ALL roads lead to Suffolk tonight as Canvey Island Football Club step-up their bid to win promotion to the highest level of the Ryman League.
Gulls gained a place in the Division One North play-offs after a superb second half of the season run saw them lose just three times in their final 22 games.
They finished fifth in the table and tonight visit an AFC Sudbury outfit who, although ending the campaign second, are badly out of form and have triumphed in only one of their last seven matches.
The Islanders will have two coachloads of fans making the trip tonight with many more travelling under their own steam to see Canvey try and win through to a play-off final clash at either Redbridge or Ware on Saturday.
But Island boss John Batch refuses to believe that Sudbury's recent dire form or his own side's great run will have any say in tonight's affair.
"Sudbury finished where they did due to their performances over the season as a whole and bad runs have to end sometime - as do good ones," Batch said.
"But believe me, they're going to have to produce some performance to beat us tonight.
"I don't think the fact that we won there three weeks ago will have any real bearing, but my players are really up for this.
"We're basically a young side, but we've made these play-offs on merit and my players have tremendous belief in themselves and their ability to gain a place in the Premier Division.
"I knew our fans would back us in big numbers. They're been superb all season and we'll have at least as many of our followers as they will of their fans there tonight."
Gulls will give late fitness tests to Kevin Dobinson and Richard Halle, but fears that key central defender Colin Wall might miss out through suspension have ended.
The booking he picked up on Saturday to push him over the disciplinary points limit will see him serve a ban at the start of next term The other play-off semi is being played at Redbridge's Barkingside home tonight.
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