Let clubs fight for their place in leagues – Shildon boss

SHILDON chairman David Dent has called on the Football Association to give step five and six clubs a chance to secure promotion “on merit, not through a mathematical calculation”.

With the curtailment of the 2020/21 season still awaiting ratification from the governing body, thoughts are turning towards the delayed restructure of the non-league system.

The Railwaymen were one of the clubs that looked set to secure promotion into step four as they were sat in the top three of the Northern League’s top tier when the Covid-19 epidemic brought an early end to last season.

However, the FA chose to null and void all results throughout the campaign and opted to postpone their planned restructure for 12 months.

Despite a second consecutive season being brought to a premature end, talks over how and when to implement the restructure and introduce a new division into step four.

There has speculation that below step four could be asked to apply for promotion ahead of a hectic summer – but Shildon chairman Dent believes that delaying the restructure and allowing clubs to fight for promotion over an entire season is the only way forwards.

He told The Sunday Sun: “It would be very difficult to see how any restructure would take place this year because of the null and void decision taken this time last year.

“This season has been curtailed, and it’s now very difficult to see how any promotion or relegation could take place after that decision was taken.

“Look, we are ambitious as a club, we want to get promotion and if it were offered to us this summer, we would accept it – but there would have to be significant waivers in that.

“Our revenue has taken a severe hit; we would need extra time to cover the cost and carry out the necessary ground improvements to meet the relevant criteria. But the way I see it, we will hopefully have a full season next season and that will allow clubs to be promoted based on merit, not through a mathematical calculation.”

Shildon released a statement earlier this year suggesting that the current season should be put on hold and restarted from its current point in August.

The idea received support from a number of sources – but Dent believes that “the ship has sailed” and is now preparing for a new season to start later in the summer.

He said: “I still believe that would have provided the nonleague game with a suitable way of moving on from the last 12 months.”

MORECAMBE are up to fourth place in League Two after brushing aside out-of-form Carlisle 3-1. Aaron Wildig, Toumani Diagouraga and Cole Stockton scored before Aaron Hayden’s consolation.

Cheltenham held off a late fightback from struggling Port Vale to remain a point clear of last-gasp winners Cambridge at the top of Sky Bet League Two.

Alfie May’s 14th-minute opener and an own goal from former Town goalkeeper Scott Brown soon after set Cheltenham on their way to fifth win in their last six games.

Liam Sercombe added a third goal in the second half but Vale made the Robins sweat with two goals in the final seven minutes through Will Swan and Alex Hurst.

Cheltenham remain narrowly clear of Cambridge, who were indebted to a brilliant 90th-minute winner from League Two’s leading scorer Paul Mullin – his 23rd of the season – to secure a 1-0 win over Walsall.

That goal meant Forest Green missed the chance to climb above Cambridge into second place with their 2-1 win at rock-bottom Grimsby.

Jamille Matt’s penalty put Rovers ahead and although James Hanson drew the Mariners level before the break, Ebou Adams – who was sent off against Colchester last weekend but saw his red card overturned – netted a second-half winner for the visitors.

Tranmere drop to fifth after losing 1-0 at home to Crawley, for whom Tom Nichols struck a second-half winner.

Newport climbed into the top six after beating 10-man Colchester 2-0 to record only their third win in 16 league matches. Joss Labadie put the Exiles ahead and, soon after Frank Nouble was dismissed for Colchester in the 76th minute, Padraig Amond wrapped things up.

The battle between the division’s most in-form sides – both teams having won seven of their previous eight league matches – almost inevitably ended in a draw as Bolton and Bradford shared a 1-1 scoreline.

In a dramatic finish, Nathan Delfouneso put visitors Bolton ahead with seven minutes to go but Danny Rowe levelled in stoppage time.

Salford and Scunthorpe also drew 1-1, Tom Clarke’s opener being cancelled out by Abo Eisa’s penalty.

Matt Jay’s hat-trick – the first of his career – after Joel Randall’s opener saw Exeter thrash managerless Leyton Orient 4-0 in the day’s early kickoff.

At the other end of the table, Barrow made the most of Mansfield defender Ryan Sweeney’s 63rd-minute sending-off as Patrick Brough scored twice in quick succession in the final 15 minutes to secure a 2-0 win.

The Bluebirds, who had lost six of their previous seven games, are now out of the bottom two, moving above Southend, who drew 0-0 at Oldham.