A LARGE crowd is expected at Aveley's Parkside ground on Easter Monday when the Millers could confirm the Isthmian North title and promotion by winning their derby clash with Tilbury.

And later in the week East Thurrock United have the chance to confirm one of the great escapes!

On Friday night Aveley travelled to play relegated Romford – who went into the game on the back of a 13-0 demolition job by Aveley's title rivals Canvey.

So a goalsfest for the Millers might have been expected but it didn't fully materialise but a 4-1 victory took them five clear at the top with two matches to play.

Aveley managed two goals in each half, Garrett Kelly and Alex Akrofi doing the first half damage, Jon Benton and Harry Gibbs with the second half goal. L'heureux Menga got a late consolation for Boro but the result was enough to put the pressure on Canvey going into Saturday's match at Great Wakering Rovers and they were found wanting.

The Gulls knew that they needed to win against the still-relegation-threatened Rovers but they struggled and needed an own goal from Connor Martin to put them ahead on 36 minutes.

They were unable to build on the lead and literally paid the penalty ten minutes from time when Jake Gordon equalised from the spot. It stayed that way, leaving Aveley four points clear at the top with a goal difference of plus 53. Thanks to their romp against Romford Canvey, who are four points back, have a difference of plus 55 but a win from Aveley against Tilbury, or in their last match at lowly Hullbridge Sports, means the Millers have their destiny well and truly in their own hands.

Stowmarket also have 72 points but a much lower goals difference and it would take a monumental slip-up by the top two for them to sneak in and take the title.

Whoever finishes second will face the fifth-placed club in the play-offs zone and that spot is now the target of Grays Athletic, who suffered a disappointing defeat at home to Brentwood on Saturday and dropped to sixth-place - falling out of the promotion zone at exactly the wrong time.

At Parkside, where he proved a prolific scorer for Avelely over recent season, Brentwood's Tom Richardson was clearly at home and he got the opener for the visitors- his 31st of the season after 21 minutes. Richardson added his second three minutes from the break and there was no was back in the second half for Grays, who also saw James Smith sent off eight minutes from the end.

Grays must now hope for wins in their last two matches and someone above them to slip up –and their challenge tomorrow is the daunting trip to Canvey! The remaining match for Grays is home to Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday, 23 April and the other play-off contenders' matches are Brentwood: h v Romford and a v Stowmarket; Felixstowe & Walton: a v Maldon and h v Coggeshall.

Earlier in the week, when Tilbury confirmed John Coventry as their new manager for next season, the prospective boss said he would be reviewing the current squad in their remaining matches. Quite what he will have made of the first half at Chadfields, where the Dockers slumped to a five goal deficit to relegation-threatened Basildon United is probably beyond imagination.

The Basildon goals came from Daniel McCullock (7), Nathan Fuma (9), Fahad Nyanja (22), much-travelled one time Docker Kris Newby (29) and Dan Okah (38).

Things did get a little better after the break when Chris Millar got one back with 23 minutes left and an own goal made it two-five with seven minutes left, but that was as good as it go for home supporters. Read Mason Hutchinson's full match report via this link.

East Thurrock United have ended their season in fine form and went into Saturday's home game against Wingate and Finchley having climbed out of the bottom three courtesy of three wins and a draw in their previous four fixtures.

So optimism was high when they ran out at Rookery Hill but goals from the visitors' Theo Ofori on 17 minutes and Dylan Kearney on 35 minutes shocked the home support.

However, the Rocks rekindled their fighting spirit and battled back in the second half to draw level with goals from Oli Coker (58) and Tom Barton (63).

It ended 2-2 and sets up a huge game at Cray Wanderers, at Bromley's Hayes Lane ground on Wednesday. Cray groundshare there and with National League Bromley at home on Monday, the Isthmian game goes back to Wednesday. 

Both sides will have the opportunity to see how their relegation rivals fare tomorrow but whatever happens then it seems likely a win on Wednesday would see Rocks safe. Failing that, they have a final home match against Horsham next Saturday.

East Thurrock are fourth from bottom currently with 35 points, two ahead of Cray and one behind 18th-placed Brightlingsea. Leatherhead are bottom on 32 points and Merstham second-bottom with 33 points.

Because of the expansion of the National League's second tier, just nine clubs nationally will be relegated from step three. That will mean the bottom two clubs in each of the Isthmian Premier, Southern Premier Central and Southern Premier South and Northern Premier League will automatically go down, accompanied by the club that finishes third from bottom in the four division with the worst record.

At the moment that looks likely to be the club that finishes third last in the Isthmian would make the drop – adding to the pressure for Wednesday's game at Bromley – particularly as Rocks have by far the worst goals difference of any of the threatened clubs in the four leagues.