Three years ago Sporting ‘87 stood in the way of Claydon and a place in the SIL Senior Division.

Three years on, the roles are reversed and this time it is second-top Sporting, in their 30th year, who must defeat fourth-placed Claydon, at home, to reach the top flight for the first time in their history.

Jonathan Warnock’s Sporting team are three points off leaders Benhall and will secure promotion with a victory.

Should they drop points however, then they can be overtaken by third-placed Hoxne who host Benhall, who will be looking to seal the title,

“It’s weird how these quirky games emerge,” said Warnock.

“Three years ago we were out of the title race and had to go to Claydon who needed a win to get into the Senior Division.

“Now the roles are reversed and it would be very nice, in our 30th year, if we could reach the top flight for the first time.”

Sporting won last time out and while they hold an advantage over third-placed AFC Hoxne, the latter’s 14-0 win over the league’s whipping boys, Ipswich Valley Rangers, on Tuesday evening, saw them suddenly in the ascendancy with regards to having a better goal difference.

“Win on Saturday and we are promoted, while Hoxne have got to win and hope we don’t,” Warnock added.

“We have done OK lately and played really well last weekend in the 4-2 win at Old Newton United.

“We lost to Hoxne 1-0 the game before but they are a good side and there was not much in the game, it was probably a 0-0 game.”

Sporting’s opponents this weekend, Claydon, led the table for a while but dropped off in recent weeks and are just a few points short of being able to make the fight for second place a three-horse race.

“They are a good side and that’s why they are up there,” Warnock explained.

“Ipswich Valley Rangers aside, who have struggled this season, I don’t think there are any easy games in Division One. Benhall are probably top of the division because they have Kelsey Trotter who has scored 40-plus goals. The other teams do not have that. They have also a number of other good players such as Chris Sillett, Chris Wright and Seb Miller.”