This is it, folks. The league phase of the Counties Championship is about to reach its conclusion. After this chapter, we’ll be saying goodbye to 32 teams – and we’ll be seeing how the remaining 16 will line up in the play-offs.

March saw several more teams clinch their play-off places, leaving just five spots still up for grabs as we head into April. These final three rounds of fixtures will decide who’s staying on and who’s heading out.

Will your favourite county make the cut? Read on to find out…

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NORTH DIVISION

ROUND 42 (1 April)

The race for 2nd place took another turn when South Yorkshire drew 1-1 with champions Greater Manchester in Sheffield. Mick McCarthy’s hosts had taken a 52nd-minute lead when Dominic Calvert-Lewin unleashed a stunning 20-yard volley. Danny Drinkwater drew the Mancunians level from a similar distance nine minutes later, but that was as far as their comeback went.

South Yorkshire moved into 2nd on goal difference after Merseyside were stunned by a Glenn Murray winner for Cumbria. West Yorkshire were on the same number of points as SY and the Scousers as well following their goalless draw in Lancashire.

North Yorkshire might’ve been out of play-off contention, but Steve McClaren’s side still showed incredible spirit to recover from 3-1 down at East Yorkshire and win 5-3. Northumberland also put up a fight against Cumbria, with Mark Cullen securing them a draw late on. Kazenga LuaLua’s injury-time strike for Tyne & Wear came too late to avoid defeat to County Durham.

ROUND 43 (8 April)

West Yorkshire moved from 4th to 2nd with a solid 2-1 win over an undisciplined Cumbria side who had eight players go into the book. Defender Paul Huntington and wide midfielder Garry Thompson were the only Cumbrian outfield starters NOT to see yellow as they conceded to Cameron Jerome and James Milner.

Victory allowed Stuart McCall’s side to take advantage of slip-ups from both South Yorkshire and Merseyside. The former had only drawn 0-0 with a dogged Tyne & Wear side. The Liverpudlians had fared even worse, going down 2-0 to East Yorkshire after a double from Peter Pawlett.

Greater Manchester beat Northumberland 3-0, but their two-goal frontman Danny Welbeck sustained a rib injury that would see him miss the start of the play-offs. Adam Le Fondre gave Cheshire the points against Lancashire, while North Yorkshire and County Durham produced a tame goalless draw.

ROUND 44 (15 April)

In the end, it was West Yorkshire who held on to take 2nd place after leaving it late against East Yorkshire. With the scores at 1-1 after Jerome’s opener was cancelled out by home winger Will Atkinson, WY launched the decisive attack in the 84th minute. Aaron Lennon whipped a right-wing cross to Milner, who powered it home.

Had it not been for Milner, South Yorkshire would have finished runners-up after beating North Yorkshire by the odd goal in seven. They were 3-1 down at half-time, but a second-half double from Vardy turned the match right on its head. Merseyside were kept goalless in County Durham and would limp home in 4th place.

Greater Manchester’s last match before the play-offs was a simple 1-0 win in Cheshire, thanks to Scott Hogan. Lancashire and Tyne & Wear each signed off with 2-0 away victories, at Cumbria and Northumberland respectively.

The final margin of victory was a cool 20 points for Greater Manchester, who’ll surely be among the favourites to go all the way in the play-offs. Few will want to play Cup finalists West Yorkshire either, while South Yorkshire and Merseyside complete the top four.

Lancashire’s inconsistency ultimately cost them a play-off place. North Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear and Cheshire lived up to mid-table expectations, while Northumberland did surprisingly well early on before fading away. County Durham and East Yorkshire will be disappointed that they weren’t more competitive, though they’ll take heart from the fact Cumbria were even worse.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Gary Neville (Greater Manchester).

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Jordan Hugill (North Yorkshire).

