Tonight

[Ferret]

.....being in the playoffs doesn't suck.  I'd have laughed a couple of months ago in a Tipps End Pilgrim's "end of season" manner if you'd suggested that we'd be unhappy with 5th 

Anyway, pointless argument as we're going to win on Saturday and keep third place.

[rob.1987]

A 3rd place finish means a midweek away first leg before the decisive second leg at home on the Saturday. A 4th place finish means a midweek home first leg before an away deciding leg on the Saturday.

I presume the set up, which mirrors the higher and fully professional leagues, is to give the higher placed side the advantage of playing the 'more important' second leg in front of their home fans. At this largely semi-professional level though, is there not a greater advantage in travelling on a weekend than a weekday and therefore 4th place could be preferrable to 3rd?

We obviously have to go all out to win on Saturday to keep the momentum going and in case Chorley and Guiseley both win too, however a large part of me would prefer to finish 4th over 3rd!

[beefpilgrim]

I am tending not to overthink all this. The fact of the matter is, whoever we play we need to carry on the great form and get the desired result, get the job done.
Saturday IS important if nothing else but to carry on that winning mentality and give us that momentum going into the play offs, we should fear no one.

[joshb]

Agree both ways... it might do us better to come 4th over 3rd but you cannot manufacture that because it's too close. And why lose all your momentum at the wrong time with a really lacklustre performance on Saturday?

When Guiseley came 2nd to Chester, they finished really badly, (lost to Hinckley too!) and lost all momentum, thus losing to Halifax in the semis

[feelinblue]

FC United promoted tonight, but we won't be playing them next season...

Why?? going somewhere

It's a fine line between confidence and arrogance

[Pilgrim86]

FC United promoted tonight, but we won't be playing them next season...

Why?? going somewhere

It's a fine line between confidence and arrogance

Utmost confidence. The 2nd half of the season proves it - 40 points from our last 20 games.

[Lee Newell]

Going for the win on Saturday is the only option.

However, very tempting to rest the likes of Southwell and Jones who have been struggling with injury recently and are in such good form. If we needed points  Saturday to make the playoffs they wouldn't be rested, but with playoffs now guaranteed I can see Newsh getting a start and Southwell or Jones getting a rest.

[Odin]

Hopefully Jake Hall will get a game onSaturday, for the first time I watched about 5mins of TOWIE (couldn't cope with any more) and he needs to get back into football to recover some dignity.

[howmanynames2pick]

Hopefully Jake Hall will get a game onSaturday, for the first time I watched about 5mins of TOWIE (couldn't cope with any more) and he needs to get back into football to recover some dignity.

lol nice one Odin

[York Street Pilgrim]

I'm reasonably confident about the play-offs but at the same time I'm a bit worried about the midweek leg. Whilst our recent form has been excellent, our results in evening kick-offs over the past couple of seasons have been less than ideal. We've had some heavy midweek defeats against Oxford at home and Fylde away, and we also went out of the FA Trophy with a whimper at home to North Ferriby on a Tuesday night. Last season we had some bad results in midweek as well. I may be wrong, but I think the only time we've won a midweek match all season was away at Brackley in the first week. My theory is that we have a lot of players travelling long distances to get to matches (Steer and now Hall in London, Marrs and presumably the goalkeeper in Sunderland, Garner in Coventry, Pidge in Manchester, etc), and that maybe the combination of work, travel and then match has put a bit too much strain on some of our players. When we kick off at 3.00 on a Saturday we do look a much better side.

We will need to be on our game in both legs of the play-offs so I hope I'm wrong, but I will take a draw now from the first leg, especially if it is away from home. Come Saturday, I really think we can beat anyone.

[Pilgrim86]

Hopefully Jake Hall will get a game on Saturday, for the first time I watched about 5mins of TOWIE (couldn't cope with any more) and he needs to get back into football to recover some dignity.

He is set to feature, according to the BUFC Twitter. I'd also hope Saebe gets a start up front, maybe with Jones (if fit enough) or Newsham. He may have a part to play in the Play Offs, and any experience before then could be vital.

[Artemis]

We've had some heavy midweek defeats against Oxford at home and Fylde away, and we also went out of the FA Trophy with a whimper at home to North Ferriby on a Tuesday night.

The Fylde result was a freak one due to the fact that the team coach was stuck in bad traffic and didn't arrive at Fylde till about the kick off time - and the players had to change in the bus.  Coupled with the out of form reserve goalkeeper - hardly the recipe for a favourable result.