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Easter Weekend's Blue Square South Preview

AFC Wimbledon will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table when they entertain Basingstoke on Good Friday.

The Blue Square South leaders are currently three points ahead of second-placed Hampton & Richmond and know that they must keep winning if they are to achieve their goal of winning the title.

Dons youngster Chris Hussey is determined not to allow the situation to get to him as he goes in search of league honors for the first time in his short career.

He told the South London Press: "It's a really exciting time and you go into football to be in these kinds of situations.

"The chance to win a league so early in my career is a great thing. Plenty of players will go through their whole careers without achieving something like this, so you have to make sure you seize the opportunity when it presents itself.

"I know I'm only young and the senior players have been helping us out, but the truth is I don't really think about the pressure very much. It doesn't really affect me."

A victory for the Dons would see them move on to 83 points with three matches left in the campaign.

Chelmsford can move a step closer to securing a play-off place when they play host to St Albans.

City manager Jeff King is not getting carried away at this point, but knows a play-off place is within their sights now.

He told This Is Total Essex: "Although no one is getting carried away I think we are back on song as we should be. The team spirit is back and certainly the confidence is too.

"We've gone back to basics really and it's paying off. You can see too the players have their confidence back.

"But we'll take each game as it comes and carry on as we have in the past couple of league games because we're not home and dry, I reckon we need a win and a draw and I think we'll do it."

King is expected to go into the clash with an unchanged lineup.

St Albans are currently stuck in mid-table and will be playing for pride more than anything else.

Thurrock will view their trip to Welling United on Friday as a must-win fixture if they are to avoid the drop.

The Fleet are currently five points adrift of safety and are in desperate need of a three-point haul.

However, the Wings will not be in a charitable mood as they are looking to finish the season as high up the table as possible.

Welling can still mathematically reach the play-offs, but it is a tall order given that they are currently 12 points behind fifth-placed Chelmsford.

Dorchester will be aiming to move further away from the relegation zone when they clash with Newport County on Saturday afternoon.

However, they will have to go about that task without defender Gary Bowles who has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

Assistant-manager Ashley Vickers told the Dorset Echo: "Newport are a good side with a good manager who I respect very highly. Dean Holdsworth was good enough to let me go to Dorchester and I'm very appreciative of that so we had a gentleman's agreement in place whereby I wouldn't play.

"With Bowlesy getting injured on Tuesday night though Roy O'Brien and myself did contact Dean but it's understandable that he'd still prefer I didn't play in the game.

"I think Bowlesy will be out until the end of the season now. It was a heck of a tackle and he's strained the lateral ligament in his knee, but there's no cruciate damage, which is lucky."

Mitchell Nicholson is available for selection for the Magpies, but Ivan Forbes will miss the clash.

County have no worries going into the clash as they sit comfortably in mid-table.

Maidenhead United have the chance to close the gap on the play-off places when Bognor Regis Town come to town.

The Magpies are eight points off the play-off places and if results go their way they could move to within five points this weekend.

Johnson Hippolyte's team will be confident going into the clash, but Bognor could prove to be plucky opponents as they will have something to prove following their relegation from the league.

The Rocks will not want to finish bottom of the table and will view this clash as vital in their quest to finish in 21st place.

Hampton & Richmond could move joint-top of the table if they are able to overcome Braintree Town on Saturday afternoon.

The Beavers will be looking to put their midweek defeat to Chelmsford behind them as they start their final push for the title.

The Irons find themselves in mid-table safety, but they will be looking to boost their confidence with a victory over their high-flying opposition.

Weekend's Fixtures In Full:

Friday

AFC Wimbledon v Basingstoke

Chelmsford v St Albans

Eastleigh v Bromley (12.30)

Welling United v Thurrock

Saturday

Bishops Stortford v Hayes & Yeading

Dorchester v Newport County

Hampton & Richmond v Braintree Town

Havant and Waterlooville v Fisher

Maidenhead Utd v Bognor Regis Town

Team Bath v Bath City

Worcester City v Weston-Super-Mare