Why Baffins Milton Rovers could still hold the key to this season’s Wessex League title race

Steve Leigh’s men still have 21 league games to shoehorn in between two and the end of April - 12 of them at home.

They have still to play nine of the top 10 at their PMC Stadium HQ, and have yet to play the top three - Alresford, AFC Stoneham and Portchester - home or away in 2019/20 in league action.

The first of those six games takes place this weekend when Baffins travel to AFC Stoneham to face a home side who have rattled off seven straight league wins.

Baffins are boosted by the return of Tyler Moret and Callum Dart from suspension, but Shane Cornish, Josh Dean and George Burgess are unavailable.

Baffins have also still to face fifth-placed Horndean, with both games scheduled for successive Saturdays in April.

So far, there have been 24 Saturdays of the 2019/20 Wessex season - and Baffins have played a league game on just 13 of them. There are 15 Saturdays left until the end of April - and 21 league games to fit in.

Leigh’s side could also play a further seven cup ties if they reach the finals of the Wessex League Cup and the Portsmouth Senior Cup.

They are by no means the only local club facing severe fixture congestion, though.

Moneyfields also have 21 league games left, plus a possible six cup ties if they were to reach the Hampshire Senior Cup and Portsmouth Senior Cup finals.

At least Baffins and Moneyfields both have floodlights, however.

The same cannot be said of Hampshire Premier League club Colden Common.

They have not played a league game since November, and have 16 of their 30 matches still to play.

In addition, they would play a further eight games if they reached the finals of the Hampshire Trophy, the HPL Cup and the Southampton Intermediate Cup.

And with no floodlights, that could mean an extremely busy April once the lighter evenings kick in after the clocks spring forward.