Jewson Our rise has been phenomenal, says proud Swags chairman Gregory

NAILSEA & Tickenham chairman Rob Gregory admits he can scarcely believe his club have taken what started out as an unlikely Jewson League Premier Division promotion campaign to the wire.

- Simon PARKINSON

The Swags go to Buckland Athletic tomorrow for a winner-take-all scenario heavily favouring the Devon hosts, who have a three-point advantage heading into the contest and will likely seize a play-off spot at their guests' expense even in defeat due to a vastly superior 22-goal difference separating the sides.

It's a so near yet so far situation for Nailsea, who at least have taken their season, in a mathematical sense, to tomorrow's final outing thanks to a stirring fightback from 2-0 down at home against newly-crowned champions Portishead Town on Monday to salvage a stoppage-time point via Charlie Saunders' strike in a 2-2 draw.

That Fryth Way spectacle was watched by a league best 363 people from a Nailsea perspective, prompting their proud chairman to proclaim: "It's been incredible. Almost 200 of those were paying customers, so the takings were terrific.

"It's of course been a little deflating too, getting to within a hair's breadth of the play-offs. But it must be remembered we were still a Somerset County League team in 2022, so the rise has been phenomenal and unprecedented.

"Had anyone told me at the start of the season we'd be where we are going into our final game having taken four points off Portishead, and beaten both them and Clevedon away, I'd not have believed them.