to rely on a stoppage-time penalty kick from Rio Allan to secure a 2-2 draw. The visiting Bedford Town side had twice taken the lead but were pegged back by a late Boro fightback.
Looking ahead to the final day and the travelling support, Trevor Bull said:
"Well, one thing's for certain, if our football club has a big game anywhere in the country, fans turn up. I don't know how many hundred will be going, but there'll be a lot of people there.
Certainly everyone I've spoken to this week has told me that they're going. There's going to be all sorts of strange fancy dress costumes to look forward to as well. But no, let's make it a great day. And of course, Bedford need some points to stay in the league. Both teams on the pitch have got a lot to play for. It's going to be a tough game."
The match gets underway at 12:30pm on Saturday, if you can't get to Bedford for the match there will be live commentary on This is the Coast Extra
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