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Plainmoor: Torquay are aiming for promotion

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Shots and Gulls eye top spot

Aldershot (10/11 for promotion) continue to set the pace with a four-point lead over Torquay (8/13), who beat Farsley Celtic 2-1 on Wednesday night. The Gulls have a game in hand on Aldershot.

Gary Waddock's top Shots are second favourites and, like the Gulls, are also odds on for promotion. So is it a two-horse race?

I certainly don't think this is the case. It's probably a six-horse race when you look at it realistically. But I'd be surprised if one of these two sides doesn't end up with an automatic spot. For the other team though they'll go into the exciting, if unpredictable, four-team play-offs with such a big prize at the end of it - the second promotion spot to the Football League. There are weaknesses in both Aldershot and Torquay and at the end of the day it could still be one of the other teams who are chasing.

I went for Forest Green Rovers (15/2 for promotion) each way at the beginning of the season. They've done well and I think Rovers and Burton Albion (9/2) will be play-off contenders at best, and you've got to look at the likes of Stevenage (7/4) and Cambridge (4/1) as the other runners.

So what about the bottom? Amazingly Northwich have now won two matches and are back in touch with the other sides at the foot of the table. The Vics beat Oxford last week to move level on points with Droylsden (1/7 for relegation) and Stafford (1/5). Then there's a five-point gap to Altrincham (8/11). Farsley (4/5) are currently out of the drop zone but are only two points ahead of the Robins while Weymouth (8/1), Halifax (12/1), Rushden (16/1) and Crawley (9/1) have a bit of a cushion. So how do I see the fight for survival?

I actually think Farsley are going to come right back into the relegation dogfight so it's just a question of which of these bottom teams can pick up some points. My heart says Altrincham and you never know, I don't think they're playing too badly and feel that they can stay up. I must admit, the recent results for Northwich have been a bit of a surprise and if one of those teams goes on a run they could get out of it. But realistically it's four from five. I think the bottom four will come from those bottom five teams - Northwich, Droylsden, Stafford, Altrincham and Farsley - and it's a question of which team can find some form and beat the drop.