By Nathan Jackson
March 12 2007

With just 54 days of the season left to go, we take a look at the current top 10 sides and analyse their promotion chances. There are still some major issues to be resolved in this division, and even those teams currently in the playoffs can't be assured of making the Top 7 on May 5th.

CURRENT POSITION : 1st

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 3RD

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Stockport County (Away) - 17th March

Darlington (Away) - 25th March

Wycombe (Away) - 14th April

Hartlepool have really come into their own in recent months having not lost since a surprise home defeat to Barnet on November 4th, 17 wins and 3 draws since then has seen them become many people's favourites for the title. In this current run they've completed a double over Swindon, comfortably beat Walsall 3-1, secured a 1-0 victory over MK Dons and most recently got a 1-1 draw against Lincoln, you certainly can't accuse them of having a lot of easy games to contend with.

With just 9 games to go they are a full 10 points ahead of 3rd place and combine that with a relatively "easy" run-in, Hartlepool must be favourites to finish top of the division and re-take their place in League One next season. Only a blip similar to the one that cost them the title a few years back would cost them automatic promotion now.

CURRENT POSITION : 2nd

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 6TH

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Wycombe (Away) - 17th March

MK Dons (Away) - 25th March

Swindon (Away) - 5th May

After stumbling quite recently, the Saddlers are back on course for automatic promotion and having not been out of the Top 3 since the second week of the season, you would arguably say automatic promotion would be well deserved. However, despite having a reasonably comfortable 7 point gap down to 4th place, they can ill-afford to relax yet with a tough run in that sees them face 3 of the current top 10, as well as a few sides who still believe they could finish in the playoff places.

Walsall's promotion bid could come down to the final day trip to Swindon, not exactly the first choice of any team to go if you're aiming for automatic promotion. I still think that Walsall won't gain automatic promotion but they'll push it really close.

CURRENT POSITION : 3RD

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 1ST

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Lincoln (Away) - 25th March

Shrewsbury (Home) - 31st March

Walsall (Home) - 5th May

 

Swindon are another club that have been in the right area all season, very rarely spending time outside of the Top 4 and had it not been for a blip in the September/October region of the season, then they would more than likely be top at the minute. Ever since Paul Sturrock took over after the departure of Dennis Wise, the Robins have looked dangerous but their record against the current Top 7 in that time is awful, prime example being a 3-0 defeat at Stockport just over a week ago.

Swindon should still easily achieve automatic promotion but they will have to do it the difficult way as they have a less than easy run in. What will probably win them promotion is their home form, and given that they still have to face 2 of the current top 10 at home, they could easily damage the chances of those around them.

CURRENT POSITION : 4th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 7th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Swindon (Home) - 25th March

Stockport (Home) - 7th April

Darlington (Away) - 9th April

At the end of October it appeared the City would walk away with the division following an impressive opening to the season. A victory away at Swindon saw the Imps go top of the table but since then City have struggled to keep form at a regular rate, winning just 3 games so far in 2007. City will certainly have to improve in the final 9 games of the season to stand a chance of automatic promotion.

Their record against the top sides is excellent, only losing to MK Dons and Stockport, whilst securing a double over 7th placed Wycombe, as well as 4 points against both of the current top 2. City also have a chance to capture another double when they entertain Swindon next Sunday.

With arguably the "easiest" run in out of the top 10, you'd expect the Imps to maintain a push for automatic promotion with the bank holiday weekend more than likely deciding our fate.

CURRENT POSITION : 5th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 4th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Walsall (Home) - 25th March

Shrewsbury (Away) - 9th April

Darlington (Home) - 14th April

Stockport (Away) - 21st April

Wycombe (Away) - 28th April

MK Dons have a tough testing period ahead of them if they want to maintain a push for automatic promotion, with most of their remaining games coming against fellow promotion hopefuls. MK Dons seem to be struggling to keep up with the pace of late, wasting several great opportunities to make a move on the Top 3, quite possibly because they rely on regular absentee Izale McLeod too much.

Given their run in, I think an automatic promotion place is beyond the Dons, although if they inevitably finish in the playoff positions, they will arguably be the favourites to go up at Wembley (if it's played there.

CURRENT POSITION : 6th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 12th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Hartlepool (Home) - 17th March

Lincoln (Away) - 7th April

MK Dons (Home) - 21st April

Darlington (Away) - 5th May

For most of the season Stockport were a midtable side that were nervously looking over their shoulder at a relegation battle, then a complete fluke of a record breaking run has seen them climb into the automatic promotion race at a pace. It's hard to ignore a run that has seen them come out of no-where to the brink of promotion, especially considering they're one of the best sides that the Imps have faced this season.

Other than the games above, Stockport have a run in that, on paper, they should get through without a problem, but those 4 games above could see them have to settle for a playoff place.

CURRENT POSITION : 7th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 20th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Walsall (Home) - 17th March

Peterborough (Away) - 31st March

Shrewsbury (Home) - 7th April

Hartlepool (Home) - 14th April

Darlington (Away) - 21st April

MK Dons (Home) - 28th April

Look at that for an incredibly tough run in, you wouldn't want that at any time of the season but especially not when you're barely hanging onto the last playoff place. Wycombe's form in recent months has been so inconsistent that they've turned an automatic promotion challenge into a struggle to even finish in the playoffs.

The one saving grace for Wycombe is that most of their games against promotion contenders are at home. City are currently the only side to win away at Adams Park, it's amazing to think that the 3 goals that City scored that day equates to 33% of the home goals they've conceded in the League. If they are to make the playoffs then they will have to have similar home form the rest of the season, although you wouldn't bet on it.

CURRENT POSITION : 8th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 11th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Hartlepool (Home) - 25th March

Lincoln (Home) - 9th April

MK Dons (Away) - 14th April

Wycombe (Home) - 21st April

Stockport (Home) - 5th May

Darlington have had an up and down season to say the least, a true sign of their inconsistency being that they lost 5-0 at home to Rochdale, only to beat Lincoln a few weeks later just after the Imps had beat Rochdale 7-1. Darlington have come into a bit of good form recently though and man-for-man have a much better equiped side for a late push for the final playoff place than Wycombe do.

Darlo's key to getting a playoff place will be that 4 of the above games are at home, although you get a feeling that they will go into the final day against Stockport needing something to secure a playoff place.

CURRENT POSITION : 9th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 10th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Shrewsbury (Away) - 16th March

Wycombe (Home) - 31st March

The Posh have had a mixed season, challenging at the right end to then looking nervously over their shoulders, to again look at a promotion chase. It makes you wonder just where Peterborough would be if they hadn't gone on a mid-season record breaking losing run. Out of all of the top 10, they arguably have the easiest run-in as they face several teams struggling against relegation. However, they are still fairly inconsistent and their bad form will more than likely cost them when it comes down to making the playoffs.

CURRENT POSITION : 10th

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION : 5th

GAMES AGAINST TOP 10 REMAINING

Peterborough (Home) - 16th March

Swindon (Away) - 31st March

Wycombe (Away) - 7th April

MK Dons (Home) - 9th April

Despite being 8 points off the playoffs, Shrewsbury will still heavily fancy their chances of snatching 7th place after having several games called off. Infact, they have played at least 3 games less than all the teams above them, with 4 games in hand over both Darlington and Peterborough. It could be this which proves the key to Shrewsbury taking a playoff place, especially as they haven't been beaten since Boxing Day.

However, with so many games in such a short space of time, the players will get extremely tired and I think this will inevitably cost them a chance at the playoffs.