THEY think it's all over but it's not quite because there is still the small matter of Dover on Saturday.

We've still got a chance of securing third spot and while there is hope we battle on.

No doubt travelling back from the match thoughts will inevitably turn to what might have been during a season of highs and lows.

On reflection frustration will probably be the overriding emotion, primarily because I think we could have secured runners-up spot.

You don't have to look too far to pick up the points that would in my mind would have made the difference, specifically the home games with Hinckley and Ilkeston which ended in draws.

Apart from the poor displays at Bath City and Ilkeston plus the home match with Tiverton I could make a case for us taking points from almost every match so there is definitely a tinge of frustration.

What has been clear though is the Dr Martens Premier Division remains a very competitive league, illustrated by the fact we are going into the last game of the season trailing Dover, Chippenham and Tiverton by just one point.

Next season promises to be just as tough with both Nuneaton and Kettering back in our league after being relegated from the Conference.

They are two historically big clubs and will be looking to bounce straight back, though whether Kettering can do that with their well-documented financial problems remains to be seen.

The fate of both clubs shows that you can't afford to sit back while also emphasising the gulf between our division and the Conference. Promotion is one thing but staying up there is a whole different ball game as Unibond champions Burton found when they were only one win away from being dragged into big trouble.

As this season comes to a close we are in the process of finalising next year's budget and when that is confirmed I will sit down to sort out the retained list with a view to speaking to the players possibly on Wednesday of next week.

I've obviously got an idea of what I want to do in terms of new players but that has to be measured against what money is available.

Everybody likes to see new faces even more so when you have not managed to get things quite right and hopefully we will be in the position to make the changes we want to over the summer.

After Saturday's 2-0 win against Grantham we had the centenary dinner where Danny McDonnell picked up the players' player and supporters' player of the year awards.

The way he's been playing made him the runaway winner and I'm on record as saying he is the best in the league.

There were some other fairly strong contenders as well and up until Christmas Jon Holloway was equally impressive. I don't think the fact we moved him around in two or three positions helped him but he's been much-improved and has delivered what he's promised.

Striker Adam Webster likewise has come on in leaps and bounds while if we had had John Snape available a month earlier I think we would have claimed second and probably closed the gap on Tamworth.

His influence is there for all to see -- it's surely no coincidence that our last three displays, which have been much better, have arrived following his return to the team.

Finally Carl Heeley, (if selected at Dover!) will make it three successive seasons without missing a game which is a massive achievement.

One of the most rewarding things as a manager is to look down your team-sheet and know for a fact that a player will give you the lot and Carl falls into that category.