Horsham boss John Maggs assessed his team's hectic run-in and said: "These games are getting the players fit. Fit to drop."

Hornets have been ploughing through three games a week in a bid to make up their backlog and close in on the division two leading pack.

The worst is yet to come because Maggs' men have been handed three games in the last three days of the campaign.

They host Wembley on Thursday, May 3, go to Tooting the following night, then have a Saturday afternoon game at Marlow.

Maggs admitted: "I have only come across anything like this once in almost 40 years in football.

"That was with Crawley when we played four games in four days."

Hornets have 11 games in the last three weeks of the season, plus an Associate Members Trophy semi-final at Hemel Hempstead.

Maggs added: "It's going to be hard work but I agree with the decision not to extend the season.

"We have got an outside chance of going up but it is great to be in the last three weeks and still have something to play for."

Striker Steve Flain misses Monday's derby with Banstead but returns for the long haul to Wivenhoe on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Worthing's reserves are giving the club a real end of season lift, according to Sammy Donnelly.

The first team boss has called on the likes of Matt May, Jamie Cole, Neil Francis and Dave Martin from his back-up squad in recent weeks.

Donnelly prepared to watch his second string in action this week and said: "I can't praise them enough.

"If they win their games in hand they could be runners-up or even champions again. But it's not just about that. Some of their players have come through to play an important part in the first team.

"It's vital to have a back-up team, especially at times like this when there are so many games."

Mark Burt and Damian Webber were both nursing knocks as they prepared for today's game with Braintree and Monday's trip to Bognor.

Rocks have dominated recent West Sussex derbies at Woodside Road but Donnelly is eyeing a third successive win for his men at Nyewood Lane.

He said: "It will be a cracker. Bognor, as we know, are a quality side.

"But we have under-achieved this season so this might be a way of making things up a bit to our supporters."