The end of the season is fast approaching, and it’s looking like Southport F.C is well in with a shout being promoted to the Conference League – only one step away from The Football League! But how likely are they to do it? We’re going to take a look at their league position and their remaining games to find out exactly what their chances are of pulling off a promotion.
Southport F.C is currently 6th in the league, with the 2nd-7th being placed into a playoff round, and the league winner being promoted automatically. This already puts Southport in a precarious position, as they’re only a couple of places from being out of the playoff spot! When you look at the points totals of the teams around them it makes things even tenser…
2nd and 3rd in the league are closer to the leaders than they are to Stockport in 6th, with 73 and 63 points respectively. Kidderminster Harriers in 4th are little ways up the road with 58 points, but Chorley in 5th is within touching distance on 52 points. Southport currently sit on 49 points with 10 games to play, York City has one point less than them in 7th place but has a game in hand. Boston United in 8th also has 48 points, with another 6 teams below them all within 9 points of Southport.
It’s going to be a very tense end to the season with any one of the teams from 14th upwards being in with a reasonable chance of nabbing a playoff spot. A big factor in which teams end up in the playoff positions will be the team’s end-of-season form. Southport hasn’t looked too hot in that regard, winning only one of their last five games – a far cry from their form at the start of the year. If Southport is looking to secure a playoff spot, they’re going to need to turn their form around and fast.
A saving grace for this Southport team is that their run-in doesn’t seem to be too tough compared to some of the other teams they’re battling with. While they do play 3 of the top 4 teams in their last 10 games, the other 7 are all against teams in the bottom half of the table. If they manage to pick up maximum points from those games, it would surely be enough to keep them in that playoff spot.
If Southport is able to stay in the top 7 by the end of the season, it comes down to how they can perform in the playoffs. The playoff format in the Conference League North is that there are two matches between 4th and 7th, and 5th and 6th to determine who will reach the semi-finals. Given that’s the case, Southport would ideally like to avoid finishing 7th to avoid a tougher game in their first playoff match.
The winners of those two games will play 3rd and 2nd in the league respectively to see who will reach the playoff final. The favourites for these positions are Brackley Town and AFC Fylde who currently occupy 2nd and 3rd in the league. This isn’t good news for Southport fans as in the three meetings with these teams, Southport has lost twice and drawn once. If they were to win their semi-final, they would play the winner of the match between 2nd in the league and the victor of the 5th vs 6th playoff.
I’m sure you’ll agree that while all of this is technically possible, it seems like a tall order for this Southport team. If you fancy a flutter on this longshot coming in, there are plenty of online casinos to choose from that are offering odds on sporting events. As well as sports, these sites offer plenty of games to play; including blackjack, roulette, and online slots. No matter where you are in the world there are sites that can cater to your needs, whether you’re in the UK, the Middle East, or South Africa. The best online casinos even offer no deposit bonuses so players can play without risking their own money. Whether you enjoy betting on your local football team or exciting online slots, there’s a site to suit your needs.
While it may seem like a longshot, Southport is still in with a chance of earning a promotion to the Conference League. Despite its unlikeliness, buckle up and enjoy the ride – you never know, there could be a trip to Wembley on the horizon!
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