Banbury United boss Paul Davis is hoping his players can complete the job when their Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division fate is decided at Chesham United tomorrow, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

The Puritans’ season appeared to be over when they were 12 points adrift of safety on April 11.

But an incredible run of 13 points from the last available 18 – including a 4-0 victory over Histon and a 3-0 triumph against Slough Town in the last week – has left them with a chance of remarkably escaping the drop.

“Some people are calling it the great escape, or the greatest escape in our history,” said manager Paul Davis.

  •  Sport

“But it hasn’t happened yet. We’ve got to go out there and do our jobs and if we do it, there could be some big celebrations after the match.

“I remember saying a while ago that every team has gone on a run at some point and we hadn’t had ours.

“Now we’re on our run and, if we stay up, it will have come at just the right time.”

However, the odds remain stacked against the Puritans, even with their recent upturn of form.

Even if they win tomorrow, nearest rivals Frome Town must also lose to play-off hopefuls St Neots Town if they are to complete their escape act.

But Davis will not be anxiously checking on events elsewhere while his side are in action.

“I won’t, but I’m sure someone on my staff will,” he said.

“But we just have to go out there and do our job and hope that St Neots can do us a favour.”

Davis has remained confident about Banbury’s survival prospects throughout the season and added that his side had always believed they could avoid relegation.

He said: “I did, the players did and the staff did, it’s everyone on the outside who were writing us off.

“I can understand why, because it doesn’t happen often, but you only have to look at Leicester and what they’re doing in the Premier League to see it does happen.

“It was something nobody gave us any chance of achieving, but now we’re going into the last game with a chance of really doing something and making a name for ourselves.”

Midfielder Hicham Abdellah and defender Joel Meade are both available after missing Banbury’s victory over Slough on Tuesday evening.

TOMORROW’S SQUAD Banbury Utd (v Chesham Utd, away): from Bedwell, Walcott, Cray, Meade, Ryan, Green, Martin, Tahin, George, Howards, Fishwick, Weston, Tappin, Amegnaglo, Browne, Westbrook, Lewars, Daffern, Isaac, Abdellah.