Staying Up - Relegation Battle

[standupsitdown]

Updated after Saturday 13th April.

Truro 43 51 -9
Hemel 45 49 -16
Eastbourne 44 48 -22
Torquay 44 47 -9
Taunton 43 45 -25
Dartford 45 43 -20
Havant 45 37 -35
Dover 44 27 -34

Much simpler now –

Beat Taunton & we are safe.
We would have 50 points with the best goal difference and as Taunton play Weston both of them could not exceed this.

Draw with Taunton & beat Havant we are safe on 51 points.
Anything less than a win v Havant would mean rely on other results.

Lose to Taunton and we are depending on other results – these are the possibilities that would see us staying up -

We beat Havant taking us to 50 points then one or more of these needs to happen:

1. Taunton lose or draw v Weston (who have nothing to play for & will also have played Tuesday) taking them to 48 or 49. Hemel have 49 so we would be safe as it would not be possible for both Taunton & Hemel to exceed 50 points and our goal difference is better.

2. Taunton beat Weston taking them to 51 points & safety. Taunton beat or draw with Hemel leaving Hemel on 49 or 50.

3. Eastbourne get no more than 2 points from their last 2 games.

So if we lose at Taunton we then need them to fail to beat Hemel, or in their 3rd game in 5 days and with their safety assured, not to lose to Hemel – or Eastbourne to fail to beat both Weston & Braintree.

It is possible that just a draw v Havant would see us safe but that would require both Taunton & Eastbourne to fail to win either of their final two matches.

Defeat at Taunton and we’re strong favourites to go down.

[brucie]

Looking at what could potentially be involved with the takeover we simply have to stay up.

[standupsitdown]

Sorry there’s an error in my post that I can’t edit - it should say Taunton play Hemel not Weston so both could not exceed 50 points.

[Southampton Gull]

Sorry there’s an error in my post that I can’t edit - it should say Taunton play Hemel not Weston so both could not exceed 50 points.

Fixed.

[The Great Muta!]

I cannot see Aaron Jarvis playing for Gulls again, I can't see what's going to change in few days,he hasn't featured today, what'll change by Tues night?, I think we'll go "blanket" defensive mode and play for a point, going into Havant game knowing a win will seal it.

[PainInTheGULLiver85]

Not sure we’re capable of playing for a draw. Prob best trying to reproduce the performance at truro. How can Taunton and truro perform so well in the circumstances they are in. Has to be mental as our players seem so weak.

[TerryTorq]

Some teams have been at or near the bottom of the league all season, others have gradually drifted towards the bottom whereas we, from a position of relative safety have been unceremoniously dumped into a relegation battle by someone who the players don't know and possibly may never even have met. Their mindset wasn't focussed on relegation and that could be the problem. 2 games to go and all we can do is get behind the team and hope.

[Taelee73]

Tbh, their mindset wasn't focused on promotion either.

Either incredibly weak willed, they just don't have that give everything/won't be beaten character in them, or poorly coached or just plain rubbish.

Taunton will be so up for this, it just feels we won't be.

Can't even see us winning our last game either.

Need Dawson, Jarvis back. Unfortunately it does feel like they're not prepared to go the extra mile, play while not 100% and make the sacrifice needed to help keep us up. If they did, then at least then they can leave with the knowledge we haven't sunk to an even lower level.

[desperado]

Downes on Radio Devon said we can expect a couple back on Tuesday, which raised my hopes - then he said that would be Collins (another massive underperformer) and DOA

[standupsitdown]

The extra games in this week’s fixtures haven’t really fallen well for us.

Taunton & Eastbourne both play Weston who are one of only five teams with nothing to play for.

Taunton have had the same 3 day break as us before we play Tuesday.

They play Weston Thursday but Weston will also have played Tuesday so no disadvantage to Taunton from their many postponement.

If Taunton beat us and Weston we will need them to beat Hemel on Saturday – who will have had a week off while Taunton played two extra games. And by then Taunton will be safe so nothing to play for. Plus Hemel have just appointed a new manager.

[Griff1n]

Hemel have just replaced our ex-Woking foe Dowse with former Weymouth boss Bobby Wilkinson ahead of Saturday’s game at Taunton.

https://footballinberkshire.co.uk/news/ ... departure/

[Skillsy]

Taelee,

I read your regular comments and generally they are very fair. But, to imply Jarvis and Dawson don't want to play tomorrow isn't fair. You may well be right, or wrong, but none of us have any idea why they aren't currently available. Like everyone else, I suspect you are guessing, unless you know something we do not.......

On the same subject, I don't understand why the club have returned to silence on these things. Silence leads to wild speculation.

[desperado]

Downes did say in one of his interviews a week or so ago that Jarvis had bruised knees and Dawson another knee issue , cant recall exactly what that was but didn't seem it was too serious at the time.

[Taelee73]

Fair enough Skillsy.

Most of us can remember the old days where players would be desperate to play every second of every match. Where a bucket of water and a sponge seemed to fix any injury.

Players of course need to be protected.

It's more frustration really from me, Dawson missed most the season and now he's injured again. The news on Jarvis was that he may well be back for Easter.

These guys know they have two games left of their Torquay careers, if it's only niggles then get them playing. They'll have 3 months after to get fit.

It'll just be frustrating if a week Saturday we see Jarvis being paraded at a new club.

[Skillsy]

Thanks Taelee,

I think they’ve stopped making those magic sponges which allowed players to ‘run it off’ a couple of minutes after breaking a leg. Sad times.

Cheers.