Hornets will watch season finale at home
Horsham will have the luxury of watching the final week of the season and gripping playoff battle unfold while they put their feet up.
Due to Thamesmead Town folding this season, the Hornets will not have a game on the final day of the Bostik League South East season.
They were due to play the former Dartford-based outfit on September 27, but with that fixture now cancelled, their final game will be in Guernsey on Easter Monday.
That will mean in a rare turn of events, Horsham can watch the final week of the play-off race unfold knowing they have done all they can.
With six games left to play, they sit second in the league.
Of those that make up the current play-off standings, they are one point ahead of Ashford United, two ahead of Hastings United and three ahead of Haywards Heath Town.
It now looks like a closed race with sixth-placed Hythe Town having to make up 11 points on Haywards Heath.
Dominic Di Paola’s side host third-placed Ashford United on Saturday and the manager is still stressing to his side to keep their feet firmly on the ground.
He said: “It’s Ashford this coming Saturday and I have said it a hundred times this season, there is no easy game. We have just got to keep going.
“If I am honest, I do not even know how many points we are on. It’s all at the back of my mind and the focus is on each game and not getting too excited. If you start thinking about the end before you get there, you can end up not achieving what you should achieve. “We do not have a game on the final Saturday as we were due to play Thamesmead, so it could go down to the wire and we could not end up knowing the play-off outcome until that final Saturday. “It’s different. We play on the Monday and then have no game and do not play when everyone else has their last game of the season. It’s a bit odd, but just the way the fixtures have fallen. “You can swing that whichever way you want; it might be nice to have a little break if we are in the play-offs, have a bit of a breather and be a bit fresher maybe.” Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, Di Paola has agreed that they have over achieved this season. There has been no public aim from the club this season, the focus was very much getting into their new home at Hop Oast. And while the estimated New Year moving in has been delayed until next season, the somewhat surprise achievements on the pitch have quelled any disappointment.
That has been accomplished by one of the strongest teams the club have had for many years, and while Di Paola recognised this, he believes they are still punching above their weight.
The manager explained: “We have got to be happy with what we have done this year. We have gone really well. I do think we have over-achieved a little bit, yes, although others may disagree.
“We have had a good team, but we have no revenue stream at all. With the ground delay and problems with training, I think we really have.
“It’s been a good thing that we have been able to play without any pressure. No one person from the club has spoken to us about promotion, there has been no pressure at all which has been quite nice. Yes, the fans get a bit excited but that’s understandable as the club is their baby.
“There have been a lot of complications as well. We lost Daryl Coleman early in the season to bigger money, Will Hoare left and Charlie Harris has got injured – they were our starting midfield three and we have lost all three.
“But we carried on getting results and I think for a lot of teams, that would have effect their results. We have done lots of good things and I have really, really enjoyed it.”
Injury wise, Lewis Hyde is not far away from fitness and could return to match action against Ashford.
Will Miles is a couple of weeks away from a return with his hamstring injury, while Dean Pearse has two games left of his suspension to serve.