National League South play-off spot confirmed for Eastbourne Borough

Clubs from second to seventh place will do battle for a promotion place - alongside the division's champions, who go up automatically.

Borough currently sit in sixth slot - respectively seven points and eight points clear of Havant and Chippenham Town. But with just nine points still to play for, the Hawks and the Bluebirds face each other on the final day of the season - Saturday 8th May - and at least one club will drop points.

Not that manager Danny Bloor - who has always remained low-key over his side's prospects - will be cracking any champagne at this stage. "All we have done is to take the field each week and play the opponents in front of us. Other people can do the maths if they wish, but we have won no honours yet. We will prepare as absolutely normal for our remaining three fixtures, and then see who we may face.

Bloor on bewildering afternoon at Havant.

"As it happens, our three games are absolute crackers. This Saturday we entertain Billericay Town - managed by an old Sports favourite Dan Brown, and they will be busting a gut for the three points to get off the bottom of the table. We are the only local football on offer next Saturday, and I'm sure the Lane will again be filled to the rafters!

In pictures - Sports' eight men lose at Havant.

"Then we're off to Tonbridge, a tough local derby, on the Holiday Monday, and we face third-placed Dartford at home on the final day. Whatever the final results, I could not be prouder of my players. We don't have to prove anything, we will just see where the journey now takes us."

That journey might see the Sports heading along the M40 on Wednesday 11th May. While nothing is set in stone, the likeliest final placings could see Borough and Oxford City occupying fifth and sixth slots and facing each other - with the higher placed club at home. The winners of that tie would travel on Saturday 14th to the second-placed club, probably Maidstone or Dorking Wanderers. And then on to a final play-off showdown on 21st May, for that coveted National League place.

Whatever the outcome, Danny's players will look back with either quiet pride or barmy celebration. And a season which began, way back last August with a catastrophic 5-0 home defeat to Hampton and Richmond Borough, will have been quite a ride.