ROYSTON Town s seven remaining games have been described as cup finals by manager Paul Attfield. With just over five weeks of The Crows season to go, the South Midlands Division One promotion race is tighter than ever, with six teams battling it out f

ROYSTON Town's seven remaining games have been described as "cup finals" by manager Paul Attfield.

With just over five weeks of The Crows' season to go, the South Midlands Division One promotion race is tighter than ever, with six teams battling it out for the two promotion places.

Hoddesdon Town lead the table on goal difference, after their midweek win at Harpenden lifted them above Kentish Town and Royston.

Close behind, Haringey Borough are also in hot pursuit, having stretched their unbeaten run to six league games.

Attfield's side continued to impress on Saturday with a comfortable 4-0 win against Brache Sparta. However, after taking just two points from their previous three games, and suffering their first defeat in 17 matches, The Crows may have to rely on their rivals slipping up in order to secure promotion.

Attfield told The Crow: "We know that if we are to go up, then we cannot afford any more slip-ups. We've dropped a few points lately, and that's been very disappointing, but we were never going to go unbeaten to the end.

"It was going to happen, but what was important was how we bounced back.

"And we certainly did that on Saturday, which was very pleasing. We're still on track, and I've said for a while that those teams around us will also drop points at some stage.

"It's so close at the moment, but all we can do is focus on our own game and continue to do well.

"As a result, we've got to win our remaining games, and I can see no reason why we can't do that. We've now got seven cup finals!"

And the first 'cup final' comes in the shape of a challenging trip to seventh placed Ampthill Town on Saturday, although The Crows will be boosted with the return of captain Allan Reid from suspension, and new signing, striker Ryan Lockett, who has recovered from a leg injury.

Attfield said: "We'll go there at full strength, which is very important at this stage of the season.

"It will be a tough match because they showed when we played them last that they are a talented young side.

"It should be an entertaining game, and I'm confident we can get the result we need."

And in a week that has seen one of Attfield's main rivals, Kentish Town manager Clement Temile, linked with the vacant Nigeria job, Crows fans need not worry about Attfield following suit.

Laughing off the idea of leading Burkina Faso or Angola to World Cup glory, he said: "I don't think so somehow! It's a story that has been doing the rounds for a while now, so who knows? But good luck to him!"

Like his side, Attfield will be fully focused on the remaining fixtures, and by looking at the final run-in, it makes for an interesting read with the top six facing one or another at some point.

Momentum will ultimately prove to be the key, and excluding last week's defeat, that undoubtedly lies with Royston.