THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE - BATTLE TO BEAT THE DROP

(As of 8/1/11)              (As of 5/2/11)           (As of 21/2/11)
                P   GD PTS                  P  GD PTS            P   GD PTS
21 Stockport    23 -23 23    Macc  Town    23 -13 27  Hereford   35 -14 40
22 Lincoln City 20 -14 19    Burton Albion 22 -1  25  Burton Alb 33 - 8 37
-------------------------    -----------------------  --------------------
23 Hereford     22 -17 19    Barnet        28 -18 25  Barnet     37 -21 34      
24 Barnet       23 -18 19    Stockport     29 -35 25  Stockport  38 -44 32

In the fight to avoid relegation from the the football league both Barnet and Stockport County now face uphill battles to climb out of the bottom two. Barnet recorded an excellent win away at Hereford United but followed this up with a disappointing home defeat to Morecambe. Both clubs have failed to win more than one match in a row throughout the league season. It now looks like it will take a miracle for County (with only two wins in seventeen games since the turn of the year) to avoid relegation out of the Football League they have been continuous members of since 1905.

Both teams have played more games than those above them so it's going to be very difficult to avoid dropping into the Blue Square Premier. In effect, Barnet have nine games and Stockport County have eight games to save their season. The Bees have won three, drawn 6 and lost 7 games since the new year. With a few precious wins they could possibly bring Hereford United and the teams (Northampton Town, Macclesfield Town and Morecambe) above them back nearer to the relegation zone.

Since two up and two down was brought in at the end of the 2002/2003 season it has taken an average of 43.63 points for teams to be safe from relegation meaning that teams from Hereford United on 40 points may only possibly need a few more wins to be safe. Burton Albion with 4 and 5 games in hand over the bottom two should win enough games to be safe but the brewer's record of only three wins in their last fourteen games may give the bottom two some hope. Saturday 2nd April sees an important date as Burton Albion welcome Barnet in a massive relegation six-pointer.

Back on the 8th January when the cold end looked at the relegation picture Barnet were 11/10 favourites to be relegated followed by Stockport County and Hereford United on 6/4 which may go to show the bookies hardly ever get it wrong.

THE NEXT FOUR GAMES 
        BARNET            STOCKPORT COUNTY
22/3    Aldershot      
26/3    CHESTERFIELD      SOUTHEND UNITED 
2/4     Burton Albion     Wycombe Wanderers
9/4     CREWE ALEXANDER   STEVENAGE 
16/4    -                 Shrewsbury Town