BASINGSTOKE Town hauled themselves back into contention for the Vanarama Conference South title last weekend – but can they really go on and win the league?

First of all, let’s take a step back for a second. There are six games to go and Basingstoke are just three points behind the leaders. For a club that has spent the last 15 years playing at the same level, that’s big news.

Credit should go to manager Jason Bristow, the coaching staff and the players. Whatever happens between now and the end of the campaign, it’s been an excellent season, with supporters treated to exciting, free-flowing football.

Barring a late-season slump of epic proportions, they appear nailed-on to secure a place in the play-offs. The title had appeared to be beyond them, but Bromley’s dramatic defeat at home to bottom side Staines, coupled with Town’s impressive win at Whitehawk, means the door is open once more.

In all likelihood, either Bromley, Boreham Wood or Basingstoke will win the league, but which one will it be?

Going into this weekend’s games, Town sit third, two points behind Boreham Wood and three off leaders Bromley, but with a game in hand over the Hertfordshire side.

On paper, it is Bristow’s men who have the easiest run-in. They face three teams with nothing to play for in Wealdstone, Sutton United and Weston-super-Mare, and two sides, Hayes and Yeading United and Farnborough, who are battling to avoid the drop.

The latter two will be fighting for their lives, while the first three may have a licence to play with freedom, but over the course of the season, Town have shown that they are capable of winning all five of these games.

Their other game will see Basingstoke host Havant and Waterlooville, who are currently fourth, on the penultimate weekend of the season.

Assuming that they can will all of their other games, their title challenge could hang on whether they can beat their Hampshire rivals, against whom they do not have the best record.

Of the three, I make Boreham Wood the outsiders. They have more ground to make up than Town, having played an extra game, and I haven’t been very impressed by what I have seen of them.

Basingstoke have beaten them twice, comprehensively winning 4-0 away from home earlier this year, and in neither match did they look like title contenders.

Looking at their results, it seems that they are flat-track bullies, beating teams towards the bottom of the league but struggling against the top sides.

In fact, their record against the other eight sides still in the promotion shake-up is decidedly poor, taking just 11 points from 13 games. Tellingly, they still have three games against these top sides to come, so a dramatic improvement is needed if they are to challenge for the title.

Bromley remain in the box seat. Their fate is in their own hands and their run-in doesn’t look too tough.

I expect them to react to the defeat at Staines by beating Bath City this weekend, so the key game for them will be on Easter Saturday, when they welcome Boreham Wood to Kent. Win and they’ll have one hand on the trophy. Drop points and we could be in for a dramatic finale.

Of course, Bromley have form when it comes to throwing away commanding positions at the top of the table, and the defeat to Staines will have nerves jangling.

I still think that the Kent side will do enough to get over the line, but if Town can maintain the excellent form that has got them into their current position, the pressure will continue to rise.

Will Bromley be able to cope? We shall see, but one thing’s for sure, it’s an exciting time to be a Basingstoke supporter.