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NORTH DIVISION END-OF-SEASON STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Jamie Vardy	South Yorkshire	29
Danny Welbeck	Greater Manchester	25
Cameron Jerome	West Yorkshire	21
Zach Clough	Greater Manchester	19
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	19

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	19
Jamie Vardy	South Yorkshire	13
Marc Pugh	Lancashire	12
Aaron Lennon	West Yorkshire	11
Peter Pawlett	East Yorkshire	11
Josh Windass	East Yorkshire	11

MOST CLEAN SHEETS	COUNTY	CS’s
Lee Nicholls	Merseyside	21
Sam Johnstone	Lancashire	17
Keiren Westwood	Greater Manchester	17
Tom Heaton	Cheshire	15
Connor Ripley	North Yorkshire	15

BEST AVERAGE RATING	COUNTY	AV RAT
Marcus Rashford	Greater Manchester	7.75
Jamie Vardy	South Yorkshire	7.51
Michael Keane	Greater Manchester	7.46
Ben Mee	Greater Manchester	7.45
Ravel Morrison	Greater Manchester	7.41

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EAST DIVISION

ROUND 42 (1 April)

Two of the contenders for the East division’s remaining play-off berths went head-to-head in Derbyshire. It was Hertfordshire who struck first after 10 minutes, with Sheyi Ojo thundering in Nathan Byrne’s delivery from the right. The usually sharp Derbyshire attack was then blunted by some strong Herts defending as the visitors held firm for a vital win.

Nottinghamshire gave their hopes a massive shot in the arm with a 3-1 victory over Essex, which drew them level on points with Derbyshire. Left-back Tendayi Darikwa provided a goal and an assist as Essex went down to just their third defeat. It was a better afternoon for Bedfordshire, who secured 2nd by thumping Northamptonshire.

Jonson Clarke-Harris bagged a hat-trick as Leicestershire easily beat Lincolnshire to move into the top half. They replaced Cambridgeshire, who had drawn 0-0 with Suffolk. Norfolk left it until the 80th minute before Louis McIntosh broke through the Rutland defence in the battle of the bottom two.

ROUND 43 (8 April)

Kenny Jackett’s critics were now off his back (for the time being) after Hertfordshire secured 3rd with a 4-2 win over Bedfordshire. Cauley Woodrow led the way with a hat-trick before Ojo completed the hosts’ scoring. Less positively, midfielder Tom Carroll collected his third red card and would be banned from both legs of the first play-off round.

Nottinghamshire did all they could against Leicestershire, winning 3-0 against Leicestershire after a double from midfield marvel Tom Cairney. However, Derbyshire remained in 4th on goal difference after Mason Bennett struck in the 88th minute against a surprisingly resilient Rutland side.

Dwight Gayle added two more goals to a huge tally in Essex’s 2-1 away win over Suffolk. Patrick Bamford got three for Lincolnshire as they dismantled Norfolk, while Northamptonshire were denied victory in injury-time by Cambridgeshire midfielder Teddy Bishop.

ROUND 44 (15 April)

Derbyshire effectively wrapped up that last remaining play-off spot by making light work of Lincolnshire. Matt Lowton opened the floodgates in the fifth minute by firing in a Ben Osborn corner before Ashley Hunter helped himself to a hat-trick.

That result basically meant Nottinghamshire had to beat Suffolk 22-0 to sneak into the play-offs. They couldn’t even win 1-0 – their main goal threat Leon Best ending his season in disgrace after a stupid injury-time challenge on Suffolk’s Stuart O’Keefe. Essex would go into the play-offs in hot scoring form after putting four beyond Northamptonshire.

Rutland completed a whole season without victory after Bedfordshire recorded a Pyrrhic victory. Anderson scored both goals but then broke his foot, while Daniel Powell tore his hamstring, which meant both of Beds’ top attacking threats would miss the play-offs. Norfolk finished by beating Leicestershire 1-0, while Hertfordshire were similarly narrow victors over Cambridgeshire.

120 goals, 115 points – nobody could get near Essex in the East division this season. They finished 26 points clear of a badly-wounded Bedfordshire, who surprised everyone to finish 2nd. Hertfordshire would perhaps be in better shape for the play-offs, though, and Derbyshire had emerged as dark horses.

