The pressure is on for Maidenhead and their relegation rivals

Drew Prince. Photo: Paul Morgan

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David Mobbs-Smith expects both Wimbledon and Maidenhead will be feeling the pressure ahead of Saturday’s crucial clash, a game which could determine which of the two teams is relegated this season.

The Maids head coach is expecting another tense, tight clash which could go down to the wire, and joked that defibrillators should be on the side of the pitch for both sets of coaching staff.

This will be the last time this season Maids take on a direct rival as they bid to beat the drop and finish outside of the bottom two automatic relegation spots.

They won their game at bottom of the table Hammersmith & Fulham - with Hammersmith missing a last-gasp conversion to win the game - and dramatically lost 36-35 at Camberley in their last away game, where Cambs swept over the winning kick after scoring from the final play of the game.

Mobbs-Smith expects Saturday’s clash to be similarly dramatic, and the outcome will go a long way towards determining how Maids will fare in the final weeks of the season.

Maids travel to Wimbledon off the back of an encouraging performance in a 12-40 home defeat to unbeaten league leaders Jersey.

They’re currently fourth from bottom, level on points with Wimbledon in 10th and Camberley in 11th, with Hammersmith & Fulham a few points further back.

“The last set of results went the way most people thought they would,” said Mobbs-Smith

“Camberley and Wimbledon are probably disappointed they didn’t at least pick up a bonus point in those games. They both just missed out slightly on that.

“But it means we’re all going into this weekend in the same place again.

“This weekend is quite big when you look at who is playing who. We won’t all be in the same position next week, because one of us must win our game.

“Whoever loses might still pick up some bonus points.

“Hammersmith is away at Bracknell so that’s a tough ask of them, and Camberley play CS Stags. I’m not sure what will happen there.

“Camberley had a few new players last time and they could have picked up a few more. Obviously, that should be on paper a tough game for Camberley.

“Where we are on Sunday morning, won’t decide who’s playing who in the relegation play-offs and who is going down, but it will place more pressure on one or two of the teams.”