Gloucester City head into the final eight games of a tantalising Southern League Premier South season in need of improving their performances and results to finish inside the top three.
Currently, the Tigers sit in fourth place in the table having lost their last two games, in addition to having won just eight of their last 20 matches in the league that has stopped them going for an automatic promotion run.
With Merthyr Town and AFC Totton flying with too far of a reach to overhaul, third placed Walton & Hersham sit just one point clear having won 10 of their last 13 games in the league.
Crucially a fortnight ago, the Swans also defeated City after winning 2-1 at the TigerTurf Stadium with Polish talisman Dawid Rogalski scoring a brace including an 88th minute winner.
88 minutes on the clock
— Walton & Hersham FC (@waltonhershamfc) March 2, 2025
Scores level in a huge six-pointer
The Polski Pelé steps up again 🇵🇱🤩 pic.twitter.com/Evoa0t9wW4
City will be hoping that the Surrey based side will have peaked too soon but they know that they will need to be improving their performances, which have remained unconvincing throughout the season.
Let’s delve deeper into the final eight games of a incredible season in the seventh tier of English football, with Mike Cook’s side aiming to return to the regional National League at the first time of asking.
Gloucester may have the fourth best away record in the League this season, but it has been their Achilles heel and stopped any real chance of winning the title.
They have won just six of their 18 games on their travels this season, and while they have only lost three including last weekend against Hungerford Town they have also drawn half their games outside the TigerTurf Stadium.
Full time in Hungerford. pic.twitter.com/hb2rOKHOfG
— Gloucester City AFC (@GCAFCofficial) March 8, 2025
Luckily for them they have only got three more trips on the road this season away to fellow play-off hopefuls Havant & Waterloovile, relegation threatened Chertsey Town, before their final game on Easter Monday which is a local match-up against Swindon Supermarine.
Including this weekend against Hanwell Town, City have a fairly straight five game stretch at home in addition to matches against the current bottom two Tiverton Town and Marlow.
Their most difficult game at home will be against Dorchester Town, who have had a similar season to Gloucester having drawn nearly half of their entire matches in the league, including 11 on the road, where they have only won twice.
The final match of the season is against Gosport Borough who they defeated away in Hampshire 3-1 last month and was their most impressive away performance of the season.
An early blitz into the season put the Tigers into promotion contention, but the season has filtered out and they haven’t been as clinical or defensively resilient as Merthyr Town and AFC Totton respectively over the course of the season.
As it is incredibly likely that they will make the playoffs with only the home encounter against the Magpies to come against the current sides in the top five, City have only beat the Martyrs who are currently flying at the top of the table and highly likely to secure automatic promotion.
Two draws against the Stags were impressive but they failed to threaten Ryan Gosney enough in both matches, against Walton the first match was embroiled in Storm Bert and an incredible own goal, while last fortnight’s encounter is more reflective of the two sides current quality.
Back in August, City lost to Dorchester 1-0 and with them highly unlikely to meet up in the play-offs, a win next month won’t change much except for the potential momentum gain it could bring as the season closes in.
City’s aim for the season has always been to reach the play-offs and while that is on the verge of being secured, fans have felt disillusioned by poor away performances and failing to gain ground against the top two particularly in a big wobble in the winter months.
That has put a stain on their season, a strong run-in could ensure this becomes a successful season and a promotion party at the end of it all.