Nottinghamshire were unlucky to miss out, but they were the only team to come close to the top four. Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Northamptonshire were all erratic, Lincolnshire’s best form came far too late, and Norfolk were no-hopers from the start. Rutland only recorded five draws and 14 goals but had given their all with such limited resources.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Kenny Jackett (Hertfordshire).

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Keshi Anderson (Bedfordshire).

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EAST DIVISION END-OF-SEASON STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Dwight Gayle	Essex	38
Keshi Anderson	Bedfordshire	31
Ashley Hunter	Derbyshire	29
Chris Martin	Suffolk	27
Cauley Woodrow	Hertfordshire	24

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Benik Afobe	Essex	17
Harvey Barnes	Leicestershire	17
Cauley Woodrow	Hertfordshire	16
Ivan Toney	Northamptonshire	15
Alex Pritchard	Essex	15

MOST CLEAN SHEETS	COUNTY	CS’s
Daniel Bentley	Essex	22
Lee Camp	Derbyshire	18
Scott Loach	Nottinghamshire	18
John Ruddy	Cambridgeshire	17
David Button	Hertfordshire	16

BEST AVERAGE RATING	COUNTY	AV RAT
Dwight Gayle	Essex	8.00
Ashley Hunter	Derbyshire	7.67
Benik Afobe	Essex	7.65
Alex Pritchard	Essex	7.61
Keshi Anderson	Bedfordshire	7.42

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SOUTH DIVISION

ROUND 42 (1 April)

Surrey might’ve been out of the play-offs, but they would still have a big impact on the South’s title race. Craig Tanner converted a clinical penalty in the 22nd minute after a handball from South London midfielder Kasey Palmer. Seven minutes later, Tanner provided an assist for winger Callum Harriott, who gave Surrey a shock 2-0 win over the leaders.

North London moved to the front after Harry Kane’s brace left Kent having to settle for 3rd place. The race for 4th was also becoming more clear-cut, as Buckinghamshire’s 2-0 win over West Sussex kept them in the ascendancy. Berkshire only drew 3-3 in Oxfordshire, which meant they needed to win their remaining games to have any chance.

A 3-0 win over Wiltshire proved in vain for Hampshire, whose slim play-off hopes had been erased by Bucks’ victory. It did, though, contribute to Wilts falling to 11th place. East Sussex had overtaken the Moonrakers by outsmarting the Isle of Wight.

ROUND 43 (8 April)

A 1-1 draw in Kent got the job done for Buckinghamshire, who got their hands on the South’s last play-off ticket. Bucks playmaker Dele Alli produced an impressive shot from distance in the fifth minute. Though Ben Thompson came up with an even more spectacular one later in the first half, it couldn’t inspire a Kent comeback.

North London edged closer to lifting the divisional title by seeing off Wiltshire with goals from centre-back Curtis Davies and star striker Kane. Indeed, they would’ve been handed the trophy there and then had Junior Stanislas not pinched a last-minute equaliser for South London against Oxfordshire.

Charlie Austin got his second brace in as many weekends as Berkshire won 4-2 over Hampshire, though the hosts would soon be told that their efforts were for nothing. West Sussex completed a clean sweep of derby wins over East Sussex, and the Isle of Wight’s final home game was a single-goal loss to Surrey.

ROUND 44 (15 April)

It’s been a triffic season for Harry Redknapp’s North London, who got the South division championship their efforts deserved. A 4-0 victory over Hampshire – in which Kane assisted three of the goals – secured the spoils. Jermain Defoe scored twice, with wingers Raheem Sterling and Alex Iwobi also finding the target.

South London needed to beat Berkshire to have any chance of being crowned champions. As it was, they folded in Reading, with Harry Arter’s 73rd-minute penalty only clawing back half of a two-goal first-half deficit. Kent won 3-0 in East Sussex to head into the play-offs with renewed confidence.

Matt Phillips struck nine minutes from time as Buckinghamshire finished the regular season by beating Wiltshire. Oxfordshire saved one of their best performances for last, beating the Isle of Wight 3-0, but Gareth Southgate’s West Sussex departed with a whimper by losing 2-0 in Surrey.

