They're going down like dominoes now. Following on from the expected departure of the Danes two weeks ago, there was far more surprise when Portman Arms announced on Monday night that they too had decided to call it a day.

Despite a somewhat chaotic start to their Sportsmans League existence before Christmas that left them pointless coming into 2007, they seemed to have turned the corner with impressive victories against both the doomed Danes and ourselves in January. But a disappointing 4-1 defeat in the big relegation six-pointer against Welham Athletic knocked the stuffing out of them, and after a 3-1 loss to Sands End, the Arms conceded their next two games before a permanent end was made official this week.

That makes it two teams below Logica in the table that have folded in quick succession. Perhaps it is the embarrassment, but whilst we remain in ninth spot, there are now just two remaining teams separating us from the drop: Lansdown, against whom our match two Sundays ago was postponed, and Welham, whom we face this week in a vital double-header. Portman's retirement has certainly done us no favours, expunging from the record our only on-field victory in this stop-start campaign along with eight of our already meagre tally of goals-for.

All of which leaves Sunday's pair of matches as possibly the most important during Groom's long tenure, certainly the most pressurised since we faced fellow relegation strugglers Everyman in what was billed as a sudden-death Division Two eliminator back in 2004. Logica triumphed 4-1 that day, despite going a goal down early doors, and went on to complete a miraculous Houdiniesque escape from what had seemed certain relegation. The same kind of team spirit and will to win will be required on Sunday.

From a mandarinal perspective, the sad demise of the Danes and the Arms has at least eased some of the fixture pressure in what is rapidly descending into a farcical season. Only two Sportmans League matches escaped the torriential rain two weeks ago, whilst last Sunday also found many games postponed due to waterlogged pitches. In fact the only Division Two match to be played since our last round-up was this week's double header between Sands End and Charing Cross. After End nicked a close-fought opener by the odd goal in three, Charing fell apart in the second match and were thrahed 5-0. This at least puts Logica's double-header efforts against the victors in a much better light, but we can't help feeling that Sands End's second place, just two points behind Varsovia, is a smidgin on the flattering side.

[See the Results Grid for the results of all Division Two teams this season.]

25 February: Division Two Results
Fulham United P-P South West Alliance
Kew Green P-P Sands End
Logica P-P Lansdown
Portman Arms P-P Welham Athletic
Varsovia 'A' P-P Charing Cross

04 March: Division Two Results
Charing Cross 1-2 Sands End
Sands End 5-0 Charing Cross
Old Sergeant P-P Welham Athletic
South West Alliance P-P Kew Green

11 March: Division Two Fixtures
Fulham United v Kew Green
Welham Athletic v Logica
Logica v Welham Athletic
South West Alliance v Varsovia 'A'

18 March: Division Two Fixtures
Lansdown v Fulham United
Logica v Spectra
Varsovia 'A' v Old Sergeant
Welham Athletic v Kew Green

25 March: Division Two Fixtures
Charing Cross v South West Alliance
Old Sergeant v Spectra