Fortress ReachTV Stadium gears up for its biggest test of the season, with a shot of promotion to the National League on the line.

After accumulating their highest ever points total at Step Two, the Sports missed out on the National South title by just one point.

However, their third place finish at least sees them get a bye straight to the Play-Off Semi-Final, where they face Maidstone United this afternoon.

That comes after the Stones beat the Sports’ Sussex rivals Worthing on Wednesday night, with a couple of Ben Brookes’ penalties giving them a 2-0 win at Sussex Transport Community Stadium.

For Borough, today sees them kick off their first play-off campaign since 2021/22, where they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Oxford CIty in the Play-Off Eliminator. A lot has changed on and off the pitch since Danny Bloor’s side finished sixth, and this group of players will be keen to get over the line and make it an unforgettable season.

Borough will be happy to be home and go into today’s tie defending a proud unbeaten record – 401 days and counting (that’s 1 year, 1 month and six days to be precise). The last time to win here? Maidstone United.

Rewind to a bonkers Good Friday afternoon which saw the Sports play over 35 minutes with not ten, but nine men. Pierce Bird had drawn Borough level with a spectacular strike when it was 10 v 11 after Sam Beard’s red card, before Matt Rush made it 2-1 on 65 minutes. 

Adam Murray then opted to twist to get back into the game, but three goals inside the final five minutes saw the Stones run out 5-1 winners, a scoreline which flattered the visitors.

However, Borough have since beaten Maidstone here – with George Alexander’s strike enough to give the Sports a 1-0 win at the end of February. More of the same please…

It promises to be an exciting occasion, with both teams looking to make the top-flight of Non-League football. What the Sports may lack in experience, they make up for in work-rate, character and determination, and they’ll need all of those aspects today.