Our predictions on who will make the play-offs: Read Jon Dunham and Mark Lea's verdicts
It's the final countdown in the race for the Blue Square Premier play-offs.
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With around a quarter of the season to go, Rushden & Diamonds and
Kettering Town are both pushing for a top-five finish.
Justin Edinburgh's in-form side – back home this afternoon against Gateshead – are full of confidence for the run-in which features matches against several of their close rivals.
Lee Harper's team, of course, are not even guaranteed a spot in the end-of-season competition as the Poppies would be ineligible for a Football League place due to the lack of a long-term lease at Rockingham Road.
However they would appear to have a better run of fixtures than many of the other contenders following today's trip to title-chasing Oxford United.
The A6 rivals meet again in Kettering on Tuesday, March 30 – the same night as Oxford's big game away to current leaders Stevenage Borough who are also going for glory in the FA Carlsberg Trophy.
Diamonds face a final-day visit from Luton Town plus a home game against Oxford and away matches with AFC Wimbledon and Mansfield Town.
Here is the full fixture list for the
top eight teams – and our predictions over the champions, who will finish
in the play-offs and those set to miss out.
Let us know if you think they're right by clicking here or posting a comment on the site
Today: AFC Wimbledon v Eastbourne,
Altrincham v York, Luton v Wrexham, Mansfield v Tamworth, Oxford v Kettering, Rushden &
Diamonds v Gateshead.
Tuesday: Altrincham v Kettering, Luton v Kidderminster, Mansfield v York, Stevenage v Histon.
March 20: Altrincham v Rushden & Diamonds, Ebbsfleet v Luton, Histon v Mansfield, Kettering v Forest Green, York v AFC Wimbledon.
March 21: Tamworth v Oxford.
March 23: AFC Wimbledon v Barrow, Grays v Stevenage, Kidderminster v York, Mansfield v Altrincham.
March 24: Rushden & Diamonds v Oxford.
March 27: AFC Wimbledon v Rushden & Diamonds, Crawley v Stevenage, Kettering v Mansfield, Luton v Hayes & Yeading, Oxford v Gateshead, York v Tamworth.
March 30: AFC Wimbledon v Wrexham, Grays v York, Kettering v Rushden & Diamonds, Luton v Salisbury, Stevenage v Oxford.
April 2: Hayes & Yeading v Oxford, Rushden & Diamonds v Crawley.
April 3: Grays v Kettering, Histon v AFC Wimbledon, Mansfield v Wrexham, Stevenage v Luton.
April 5: AFC Wimbledon v Stevenage,
Cambridge v Mansfield, Kettering v Histon,
Kidderminster v Rushden & Diamonds, Luton v Grays, Oxford v Salisbury, York v Altrincham.
April 10: Altrincham v Oxford, Eastbourne v York, Mansfield v AFC Wimbledon, Rushden & Diamonds v Ebbsfleet, Stevenage v Forest Green, Tamworth v Luton.
April 13: AFC Wimbledon v Grays, Luton v Histon, Mansfield v Rushden & Diamonds,
Oxford v Cambridge, York v Barrow.
April 14: Altrincham v Stevenage.
April 17: Kettering v Eastbourne, Kidderminster v Stevenage, Luton v Altrincham, Oxford v
Mansfield, Wrexham v Rushden & Diamonds, York v Grays.
April 20: AFC Wimbledon v Tamworth,
Kettering v Crawley, Oxford v Wrexham.
April 24: Eastbourne v Oxford, Gateshead v AFC Wimbledon, Mansfield v Kidderminster, Rushden & Diamonds v Luton, Salisbury v
Kettering, Stevenage v York.
Predictions
Mark Lea – 1st Oxford, 2nd Luton, 3rd
Stevenage, 4th Rushden & Diamonds, 5th
Kettering.
Jon Dunham – 1st Stevenage, 2nd Oxford, 3rd Rushden & Diamonds, 4th Luton, 5th
Kettering.
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Weather for Kettering
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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