Stratford Athletic have avoided relegation. Highams Park Rangers and Newham Pirates have folded, which means that their remaining fixtures have been converted to automatic wins.
Manager Mike Earll has spoken of his delight at keeping Stratford away from the relegation zone in his first season in charge. The Reds, who never looked likely candidates for the drop, are nine points away from the automatic promotion slots in fourth place.
"I'm so proud," said Earll. "It's just another step on the road to cementing my legacy at the club."
The squad from the weekend was as follows: Deacon; P. Stanley, Wall, Hope, Gallie; Kelly, Wachowski (Shannon), Greening (C), Kirby; Bishop; Bocking
Assistant manager Will Winthrop made a surprise appearance on the bench after missing seven months of football. Rumours are circulating that he may be in line for a short cameo in the coming weeks.
In the short interview conducted with the gaffer during the week, he also admitted that he doesn't read the newspapers after a loss. He said: "I never read the reports after we lose, it's too hard to take." Athletic have won nine and lost only five of their 18 league matches this year.
This weekend the lads travel away to Delta Athletic, who lost 5-1 to Stratford in January. Earll was overjoyed by his side's display on that day but admits they will need to improve on their last performance if they want to repeat the strong victory.
"We need to bounce back after Sunday," he said. "We had a lot of squad members missing from the last game so I expect a better performance this weekend."
"There were players who under-performed but also some who impressed me. We missed a lot of easy chances and can't let that happen again."
The last four matches of the season will decide the Reds' fate, and good results could see them secure fifth place with ease.
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