One last chance

Well let's be honest, who'd have thought that we'd have the chance to take the race for 2nd to the last day after the 2 points dropped at Bristol City? Anyone? Me neither!

With Boro coming from a goal down to see off Saints 2-1 last night, there is ONE last glimmer of hope as far as our automatic promotion aspirations are concerned. If we can defeat Leicester on Monday live on Sky TV and take all three points when we face Hull City in our final game of the season at Upton Park, we could still finish the season second if Saints fail to beat the already relegated Coventry.

Obviously it's unlikely as Coventry have nothing to play for but pride and Southampton have an exceptional home record but upsets do happen in football and we have to be ready to pounce on the off chance that the Sky Blues get a result. In my opinion, we need to really go out and attack the Foxes tomorrow night because if Coventry do manage a draw at St. Mary's and we win our remaining games it will go down to goal difference and we're currently 4 behind in that respect. Could you imagine the atmosphere at Upton Park next Saturday lunchtime if news filters through of an early goal for Coventry? It would be electric! Moments and games like that really are what football is all about - for us fans especially.

On the other hand, if we do fail to go up and are eventually forced to settle for the play-offs, I'd much rather it be because Southampton win their final game than if we fail to beat Leicester as such a result would confirm their promotion. In all honesty it would be typical of our season because excluding our brief few weeks at the summit we've buckled under pressure time and time again knowing that a win would take us top.

There is a part of me that is thinking 'stop teasing yourself, of course Southampton will beat Coventry and confirm promotion!' however, it's very difficult to just give up hope even when there's so little left. After we drew at home to Boro that was when I really thought it was over so it is nice to still be in the run-in and if we can finish the season well and have some momentum to take into the play-offs, we might yet go up.

I'm very confident about our potential play-off campaign because the atmosphere at the Boleyn will be second to none in our home leg of the semi-final and our away form this season if there for all to see. We're unbeaten away against all of our possible semi-final opponents in Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Cardiff winning all but one so we have a lot of positives to take into the play-offs with us!

COME ON YOU IRONS!