Chatham Town take on Isthmian Premier leaders Hornchurch this Saturday in a clash of the top two

Chatham Town could seal a play-off place on Saturday while making Isthmian Premier leaders Hornchurch wait a little longer to celebrate the title.

Kevin Hake’s second-placed Chats need one more win from their remaining four games to ensure they will be competing in the end-of-season play-offs while hosts Hornchurch will secure the championship by avoiding defeat.

Neither of the division’s standout teams will want to go easy in a top-versus-second clash.

“We know anything but a win for us means they win the title,” said Chats boss Hake.

“Over the course of the season, they have been the most consistent team in the league and fully deserve to be where they are.

“I would have liked to have run them closer but they have been the front-runners for most of the season.

“Although they may have slipped up a bit of late (with two defeats last month) for them to not win the league from this position would mean they have to lose a lot of games which you can’t see happening.

“We will approach the game the same as the remaining four games. We aren’t mathematically in the play-offs yet and we want to finish as high as we can to gain home advantage if we do reach the play-offs.”

Chatham have been holding onto second place for some time but won’t want to allow the likes of Enfield or Horsham to sneak in and claim the upper hand in those play-off fixtures.

Second will play fifth in the Semi-Finals while third hosts fourth with both games on Wednesday, May 1. The Final is on Monday, May 6.

Chats also have a Velocity Cup Final to look ahead to when they play Hashtag United at Aveley FC on Wednesday, April 17.

Hake said: “With four league games, a League Cup Final and potential play-offs in less than five weeks, that will keep us all on our