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NEWS Sunday 5th August 2018, 4:30pm
Edinburgh Monarchs
It's all heating up in the race for the Play Offs, with 8 teams out of 11 in with a chance of taking one of the top 4 places - it's the closest it has ever been! With the cut-off date of Sunday 16th September looming, we've got the lowdown on what needs to happen to see the Monarchs through.
In order of current Championship standings.
Peterborough
Peterborough are currently sitting top of the league with one home and two away matches to complete. They're very likely to clinch a spot regardless of if they pick up any more points but victory at home should be enough. They've suffered a blow after their number 1 Scott Nicholls suffered an ankle injury guesting at Glasgow last night. He's hoping to return before the end of the season but will miss at least the next match.
Still to race:
Glasgow
Glasgow are sitting in second place just now having given themselves a chance to qualify by turning around their match against Ipswich last night. However, they must win their last home match against the Monarchs and pick up points in their remaining away matches to boost their chances.
Still to race:
Edinburgh
There's a good bit of work still to do for the Staggs Bar Monarchs. Victories in the remaining two home matches are a must and picking anything up at Glasgow would be a bonus. Points gained at Sheffield and Workington in the past few weeks have helped but nothing is certain yet. With a strong points difference over others, this will help in the event of a tie.
Still to race:
Lakeside
Lakeside have recently been rocked by the sudden announcement that their home stadium will close at the end of the season. However not only that, they've been unable to agree enough dates with their landlord to complete their Championship fixtures. They now face running all but one of their remaining fixtures at Rye House. With three home matches still to run, they are in a commanding position to finish high up the table but may concede some of their home advantage on the move to Rye House.
Still to race:
Ipswich
Ipswich went into last night's match at Glasgow knowing they had to leave with as many points as possible. Although they were in a commanding position throughout the match, they fell at the final hurdle and left with only a consolation Championship point. They're still in with a chance if they win their remaining home matches, but it's out of their hands after that.
Still to race:
Berwick
With all their home league matches complete, Berwick face a tough route to qualification. They must pick up big points at their remaining three away matches, but with no away wins on the board this season so far, they'll have their work cut out.
Still to race:
Workington
Although currently sitting in 7th position, Workington find themselves in a strong position to take a top 4 place - if they can race their fixtures. The Comets still have four home fixtures to complete but only three of them are currently scheduled before the cut-off. Three victories should be enough to see them through but the challenge may lie in ensuring these matches are completed.
Still to race:
Newcastle
It's still mathematically possible for Newcastle to take a top 4 spot, though relatively unlikely. As things stand, the Diamonds would need to win all their remaining fixtures and take all available Championship points.
Still to race:
The Others
Scunthorpe, Redcar and Sheffield currently languish in the lower 3 positions of the table and can no longer qualify.
The situation remains very fluid with many matches to be completed, including some big matches with Play Off rivals going up against each other. As things stand, if every team wins their remaining home matches and no team picks up any points away from home then the Monarchs will qualify. No further away points being gained is probably an unlikely outcome so it really is all to play for.
The Monarchs two upcoming home matches are absolutely massive.
One of the biggest concerns for every single one of the teams in contention is the weather. Just a single rain off in the days leading up to the cut-off date could play a massive role in how the cards lie at the end of the night on September 16th.
There's no doubt this is going to be one of the most exciting conclusions to the SGB Championship in years - make sure you're a part of it!
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