Colchester United will be in play-off contention on the final day of the season, if they can win at already-relegated Leyton Orient this Saturday.
But how likely is it that the U’s will make the top-seven?
The chances are obviously stacked against them, not least because they are three points and five places off the top seven, going into the last two fixtures.
Personally, I can see the U’s winning these last two games, at basement dwellers Leyton Orient and then at home to lowly Yeovil Town.
But that will only take their final total to 69 points, which might well prove to be a point or two less than the required amount, or even see them miss out on goal difference.
Looking at the League Two table, the U’s cannot catch Luton Town, who are fourth with 71 points, which leaves three places up for grabs.
I also expected fifth-placed Exeter City to take at least one point from their final two games. They already have 68 points, and with a superior goal difference (12 goals better off) to the Us, so that effectively would leave just two spots.
And in-form Blackpool, currently on 67 points, will almost certainly beat doomed Leyton Orient at home on the final day, which would also see them out of the U’s reach.
That would therefore leave just one vacant spot. All the U’s can do is win their first away game of 2017, at Brisbane Road, and then continue their fine home form against Yeovil, while hoping for favours elsewhere.
Here’s my predicted finishes:
Luton (currently 4th, 71pts): Accrington (a) L. Morecambe (h) W = 74pts, 4th
Blackpool (6th, 67pts): Notts County (a) D, Leyton Orient (h) W = 71pts, 5th
Stevenage (7th, 66pts): Yeovil (a) D, Accrington (h) W = 70pts, 6th
Exeter (5th, 68pts): Doncaster (a) L, Carlisle (h) D = 69pts, 7th
Colchester (12th, 63pts): Leyton Orient (a) W, Yeovil (h) = 69pts, 8th
Wycombe (9th, 65pts): Morecambe (a) D, Cambridge (h) W = 69pts, 9th
Carlisle (10th, 65pts): Newport (h) D, Exeter (a) D = 67pts, 10th
Cambridge (11th, 63pts): Crawley (h) W, Wycombe (a) L = 66pts, 11th
Mansfield (8th, 65pts): Portsmouth (h) L, Crawley (a) D = 66pts, 12th
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