Starting with Saturday’s crucial game at Bower Park, there are six games left for Aspatria to save their season in Regional 2 North.
The Black Reds are locked in a three-way relegation battle with Saturday’s opponents, Guisborough, and Durham City.
Aspatria currently have 32 points, with their two rivals both on 33.
The prize for the winners of this six-game micro battle is avoiding the post-season play-off game.
A one-game shoot-out to determine which club follows Wigton back to Level 7, and in Aspatria’s case, the Cumbria League.
Arguably, fellow Cumbrian teams, Upper Eden or Keswick, might be pulled back into the battle, but this seems unlikely.
Indeed, such is the tight midfield of this league, either of those clubs has more chance of getting into the Top 5 and earning a spot in the promotion play-off.
There is nothing between the three teams, and an analysis of remaining fixtures demonstrates that the final run-in offers little comfort to any of the participants.
Plus, close to the end of the season, some very strange results can feature as teams who have little to play for move into ‘holiday’ mode.
But there is no holiday in prospect for Aspatria, Durham City or Guisborough, the fight must and will need to go on to the final day.
It is on that day that the fixture gods must have been laughing.
They have paired Guisborough and DC against each other and handed Aspatria the short ride to Wigton, where, as any supporter of either club knows, you can forget all about league standings as ancient rivalries are reignited.
Aspatria are looking for their biggest crowd of the season at Bower Park on Saturday to provide important backing against Guisborough.
Alistair Sweetin, an exchange referee from Durham will take the game.
A second referee from the Durham Society is also coming over and Louis Dinsdale will be in charge of thew game at Pennine Park between Upper Eden and Percy Park.
The other two Cumbrian sides in Regional 2 North are also at home with Keswick able to do Aspatria a favour at home to Durham City (Simon Barker) while Wigton host Consett (Martin Denvir).
Up in Regional 1 North East there’s the first of two successive derby matches between Penrith and Kendal.
This first League clash is at Winters Park while a week later Mint Bridge will stage the Webb Ellis County Cup semi-final between the same two teams.
Penrith badly need a win to boost morale, particularly in view of their falling league position and two tough derby games in successive weeks might not be perfect for a side battling to avoid a relegation play-off game.
Both have six games left to play with Kendal seven points better off than their rivals, sitting fairly solidly in seventh.
In Counties 1 Cumbria the leaders Carlisle are not playing so good wins by Kirkby Lonsdale and Hawcoat would carry both past them.
Kirkby Lonsdale entertain Penrith 2nds (Johnny Watson) while Hawcoat Park have a visit from Windermere (Dan Shovelton).
The other games are: Keswick 2nds v Egremont (Lee Jones); St Benedict’s v Creighton (Alistair Jones); Whitehaven v Ambleside (Paddy Loughran) and Millom v Cockermouth (Cieran Trainor).
Other Saturday games are: Kendal Ladies v Sheffield Ladies (Danny Airey); Carlisle Under-18s v Tynedale Colts (Martin Maughan); Kirkby Lonsdale Development v Preston Grasshoppers 3rds (George Tressider); Kendal 2nds v Littleborough 2nds (Stewart Mounsey); Upper Eden 2nds v Percy Park 2nds (Mike Pate).