The Championship’s most competitive title race ended with North London pipping South London by five points. Both teams will be strongly fancied in the play-offs, though Kent could also go far if their excellent form since December suggests anything. Buckinghamshire will be among the outsiders, having only been tipped for a mid-table finish in pre-season.

While Berkshire will be satisfied at having come close to the play-offs, Hampshire will be hugely disappointed at only finishing 6th. West Sussex did surprisingly well to come 7th, ahead of the likes of Surrey and Oxfordshire. East Sussex and Wiltshire were never expected to do much, while the Isle of Wight will always remember that one victory.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Harry Redknapp (North London).

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Charlie Austin (Berkshire).

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SOUTH DIVISION END-OF-SEASON STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Harry Kane	North London	35
Jermain Defoe	North London	34
Charlie Austin	Berkshire	31
Conor Washington	Kent	27
Simon Church	Buckinghamshire	21
Danny Ings	Hampshire	21

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Raheem Sterling	North London	20
Harry Kane	North London	16
Dean Cox	West Sussex	14
Danny Ings	Hampshire	14
Callum Harriott	Surrey	13
Glen Johnson	Kent	13

MOST CLEAN SHEETS	COUNTY	CS’s
Matt Ingram	Buckinghamshire	19
Rob Elliot	South London	18
George Legg	Berkshire	18
Neil Etheridge	Hampshire	17
Lawrence Vigouroux	North London	17

BEST AVERAGE RATING	COUNTY	AV RAT
Harry Kane	North London	7.92
Jermain Defoe	North London	7.91
Raheem Sterling	North London	7.54
Jason Puncheon	South London	7.51
Ryan Mason	North London	7.45

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WEST DIVISION

ROUND 42 (1 April)

Despite having wrapped up the West title, Staffordshire showed no remorse as they savaged Bristol in Stoke-on-Trent. A couple of clumsy fouls from Scott Golbourne and Alfie Jones gave the hosts two penalties, both of which Andre Gray converted. Midfielders Kemar Roofe and Morgan Gibbs-White were also on target in a 4-1 trouncing of Keith Curle’s Bristolians.

A distraught Bristol side returned to their dressing room to find that they were still heading to the play-offs, their place having been secured by Shropshire’s 0-0 draw in Cornwall. Somerset were also home and dry, with Ashley Barnes’ four-goal haul overwhelming Devon and seeing his team up to 3rd place.

The West Midlands trailed twice to Dorset, but Callum Wilson’s 79th-minute goal got them the win that put the seal on 2nd place. Worcestershire feasted on some Herefordshire beef, with Kyle Wootton and Joe Lolley each striking twice. Warwickshire vs Gloucestershire was a more competitive match, which finished 1-1.

ROUND 43 (8 April)

Shropshire had thrown their play-off place away, and there would be more frustration for Bernard McNally in his team’s last home match of the season. Steven Fletcher had given them the edge over Dorset after 20 minutes, but Jayden Stockley replied with a couple of goals for Eddie Howe’s visitors.

Bristol regained 3rd place with a 1-0 win over Herefordshire, in which Lloyd James converted a penalty after team-mate Jacob Maddox was upended by Shane Sutton. They went two points ahead of Somerset, who lost defender Tyrone Mings to a red card in a goalless draw with Cornwall. Mings now had to sit out the first round of the play-offs.

Staffordshire didn’t take their foot off the accelerator in Gloucestershire, winning 4-2 despite some resistance from the hosts late on. Craig Gardner’s injury-time penalty saved the West Midlands from a surprise defeat to Warwickshire, and Sam Gallagher’s hat-trick saved Devon a draw in Worcestershire.

ROUND 44 (15 April)

Staffordshire’s 24-match undefeated streak could not have ended at a worse moment. In their final match before the play-offs, they conceded a first-half hat-trick to West Midlands captain Troy Deeney after Gibbs-White had opened the scoring. Midfield creator Ryan Woods halved the 3-1 deficit after the break, but has that defeat done irreversible damage to the Staffies’ self-belief?

