Crunch time! What Kettering Town, Boston United, Alfreton Town and Spennymoor Town each need to do to secure a National League North play-off spot
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The National League North season comes to an end on Saturday - but four clubs are hoping to extend their campaigns by securing the final play-off spot.
Kettering Town, Boston United, Alfreton Town and Spennymoor Town are all in with a chance of ending the day seventh in the standings and securing a trip to Kidderminster Harriers on Thursday, May 12.
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Hide AdBrackley Town, AFC Fylde, Chorley and York City are also guaranteed a play-off slot, here's what each hopeful has to do to join them...
Kettering Town - 60 points
The Poppies hold all the aces as they head to faltering Curzon Ashton in the final play-off spot by virtue of goal difference, their +6 bettering Boston's +4.
Victory on the road will guarantee them seventh - as long as Boston don't win by at least two goals more than them.
Opponents The Nash are ending the season in poor form having lost their last three games.
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Hide AdFor Kettering, a draw would be enough if Boston don't win and Alfreton failed to win by more than eight goals.
Defeat would still be enough if Boston lost, Alfreton got no more than a point and Spennymoor were unable to win by more than three.
Boston United - 60 points
The Pilgrims - led by Paul Cox, who left Kettering for the Jakemans Community Stadium in January - looked set to end Monday in seventh, only for Gloucester City's stoppage-time equaliser to see them drop a place.
They head to Farsley Celtic - who still need a point to secure survival - knowing they may need to score goals galore to regain a play-off berth.
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Hide AdIf Kettering are victorious at Curzon then Boston need to win at The Citadel by two goals more than the Poppies to at least level on goal difference.
If that is the case then the placings will be decided by goals scored and then head-to-heads.
Both suit Boston as they have netted 61 times to Kettering's 53 and won both meetings 3-2.
A draw would be enough for Boston if Kettering lose and Alfreton fail to win by a three-goal margin while a defeat could do it if Kettering lose by two more goals, Alfreton drw or lose and Spennymoor don't claw back a two goal deficit if they win.
Alfreton Town - 58 points
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Hide AdBilly Heath's Reds looked to be the form side going into the home straight, but Monday's 1-0 defeat to Kettering put the Poppies in pole position and ended their unbeaten run of nine matches, which had seen them collect an impressive 21 points.
Bsement boys Guiseley are Saturday's visitors to the Impact Arena.
Steve Kittrick's Lions have an abysmal goal difference, meaning they'll need three points to give them any chance of overtaking AFC Telford United and Farsley.
Nothing but a win would see Alfreton move above Kettering and Boston, and that would also mean neither side above them claiming a victory.
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Hide AdIf Kettering and Boston both draw Alfreton could still nick seventh, but they'd have to beat Guiseley by margin of at least eight.
Spennymoor Town - 57 points
The Moors entertain fifth-place Chorley at the outsiders for a play-off spot, but stranger things have happened.
Like Alfreton, the side managed by Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley must win to keep their hopes of a top-seven finish alive.
Even then, it would take Kettering and Boston to both lose and Alfreton to draw or be defeated for them to move up three places.
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Hide AdOn top of that, Spennymoor (+2) would still need to end the day with a better goal difference than Boston (+4) and at least the same GD as Kettering (+6) to take seventh.
Spennymoor have scored 53 times this season, the same as Kettering, so a four goal swing would see them usurp the Poppies on goals scored.
If Boston and Kettering both lost by one goal, Spennymoor would still need to win by at least three.
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