WHILE Hereford United have a particularly hard run-in in their bid for promotion from the Nationwide Conference, they are by no means alone in facing some difficult matches among their final fixtures.

The Bulls have three extremely attractive home fixtures to round off the season with visits from Chester, Barnet and Shrewsbury, all of whom sit comfortably at present in the top four. But trips to Margate, Halifax and Leigh RMI are certainly winnable, on paper at least, although the Easter Monday visit to Aldershot's Recreation Ground will be an extremely tough test.

Leaders Chester have some testing games to come with visits which they will not relish to Barnet, Accrington and Shrewsbury as well as their final day trip to Hereford. They must also take on this season's unpredictable FA Cup giantkillers Telford United and Scarborough and play host to Exeter and Aldershot.

Aldershot and Exeter must both take on Shrewsbury and Chester in away matches while Shrewsbury, as well as facing Chester, must also make the short journey across Shropshire to take on Telford. That will almost certainly not be a game for the faint-hearted, although the Bucks' prospects of making the play-offs have all but disappeared.

Morecambe, who are now outsiders to make the top five, will play host to Shrewsbury on the last day of the season in a match which could yet have the same significance for the play-offs as all Bulls fans will be hoping Chester's final day visit to Edgar Street has for the title.

The runs-in for the current top seven clubs are:

CHESTER CITY

Barnet (a)

Accrington (a)

Aldershot Town (h)

Exeter City (h)

Shrewsbury Town (a)

Scarborough (h)

Hereford United (a)

Telford United (a)

HEREFORD UNITED

Margate (a)

Shrewsbury Town (h)

Halifax Town (a)

Barnet (h)

Aldershot Town (a)

Leigh RMI (a)

Chester City (h)

ALDERSHOT TOWN

Scarborough (h)

Shrewsbury Town (a)

Stevenage Borough (h)

Chester City (a)

Woking (a)

Hereford United (h)

Forest Green Rovers (a)

Tamworth (h)

BARNET

Chester City (h)

Forest Green Rovers (a)

Shrewsbury Town (h)

Scarborough (h)

Hereford United (a)

Burton Albion (h)

Northwich Victoria (a)

Leigh RMI (h)

SHREWSBURY TOWN

Gravesend & Northfleet (h)

Aldershot Town (h)

Hereford United (a)

Barnet (a)

Exeter City (h)

Telford United (a)

Farnborough Town (a)

Chester City (h)

Stevenage Borough (h)

Morecambe (a)

EXETER CITY

Morecambe (a)

Scarborough (a)

Leigh RMI (h)

Shrewsbury Town (a)

Chester City (a)

Woking (h)

Tamworth (a)

Accrington Stanley (h)

STEVENAGE BOROUGH

Accrington Stanley (a)

Morecambe (h)

Aldershot Town (a)

Scarborough (a)

Northwich Victoria (a)

Margate (h)

Shrewsbury Town (a)

Forest Green Rovers (h)