AFC Rushden & Diamonds bidding to tighten their grip on a play-off spot

It’s a huge game in prospect at the Yvette Brewer Stadium this evening with ramifications at both ends of the table.

Hosts Biggleswade Town are scrapping away for points as they bid to avoid the drop. They start the day sitting third-from-bottom and three points adrift of safety with this being the first of a couple of games in hand they have some teams above them.

For fifth-placed Diamonds, it is their game in hand on sixth-placed Alvechurch and they know a win would see them move nine points clear of their nearest rivals with five games to play.

Diamonds claimed a 3-1 victory at Redditch United on Saturday thanks to two goals from captain Alex Collard and a fine opener from Jesse Akubuine.

That win came after a 2-1 defeat at Peterborough Sports and a 2-2 home draw with Tamworth.

And interim boss Andy Burgess knows full well his team will be in a position of power in the race for a top-five finish if they can claim another success on the road tonight.

“I think the win on Saturday made the point we got against Tamworth look not so bad,” Burgess said.

“We can never affect what goes on elsewhere but it added even more delight in the dressing-room when we came in and saw that teams below us had dropped points.

“It was great to get the three points at the weekend and hopefully it gives the players some belief back.

“We are going there (Biggleswade) tonight with a huge ability to come out of it in a really, really strong position.