Preview: King's Lynn Town vs. Aldershot Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams desperate to halt miserable spells of form and end the National League season on a high note renew hostilities on the final day as King's Lynn Town play host to Aldershot Town.

Ian Culverhouse's side managed to hold Solihull Moors to a 1-1 draw last time out, while Aldershot's third defeat in a row came at the hands of Bromley.

Match preview

King's Lynn would be packing their bags and preparing for life in the sixth tier of English football during any other season, but with National League sides reprieved from relegation this time around, they will get a second stab at fifth-tier football next season.

Culverhouse's crop earned promotion to the National League from the disrupted 2019-20 season, but they have found it hard to go toe-to-toe with the big boys and can boast just 30 points from their 41 games this season, with 25 of those games ending in defeat.

In spite of their winless run stretching to 12 matches last time out, King's Lynn returned to familiar soil with a respectable 1-1 draw against mid-table Solihull Moors on Tuesday, as Ross Barrows opened the scoring on the half-hour mark before Adam Rooney salvaged a draw for the visitors.

Culverhouse's men are surely condemned to a 21st-placed finish in the division, unless Barnet can spring a surprise and leapfrog them on the final day, and the 94 goals that King's Lynn have conceded is the second highest in the league, only behind Wealdstone.

Similarly, their final-day opponents do not exactly inspire much confidence given their recent spate of results, as Aldershot's losing streak stretched to three games with an enthralling 3-2 defeat to playoff-chasing Bromley on Saturday.

A brace from in-form striker Harry Panayiotou was nothing more than a mere consolation for the Shots, whose defence was breached by Joe Kizzi, Michael Cheek and James Alabi in front of their returning fans, whose side have now lost three in a row at home.

Danny Searle's men have nothing but pride to play for on the final day, though, as the Shots sit 16th in the league table and cannot drop any lower on Saturday lunchtime - so they are guaranteed to better last season's 18th-placed ranking - and success on the road could propel them up to 14th if other results go their way.

A run of three consecutive away wins over March and April was quickly followed with three successive defeats on the road for Aldershot, though, who have conceded eight goals in their last three on unfamiliar territory, but a fixture with King's Lynn represents a prime opportunity for both sides to end challenging campaigns with a flourish.

The first meeting between King's Lynn and Aldershot ended 1-1 last month, during which Ricky Miller's opener was cancelled out by Michael Gash's second-half effort.

Team News

King's Lynn defender Kyle Callan-McFadden was seen wearing a protective boot on the sidelines on Tuesday after suffering an ankle injury against Wrexham, and the 26-year-old will definitely not be involved here.

Culverhouse could elect to hand starts to both Ryan Jarvis and Gash, both of whom have confirmed that they will leave the club once the campaign concludes.

Aldershot lost midfielder Jermaine Anderson to a heavy tackle just before half time against Bromley, and Searle admitted that his player was "not great" as he went for an X-ray, so the Shots may have to call upon Alfy Whittingham to fill the void.

Miller - who scored in last month's draw with King's Lynn - missed out against Bromley due to side effects of the coronavirus vaccine but should be fine here, while first-choice goalkeeper Mitch Walker ought to be recalled after being granted time off for his wedding.

King's Lynn Town possible starting lineup:
Richardson; Howard, Barrows, Fleming, Denton; Carey, Clunan, Babos, Gyasi; Gash, Jarvis

Aldershot Town possible starting lineup:
Walker; Fowler, Sendles-White, Lyons-Foster, Kinsella; Tanner, Whittingham, Edser, Nouble; Panayiotou, Bettamer

We say: King's Lynn Town 1-1 Aldershot Town

Neither King's Lynn nor Aldershot are finishing the season in the manner that they would have wanted, but the two managers can feel confident about their chances of overseeing a victory here.

The hosts were full value for their draw with Solihull, but with Panayiotou firing on all cylinders for the Shots ahead of an intriguing transfer window, we expect the two sides to shake hands on a point on the final day.