19th April – CARLISLE 

The trip to Brunton Park is, in all likelihood, looking a good bet for a promotion party.

I’m not being overtly arrogant here, really I’m not, but if we do keep picking up points in the right places then by the time we finish this game there are nine to play for. We’re currently 13 clear of Mansfield and ten clear of MK Dons. Therefore, simply matching their results would see us promoted at the end of this game.

Mansfield have a winnable game, they host Morecambe. Bury go to Newport and MK Dons go to Notts County, all matches those in the hunt should be winning. Tranmere have a harder task, they host Forest Green, meaning ahead of Easter Monday they will have faced two of the current top six.

In order to win the title at Carlisle, we’d need to have bettered Bury’s points tally by two, but bear in mind they’ll have played five by this point and us four. So, if they got seven points from their five matches, we’d need nine from our four. it would give us a ten point lead with nine to play for.

22nd April – TRANMERE

If we haven’t wrapped up promotion by the end of this game, then it’ll certainly be time to look over our shoulder. The completion of this fixture will see just six points left to play for and as we’re currently 13 clear of Mansfield, we would have had a huge crash in form to have been reeled in.

This is perhaps the toughest of the fixtures we have left to play, looking at the form table. Of course, a trip to MK Don is challenging, but Tranmere want a bit of revenge over us for 2016/17 don’t they? 

Remember the last time they visited? I do. As that picture was taken above, I was on my arse sliding down the concrete steps breaking my wrist.

Happy days.

Easter Monday sees Bury host Northampton, MK Dons host Port Vale and Mansfield go to Oldham.

27th April – NEWPORT COUNTY

Ah, the last away trip of the season. Fancy dress, lots of drink and hopefully nothing like last season where we lost to Accrington and saw them lift the title.

We can’t see Newport lift the title, they’re currently on 52 points and even their two games in hand won’t see them into the top three. We could and, if we’re honest, should be home and hosed in the race for promotion by this stage. Even in terms of the title race we could have lost points on Bury and still be champions by now.

Of course, it all could have gone mammaries vertical in which case there’s not a single soul who’ll want to be in fancy dress. Not even zippy.

May 4th – COLCHESTER UNITED

If we’re not in League One by this point, I’m going to cry.

MK Dons meet Mansfield where one set of fans are likely to be crying. Bury should be wrapping up their promotion party against Port Vale and as for Tranmere, they go to Crawley hoping that events at Stadium MK mean nothing to either set of fans.

I was crying a year ago on this date, in pain. It will have been on year since my spinal surgery and I have to admit, being able to watch the final game of the season will be a real treat after missing last year’s finale. Only if we go up of course.

Only if we go up.

Remaining fixtures

Bury: Swindon (H), Cambridge (H), Carlisle (A), Colchester (H), Newport (A), Northampton (H), Tranmere (A) Port Vale (H)

Us: Macclesfield (H), MK Dons (A), Cheltenham (H), Carlisle (A), Tranmere (H), Newport (A) Colchester (H)

MK Dons: Forest Green (A), Lincoln (H), Tranmere (A), Notts County (A), Port Vale (H), Colchester (A)  Mansfield (H)

Mansfield: Exeter (A), Cambridge (H), Northampton (A), Morecambe (H), Oldham (A), Stevenage (H), MK Dons (A)

Tranmere: Carlisle (H), Oldham (A), Newport (A),MK Dons (H), Forest Green (H), Lincoln (A), Bury (H), Crawley (A)

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NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT….