April Review: Up, Down, Flying around....

By Albatross
April 30 2003

...looping the loop and defying the ground? Not quite, but Hartlepool United finally secured promotion, and a lot of other issues were settled as well during April. The Title Decider is not the only vital game on Saturday though, with one relegation and two playoff spots still to be sorted.

Going into the final game of the season, a number of issues are already settled. From the position at the start of April, where almost every team still had something to play for, the final games of the season will see the promotion places already decided, one of the relegation slots filled, and two of the playoff contenders also confirmed.

There have been three form teams this month, but there should be just one candidate for Manager of the Month. Wrexham have won promotion despite a punishing schedule in April, after winning seven and drawing one of their eight games. Rushden and Bury have also gone undefeated this month, but with neither having won all of their five games it should be Denis "Stigma" Smith celebrating.

Wrexham are also still in with a chance of snatching the runners-up spot from Pools. With a much better goal difference, a win for the Welsh club at Bury combined with a defeat for us would see them overhaul us. Mind you, we all know we're going to win the title on Saturday don't we!

Bury and Bournemouth have already secured their Playoff Slots, and at the moment they look almost certain to be joined by Scunthorpe. Although in theory they could end up in 8th, their vastly superior goal difference means that it would take a big defeat for them combined with a big win for Oxford or York, and Lincoln to take a point, to deny them their place. The final Playoff position is more interesting. Lincoln are currently in pole position, three points ahead of York and Oxford: but their goal difference is not so good, and a defeat for them and a win for one of the others might see them squeezed out. In one of the other vital matches on Saturday, Oxford have to travel to York, with both teams knowing that a draw is no good to either team: a win - and in the Minstermen's case a very healthy one - is a must.

At the other end, Carlisle's victory over Shrewsbury has finally ended the Salopian club's hopes of avoiding the dreaded drop: they are now condemned to last place and Conference Football. That was the Shrews' seventh defeat on the spin, giving them the worst record over the month, and their current run of 14 games without a victory - 15 if you include their LDV tie against Carlisle - has cost them very dear. Kevin Ratcliffe would be well advised to start running now, and you wonder how many of their players will stay: certainly the likes of Rodgers, Aiston, Lowe and a couple of others will be in demand, and you can't see Jemson and Woan hanging around. A year ago they were looking for a Playoff Spot: it's been downhill all the way since, cup exploits notwithstanding.

Swansea and Exeter are battling to avoid the other relegation spot, with the Welsh club ahead by a single point. Both have home games on Saturday, and Exeter will be hoping they can continue their run of better form against Southend: the Jacks know though that a win over Hull will make them safe no matter what the Grecians manage to do.

It's not been the greatest of months for Pools, but we have won two and drawn two: on form you'd have to say Rushden are favourites, but it's all down to a one-off game and who knows what will happen. Whether we finish first, second, or third though, no-one can take away the fact that the promotion we've been chasing for so long has arrived. Division 2 here we come!