THE Wessex title may be done and dusted for Eastleigh, but they can still have a major say in who finish runners-up.
The champions wind up their season tomorrow with a monster top-two clash at Wimborne Town, which the Mapgies will almost certainly need to win to hold off Gosport Borough and Totton.
Borough - home to struggling Brockenhurst - are level on points with Wimborne but have an infinitely inferior goal difference, while Totton - home to Bournemouth - are one point adrift in fourth having lost valuable ground with their Easter Monday defeat at BAT.
Although Eastleigh chairman Roger Sherwood is great buddies with Gosport boss Mick Marsh, Ten Acres boss Paul Doswell, pictured, insists he has no preference for who comes second.
He admitted: "We've played that poorly in our last three away games that I'm just looking for a decent performance.
"I knew when we went back to our own ground over Easter we'd do well against Portland and Hamble, but away from home we've struggled on hard, bumpy pitches and were comprehensively beaten at Andover and Totton.
"We've got to learn to play on surfaces that are not as good and that may mean playing less of our passing football and going a bit more route one.
"I've said all along I thought Wimborne would be our closest challengers and we're in for a real tough game there, but we owe it to the other clubs to give it our best.
"It's been a long season for everyone and it wouldn't be right for us to turn up and not try."
Eastleigh took some flack last week when Bemerton's Steve Slade accused them of "buying" the league, but there are no complaints from the Wimborne camp.
Magpies boss Paul Arnold said: "They set their stall out for what they were trying to achieve and they did it. All credit to them for that.
"Too many clubs worry about other clubs, but my philosophy is to keep our own house in order and not get involved in anyone else's business."
Eastleigh are still missing injured midfielder Danny Woods but hope to have him back for the JWL Cup final against Totton at AFC Newbury on Monday week (May 5).
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