Bristol came home in 3rd place after bagging a second-half treble against Gloucestershire, whose manager Ian Holloway was left speechless for once. Centre-back Luke Wilkinson had the last word in Somerset’s regular season, securing a 1-0 win over Dorset.

Will Grigg Jamie Paterson was on fire for Warwickshire against Shropshire, who were still wondering why it had all gone SO wrong since February. Herefordshire’s late-season form had also been pretty bad, and it ended with a 2-0 defeat to Devon. Wootton got the final goal of the league season to earn Worcestershire a point in Cornwall.

I think a few people will be surprised that Staffordshire won the division ahead of the West Midlands, let alone that they won it by 13 points. Bristol’s late run to 3rd place will be even more of a surprise to some. They’ll hope to pull up more trees in the play-offs, as will Somerset’s fearsome attacking line.

Shropshire and Warwickshire were both in the top four by mid-December, but both endured rotten second halves to the season. Gloucestershire, Dorset and Worcestershire will perhaps wonder if they could’ve come closer to cracking the top half. Devon fell apart so spectacularly that they sacked manager Tom Curtis, while Cornwall narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, which went to Herefordshire.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Sam Allardyce (West Midlands).

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Sam Gallagher (Devon).

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WEST DIVISION END-OF-SEASON STATS

MOST GOALS	COUNTY	GOALS
Troy Deeney	West Midlands	33
Ashley Barnes	Somerset	22
Steven Fletcher	Shropshire	22
Will Grigg	Warwickshire	21
Sam Gallagher	Devon	19

MOST ASSISTS	COUNTY	ASSISTS
Scott Sinclair	Somerset	14
Jordan Graham	Warwickshire	12
Josh Sims	Somerset	12
Andre Gray	Staffordshire	11
Will Grigg	Warwickshire	11

MOST CLEAN SHEETS	COUNTY	CS’s
Jack Butland	Bristol	23
Matthew Jones	Staffordshire	20
Ben Hamer	Somerset	18
Joe Hart	Shropshire	17
Carl Ikeme	West Midlands	16

BEST AVERAGE RATING	COUNTY	AV RAT
Troy Deeney	West Midlands	7.81
Craig Gardner	West Midlands	7.56
Scott Sinclair	Somerset	7.36
Ryan Woods	Staffordshire	7.35
Ashley Barnes	Somerset	7.34

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PLAY-OFFS ROUND 1 DRAW

The remaining 16 teams will now go into a fixed play-off bracket. The first round will see each divisional champion play against a team that finished 4th, while 2nd-placed and 3rd-placed teams will meet each other. The higher-ranked team in each tie will play the first leg away and the second leg at home.

So here’s how they’ll line up:

I’m sure plenty of people will be looking forward to a potential Quarter Final between Greater Manchester and South London… but there are a couple of teams who have other ideas. The Londoners are up against a Bristol side with a proven giant-killing record, while the Mancs have to be wary of Derbyshire’s creative threat.

The West Midlands’ inconsistent form is a concern as they head into a couple of difficult encounters with South Yorkshire’s potent strike force. Whoever comes through that will likely meet Essex in the last eight, provided that the East champions’ goals don’t dry up against Buckinghamshire.

North London will need to stay focussed against a Somerset team who won’t be fazed by their greater quality. West Yorkshire’s quest to reach a second Final at Wembley begins against Hertfordshire in a match that’s probably too close to call.

The bottom quarter is perhaps the most open. Staffordshire will be favourites to beat Merseyside, though the Scousers’ strong big-game mentalities could help them spring a surprise. Kent will certainly fancy their chances of scalping a weakened Bedfordshire side.

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And there you have it. Our sweet 16 have been confirmed, and everybody knows what their potential route to Wembley is. So who do you think will reach the Final? Feel free to let me know by leaving a comment below or tweeting me @Fuller_FM.

I’ll be back next week with two play-off updates – one on Monday with the first-round results, and another on Wednesday with results from the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals.