Ottery St Mary are at home tomorrow (Saturday) when they play their final game of the Macron League Division Three campaign, and the stakes really could not be any higher.

After Monday night’s narrow 2-1 home defeat to a Winchester side that currently sit top, but who have finished their season, the Otters are three points shy of Winchester, but have a far superior goal difference and so a win at Lympstone will guarantee the Otters a top three finish – and would also leave them as champions if both Lympstone and University were to lose one more of their remaining games.

Monday’s defeat was a third straight defeat for the Otters , a losing run that began with an April 13, 3-0 home defeat to Lympstone.

Ottery boss Dave Fairweather says: “Monday was so disappointing for we played as well as we have all season and, if we played that game another 10 times, we’d win nine of them! It really was ‘one of those nights’ and I don’t think I could have asked for any more from the team.”

As for the game at Lympstone, Fairweather says: “Both sides know plenty about the other and there really is so much riding on the game. I have no doubt that, whatever the result, we will both step up a division for next season, but, given the campaign we have had I really hope, for the lads’ sake, we can end the league term on a high.”

Having had that wonderful winning run for much of the season there is a danger that Ottery could end up outside the top three.

Fairweather says: “That would be hard to take, but a win tomorrow will end such fears.”

Tomorrow’s game is not the end of the Ottery season for they still have a Grandisson Cup final to play and they will discover their opponents next Wednesday evening when Sidmouth Town Reserves and Kentisbeare meet at Ottery’s Washbrook Meadow home.