With the English football season reaching the latter stages, there is still plenty to be decided in leagues up and down the country. In some leagues, many issues are almost decided, even if they are not mathematically certain.
However, there is still plenty left to be decided in the non-league game. One of the most interesting issues is in the National League South, where the race for promotion is hotting up.
Not much between the top teams in the league
With only one automatic promotion spot up for grabs, there is very little to choose from in the race for promotion to the National League. In fact, with just five league games left in the regular season, there are only five points between top-of-the-table Worthing and fifth-place Eastbourne Borough.
Maybe even more importantly, the teams in second, third, and fourth place, respectively, Dorking Wanderers, Truro City, and Torquay United, are only three points behind the league leaders.
The situation means that literally any of the top five teams in the league could end up finishing top and clinching the one automatic promotion spot. It makes for a thrilling end to the campaign.
Every top-five team will be looking to avoid the play-offs
Every team challenging at the top of the table will be hoping to avoid the play-offs, as it is a massive lottery. With the teams that finish from second to seventh qualifying for the play-offs, a team that has not been great and snuck into the play-offs could win promotion.
Meanwhile, a team that has excelled throughout the campaign and narrowly missed out on promotion could miss out for another season.
Realistically, any of the teams in the top eight of the National League South table could end up in the play-offs this season. That eight includes leaders Worthing and eighth-place Weston-Super-Mare.
Just four days until our league campaign continues at home to Maidstone United 💪
📷 Ade Threasher pic.twitter.com/Pyq02ukZ76
— Weston-super-Mare AFC (@WSM_AFCOfficial) April 1, 2025
The latter are currently two points behind Boreham Wood, who occupy the last play-off spot in the division. Clubs slightly lower down the table, such as Hemel Hempstead and Tonbridge Angels, are not mathematically out of the race for the play-offs.
However, in reality, it would take a lot of results to go their way in order for either team to produce a top-seven finish.
This weekend we could have some clarity on the fight for promotion as league leaders Worthing host third-place Truro City at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium in a massive encounter.
A home win could prove highly significant in the race for the top spot. However, an away victory would open things up even further. A draw could be a good result for the chasing pack, as some of the teams have more winnable fixtures this weekend.
Second-place Dorking Wanderers visit relegation-threatened St. Albans, while Torquay United host midtable Chesham. The visitors have very little to play for, as they are currently 15th place in the table.
Elsewhere, this weekend, eighth-place Weston-Super-Mare welcomes sixth Maidstone United to the Optima Stadium. A home victory would boost Weston-Super-Mare’s chances of grabbing one of those all-important play-offs spots.
While the teams in the top five would obviously all still prefer to go up automatically, in their current position, finishing in the play-off spots would be a result for Weston-Super-Mare.
The fight for promotion could go down to the wire
Considering the current situation in the National League South, the race for automatic promotion to the National League could well go down to the final weeks of the season.
With some big games being played at the top of the table this weekend, we may have a clearer picture of the fight for automatic promotion and even the battle for the last play-off berth this season.
However, no matter what this weekend’s game brings, there is still time for some more twists and turns in what has been a fascinating fight for promotion to the fifth tier of the English game.