There’s ‘no next week now’ as Haywards Heath face relegation shootout

Heath will host Essex Senior League premier division runners-up Redbridge at the Hanbury on Saturday with a place in the 2023-24 Isthmian League for the winners – and a spot in a lower league for the losers.

Lovett’s men failed to scramble out of the relegation play-off zone when they lost their final game 4-0 at Hythe last Saturday.

That sends them into this one-off game that’s set to attract a big crowd – and Lovett says they’ll give it their best shot.

"It’s the sort of game players should’nt need motivating for but at the same time, we will have had two good training sessions this week to prepare the best we can for it.

"This really is it now. There’s no next week any more if it doesn’t go our way.

"We shouldn’t have finished 18th in the league table but we did, and still have one chance to save ourselves, and that’s what we have to take.

"If we win then we’re back in the same division next season and everything gets re-set. The fans have been brilliant and we know they will be behind us again on Saturday, and we might even pick up a few neutral supporters from across Sussex now leagues have finished.”

Lovett said it was puzzling they did not know until Wednesday afternoon whether they’d play SCFL runners-up CDG or a different step five runner-up. Few if anyone had predicted it would be against a side from Essex.

As Southern Combination runners-up Crawley Down Gatwick also have a play-off and for them it’s a chance to earn promotion to the Isthmian. They visit Sutton Common Rovers for their one-off game.