Read what Ben Clasper had to say in his programme notes ahead of our National League South clash with Concord Rangers

Our final away day of the season was a surreal experience and I have endured fever dreams that made more sense. As I scrabbled around to find positives on the pitch to write about all I could muster is the hope that the Ghost of Football Yet To Come showing up to confront our players with a vision of relegation in the form of the Hungerford players sinking to their knees at the final whistle shocks them into action this week.

George Porter’s candidate for ‘Least Deserved Equalizer of the Season’ award secured the point for us that ensures we go into the final week with our future still in our own hands and denied Hungerford the three they needed to keep their own hopes of safety alive. Sadly with George and Gianni Crichlow both receiving red cards between the goal and the final whistle we will end this final week without them so I hope they see there is no better answer to missing the final game than delivering the win tonight that will secure our league status before suspension brings their season to a premature end.

The ‘need to win’ is a much under-estimated factor in any decent forecasting model and so I was not in the least bit surprised to see the four clubs below us all in winning positions before we finally found the back of the net. But whilst Hungerford’s fight may be over Cheshunt, Weymouth and especially our opponents tonight, Concord Rangers will all feel they have the momentum to complete an escape.

Tonight’s mathematics are simple. Win and we are safe. Draw and it goes to the final game (unless the rest of the midweek results are all favourable) with our destiny still in our own hands. Lose and for the first time we will be in the dreaded ‘needing other results to go our way’ position whatever we do in our final game. We are also in the odd position where Weymouth winning tonight may be of benefit as it means they go into their final game of the season with the chance of safety that could motivate them to victory against Dover which opens the door for us to climb above the Kent team who have assumed the ‘there’s always one club who falls through the trap door from nowhere’ role.

It was terribly sad to see Hungerford relegated, they are another club we have only had hugely positive experiences playing and visiting even after navigating a train timetable that could have come straight from the Theatre of the Absurd. Patrick and Nicky Chambers who have been at the head of the club for all of our time in the National League are departing to take over Gloucester City giving the whole day an end of an era feel about it. Playing with ten men for the majority of the game they still managed to look the most likely to come away with the win they needed but whilst we may not be pretty away from home we are picking up the points here and there that have eluded us for most of the season and keep us ahead of the pack. We will though need a very different performance tonight if we are going to take this opportunity to finally draw a line under a frustrating and difficult season.

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that travelled to Hungerford, getting off the train and seeing the sea of pink and blue on the platform was very moving. You arrived in numbers sufficient to deliver the highest attendance of the season at Bulpit Lane and arrived ready and willing to inspire the players. But that is a two-way relationship and there is no point pretending there was much to inspire you in return through a subdued second half and so I understand the concerns voiced on the day as we head into these final two games at Champion Hill. I am always in awe of your support, it will never be taken for granted and I believe that support can make the difference this week.

The contract between players and fans can often be complex, I know you will lead from the terraces and on Saturday the players saw first-hand the impact relegation has on players, staff and fans and I pray like Scrooge they ask themselves ‘Why show me this, if I am past all hope?’ before grabbing this lifeline as if their lives depend on it and finally deliver the performance to inspire that you all deserve.