Pivotal weekend in National League play-off race with Notts County, Grimsby Town, Chesterfield, Dagenham and Redbridge and Boreham Wood in mix

It’s a pivotal weekend in the National League with play-off positions and the title on the line.
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Stockport County can secure top spot and automatic promotion to the Football League with a win at second-placed Wrexham this Sunday. But any other result and the race for the title will rumble on into next week.

Here, we are going to focus on the fight for the play-offs with the Spireites right at the heart of it.

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Halifax and Solihull Moors have already guaranteed a play-off place, so let’s take a look at the other runners and riders...

Chesterfield travel to Torquay on Saturday before finishing at home to Woking.Chesterfield travel to Torquay on Saturday before finishing at home to Woking.
Chesterfield travel to Torquay on Saturday before finishing at home to Woking.

NOTTS COUNTY (5th, 76 points)

The Magpies currently occupy fifth and with a six-point lead over eighth-placed Dagenham and Redbridge, they are nailed on for a top seven finish.

They should get the job done this Saturday when they host Altrincham, before heading to Maidenhead United on the final day.

Notts trail Solihull Moors in fourth by five points so finishing any higher appears to be out of their reach.

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They are three points ahead of sixth-placed Grimsby, so they will be keen to hang on to fifth and secure a home tie in the elimination round.

GRIMSBY TOWN (6th, 73 points)

The Mariners are on the same points as Chesterfield but their form and the fact they have a game in hand makes them look a sure bet for the play-offs as well.

They are the second in-form team in the division over the last six matches and two of their last three fixtures are on home soil.

Paul Hurst’s men could nail down their top seven finish with a win at home to Maidenhead United on Saturday. They then welcome Boreham Wood to Blundell Park, which is their game in hand, before finishing at Eastleigh.

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Grimsby’s game in hand will give them hope of pinching fifth from Notts County and home advantage in the play-offs.

CHESTERFIELD (7th, 73 points)

The Spireites have another opportunity to secure a play-off place this weekend when they visit Torquay United.

A win would be enough to seal a top seven finish as long as other results go their way, which we will come to in a moment.

A draw could also be enough but of course they will be gunning for all three.

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But a defeat would mean it will go down to the last day against Woking, and they might not even be in control of their own destiny.

Given the fixture down in Devon is a 12.30pm kick-off, Chesterfield won’t actually know where they stand until the other games finish at 4.45pm.

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE (8th, 70 points)

The in-form Daggers are Town’s biggest threat, having won four and drawn two of their last six matches, a run which has seen them close the gap on Chesterfield to just three points and they have a better goal difference.

A win for Dagenham at Solihull Moors on Saturday and a defeat for Chesterfield would see them leapfrog the Spireites into seventh with just one game remaining.

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A draw for Dagenham would be enough to keep them in the race as long as Town don’t win at Torquay.

But they are facing a Solihull side who have won three on the bounce and who have eyes on finishing third, with the gap to Halifax just two points.

They then face another tough side at the top in Wrexham, who could still have hopes of winning the title unless they lose to Stockport County this Sunday.

BOREHAM WOOD (9th, 66 points)

They have been well in it, out of it, and now they could be back in it...just.

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They trail Chesterfield by seven points but Luke Garrard’s men still have three games to play.

Boreham have got two tricky away fixtures at Yeovil and then Grimsby before finishing at home to Solihull Moors.

Realistically, they need to win all three and hope Chesterfield and Dagenham both lose their last two matches.

It’s a long shot, but the way this season has twisted and turned, you can’t completely write them off.