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Story courtesy of
Title fever has reached boiling point at Gresley Rovers. Yet the excitement of being on the brink of Gresley’s first and long-awaited Banks’s League championship was passing manager Frank Northwood by – on the surface at least.
“I don’t even look at the league table,” insisted Northwood when asked if he accepted that the prize he has sought so fervently for eight long seasons was now little more than a formality.Would he accept that a win against Lye Town at the Moat Ground tomorrow could set up a title party at Stourport on Tuesday?
You guessed it – no!
“We’re not thinking any further than the Lye game,” the veteran supremo restated. “Even at this stage of the season, we’re taking it one game at a time.”
In fact, only the most staggering about-turn of fortunes in the history of the game can now deprive Gresley of their prize.
The chasing group – numbering nine clubs just a week ago – has now dwindled to four – and those, Ilkeston Town must win all their remaining games to equal Rovers’ current points total of 85.
Darlaston, hopelessly embroiled in a huge backlog, and Halesowen Harriers both slipped from the race when they could only manage draws last night, Darlaston 2-2 at home to Rushall and Halesowen 1-1 at Blakenall.
That leaves Oldbury United and the aptly named Chasetown still in with a remote chance. But that will all end if Gresley win tomorrow and on Tuesday.
Once Rovers have achieved the magic 91-point mark, Northwood has hinted that he will turn his attention towards protecting key players for the small matter of May 4th FA Vase final at Wembley.
He said: “As and when we win the title, I will probably give a few reserve team players a run in the first team.”
