AFC SUDBURY goalkeeper Danny Gay believes their are pros and cons to playing teams with little to play for at this stage of the season.

The Suffolk side sit two points off the final Ryman League Division One North play-off place, currently occupied by Grays, and travel to tenth-placed Thamesmead today before visiting Romford (12th) and finishing off with a home game against 16th-placed Heybridge Swifts.

That trio of teams cannot be relegated or promoted and Gay, a play-off runner-up with Needham last season, believes that can create its own perils.

However, he still favours such a run-in as opposed to facing sides in the top five.

“Playing mid-table teams is difficult because they have nothing to play for, the pressure is off and the players are probably looking to secure their places for next season,” said Gay.

“Playing teams in and around you, gaps in the table can be widened or narrowed.

“But ask me if I would rather have our run-in, or face Leiston, Needham Market and Enfield and I would go for the former.”

Grays, in fifth, have a final day encounter with second-placed Enfield.

Apart from that, their run-in, coupled with reasonable-looking fixtures for fourth-placed Tilbury and third-placed Needham Market means AFC Sudbury cannot afford to drop any more points.

And they go to Thamesmead off the back of a bumper Easter weekend that saw them win 1-0 at Harlow, then defeat bogey team, Soham 4-1 at home.

“From where we were earlier in the season, we have done really well to get to this position,” said Gay.

“We are far stronger than we were three or four months ago.

“One or two new players have strengthened the squad and a new coach has come in, but we are now putting in the hard work now that we were not before.

“We were under-achieving, whereas we are now grinding out results and getting that bit of luck.”