The Title Tale Heads To Hampshire As BT Braced For Big Day

Who says there's no Super League happening after all?

Just the single point separates the top three - pretty good news then that we’ve got an additional four weeks of league fixtures coming your way this year.

Hartlepool United will begin the weekend on top, now not in action after their match with Weymouth was pushed back until the final day of the season.

Torquay United will leap over both Pools and Sutton United if they get the better of Notts County at 3pm.

But it could be Sutton United who have the final say.

If they win against Eastleigh in the live evening BT Sport match, then the south west Londoners will reclaim the leadership they have held for most of 2021.

How Matt Gray and his team needed the stylish three points that came their way last weekend.

A thumping 4-0 victory at Altrincham sent a loud and clear message and ended a four-game wait for a win.

The memo can be read by the entire country on Saturday tea time and the U’s manager says they are ready for the run-in even if the whole thing is unexpected.

“I’ve said all along that we weren’t really expecting to be in the title race this season,” Gray explained.

“I thought with the form that we had in the second half of last season that we would be able to put together a play-off push, but we managed to start well and kept it going.

“We’ve seen before that clubs can go against the odds and win the division.

“When you look at Barrow last season and then you remember Macclesfield a few years before, then it shows some of the unfancied teams if you like can surprise everyone.

“We’ve had a great team spirit and we’ve been so well organised.

“We have a way of playing that helps get us results and it’s been an incredible year so far.”

Both Sutton’s manager and his Eastleigh counterpart haven’t just had the football to focus on in recent weeks.

Gray and assistant Jason Goodliffe have both put pen to paper on extensions to their current contracts.

The duo have overseen a remarkable season at Gander Green Lane this season to keep the club into contention for a first ever promotion into the EFL.

But Ben Strevens has also committed his future to the Spitfires after an encouraging campaign which has seen the club now narrow the gap to the play-off places to just two points.

It’s always the latecomer you have to watch out for, and the ex-midfield general feels the future is bright whatever happens.

He called the 1-0 win at Notts County which really made their season interesting “a superb performance from front to back”.

Strevens says he knows how demanding Saturday’s game with the title chasers will be but knows his side can rise to the occasion.

His new deal certainly means Eastleigh are in safe hands for the next few years.

“We’ve been speaking for a few weeks about everything so it’s good to get it all agreed,” he told the club’s website.

"It’s not been a case of me wanting to stay or not, but more that we’ve all been speaking about the plan for the club moving forward.

"We’re all happy with the outcome and now there is lots more hard work ahead."

Spitfires director of football Mick Budny added: "Ben has absolutely bought into the club’s ethos of developing and recruiting energetic, talented young players whilst maintaining a solid spine of experience within the squad."

PHOTOS BY GRAHAM SCAMBLER, PAUL LOUGHLIN & THOM LANG