Bromley go into their final National League game of the season away at Maidenhead United on Saturday lunchtime looking to win the game and hope that other teams above them slip up to allow them an unlikely spot in the promotion play offs, which begin next week.
The Ravens were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Barrow on Tuesday night and with rivals Ebbsfleet Utd winning 5-2 at Gateshead their chances of making the post season took a heavy blow.
Maidenhead won 1-0 away at Leyton Orient in midweek and manager Alan Devonshire has overseen a creditable first campaign up at this level, with The Magpies picking up 61 points from 45 games, nine points behind Bromley.
Among the Maidenhead squad is striker Moses Emmanuel who is known well to The Ravens fans for his two years at Hayes Lane, where he finished top scorer on both occasions netting 37 goals in total.
Smith may find himself counting the walking wounded ahead of the final league match after a bruising affair against Barrow and Referee David Rock’s lenient interpretation of the current laws of the game.
Tyrone Serling, Brandon Hanlan and Adam Mekki all feeling the full force of heavy challenges from a rugged Barrow side.
Bromley manager Neil Smith has billed this game as a ‘cup final’, knowing that only a win will do for his men to keep hope alive and give them another focus ahead of the FA Trophy Final on 20th May, which is still over three weeks away.
When the two sides met at Hayes Lane in October, Maidenhead ran out 3-2 winners in a dramatic entertaining game and matches between these two sides often seem to be high scoring affairs.
The last time they met at York Road in Conference South the game ended 4-4 on Easter Monday 2015. It would be no surprise if the teams served up another high scoring thriller this time round, with Bromley knowing only a win will do and the pressure off Maidenhead.