Falmouth Town face their penultimate league game of the season on Tuesday night when Liskeard Athletic make the trip to Bickland Park (kick-off 7.45pm).
Although it is billed as a clash between the top two sides in the South West Peninsula League Premier West, Town come into it having already completed the league and Cornwall Senior Cup double last week.
Having lost to Falmouth in that Senior Cup final last Monday, Michael O’Neill’s Wendron United side will now be hoping that Town can record victory on Tuesday, with the Dron still in with a shout of pipping Liskeard to second spot.
Speaking ahead of the game, Town manager Andrew Westgarth said: “We’ve been so consistent this year and it’d be disappointing for us if we were to fall away in these last two games, but I just think the way that we’re playing at the minute and the way the boys are just so tuned in, they’re going to be right up for it.
“[The Champions Bowl in two weeks] is another good carrot; it keeps the boys on their toes and keeps everybody hungry. It should be a good end to the season for us because they’re two big games really.
“On the flip side, no disrespect, but if they were bottom of the league sides it’d be even harder to motivate yourself, so for us to play Liskeard will be a tough game, and Dobwalls will be another tough game [on Saturday].
“Liskeard want to be second and I think Dobwalls want a top-four finish, so there’s still a little bit riding on it, which is what you want.”
This was due to be a blockbuster first-versus-second encounter at the start of the month, when victory over their nearest rivals could have secured the title for Town in front of their own fans.
But that possibility was dashed when a request from Liskeard to postpone the match saw the game moved to Tuesday night.
Town have wrapped up the title since then, and a recent drop in form means Liskeard need another victory to secure second spot ahead of Wendron.
That drop in form, which could perhaps be attributed to their title hopes fading and their hectic run of games in April, has seen Lee Mann’s side win just four of their last nine games and lose two of their last three, having only lost one of their first 26 league games this season.
The most recent defeat saw them suffer a surprise 1-0 reverse at home to Sticker, with their only other home league loss coming at the hands of Town back on December 4.
“What would have been probably the title decider when we were originally meant to play it a few weeks ago, it’s obviously got a different significance on it now,” Westgarth said. “We’ve got the title won and Liskeard are fighting it out for second, which would have been unthinkable five or six weeks ago.
“That’s the disappointment of when you’re chasing and you miss out, generally it’s really hard to find that motivation again. That’s why I was so pleased with our boys on the weekend because it could have been easy to be in holiday mode.
“[The Sticker defeat] was a shock result, no disrespect to Sticker but not many would have predicted that, especially at home. If we were to get a positive result on Tuesday then Wendron face Liskeard on Saturday for the runners-up spot – who would have thought that?”
Last five games: Falmouth Town
April 23: Falmouth Town 3-2 Newquay (SWPL)
April 18: Falmouth Town 1-0 Wendron United (Senior Cup)
April 15: Penryn Athletic 2-3 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
April 9: Falmouth Town 4-0 St Dennis (SWPL)
April 2: St Blazey 0-2 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Last five games: Liskeard Athletic
April 23: Liskeard Athletic 0-1 Sticker (SWPL)
April 18: Godolphin Atlantic 0-3 Liskeard Athletic (SWPL)
April 15: Dobwalls 2-1 Liskeard Athletic (SWPL)
April 12: Liskeard Athletic 4-1 Penryn Athletic (SWPL)
April 9: Wadebridge Town 1-1 Liskeard Athletic (SWPL)