Forres St Lawrence captain Nigel Gerrard expects this weekend’s home match against Northern Counties to be the NOSCA senior league title decider.
Counties make the trip to Grant Park having played a game less than the hosts, with both sides having lost just one match all season.
Forres still have an outstanding fixture against Ross County the following weekend, meaning a Counties win will secure them the title.
Should Counties lose, a failure to record six losing bonus points will hand the title to the Moray outfit.
Despite all the permutations surrounding the fixture, Gerrard is eager to get the job done this weekend in order to avoid any last-day drama against Ross County.
Gerrard said: “This could be the decider. There was a surprise result last weekend with Elgin beating Ross County which means it is not possible for them to win it now.
“Depending on how the result goes it may go down to the following game given the complicated points system.
“We are certainly looking at it as being a decider in that if we lose, that’s it. If Northern Counties lose and don’t get six points as a losing team, they will be out of it as well.
“It’s in our own fate, and it’s in Northern Counties’ own fate as well – so it’s basically a shoot-off on Saturday.”
In this weekend’s other fixture, Ross County host Nairn County, with Elgin now finished for the season after defeating the Strathpeffer outfit by four wickets last weekend.
Meanwhile, the NE Grades is set to end with a flourish, matching the high excitement of last week’s finish in Grade 1, where Aberdeen Grammar landed the title despite losing their last game of the season.
Knight Riders 2nds need only three batting or bowling points from their game at Fraserburgh to ensure they end their campaign in Grade 2 in second place to runaway winners Mannofield.
It’s even closer in Grade 3 where Banchory’s late run of good form has taken them to within one win of winning the division, cashing in on 2nd Grampian’s collapse in the run in.
Victory at Burnett Park at the expense of 2nd Gordonians would clinch the title.
