The final push for Chesterfield and their League Two rivals - talking points

I say eight, but Bromley have already won automatic promotion and will surely have MK Dons for company in League One come August.

That leaves, in descending order, Salford (80pts), Cambridge (78pts), Notts County (76), Swindon (75), Grimsby (74), the Spireites (73) and Barnet (70) to fight it out for the other prizes over the remaining two weekends.

For Chesterfield the equation is simple.

Beat Crewe at the SMH tomorrow and Swindon away next week and they’ll be in the play-offs for a second year on the spin.

It won’t be straight-forward, it rarely is. Should they get seventh spot it would put them into a potentially harder semi-final against the side that finishes fourth, but who will that be. Could it be a Cambridge, who might be a little deflated having long had designs on automatic, or a side on a resurgence like Grimsby or Salford are at the moment.

That’s getting ahead of ourselves. There’s lots of football to be played before then.

FINAL GAMES

Of the play-off contenders taking it from Salford downwards, Notts County would seem to have the easiest on paper.

That’s based purely on the fact that their final two games are against mid-table sides in Colchester and improving Bristol Rovers.

All the other contenders all have at least one of their final two matches against teams with something to scrap for either near the top or at the bottom.

This weekend Cambridge play Barrow, who are desperate for survival points. Grimsby and Swindon have a “six-pointer” at lunchtime while Barnet really need to beat an average Gillingham side if they’ve any hopes of sneaking in.

Remaining fixtures:

Salford: Crawley A

Cambridge Utd: Barrow H, Crewe A

Notts County: Colchester A, Bristol Rovers H

Swindon: Grimsby A, Chesterfield H

Grimsby: Swindon H, Tranmere A

Chesterfield: Crewe H, Swindon A

Barnet: Gillingham H, Harrogate A

FORM

Chesterfield, of course, are in their best run of form of the season, unbeaten in six.

Barnet are in even better nick, winning five of the last six and drawing the other to get themselves into the play-off conversation.

Grimsby have won four of their last five and Salford have also hit the straps at the right time. They upset Bromley last night to leapfrog Cambridge into top three.

The other contenders in and around it have been steady rather than spectacular of late.

Notts County’s back-to-back losses will be a concern for now and it is a surprise that Cambridge have dropped off the pace, winning only one of their last six.

Both are good enough to put two W’s in the “won” column over the next week.

Last six games:

Salford WWLDWW

Cambridge LDDWDL

Notts County LWLWLL

Swindon WDDWLD

Grimsby LWWLWW

Chesterfield WWDWD

Barnet WWDWWW

FOOTNOTE

The best way to go up is via Wembley, but it doesn’t half take some extra stress and energy to get there.

This season is already a success for the Spireites in that they’ve surpassed last season’s tally of 70 points.

A total of 78 was good enough for automatic promotion for Bradford last year. This time it will be worth just a ticket to the play-offs.

Last word to Chesterfield manager Paul Cook: “I have always been a manager that believes the league table tells no lies at the end of the season. You finish where you deserve.

"People can write stories, or not write stories, but none of us know what’s going to happen.”