ADAMSTOWN Rosebud face the busiest end to the season - four games in 14 days - of any team in Northern NSW NPL.
And coach Chris Moylan is confident the famous club will be standing tall at the end of it.
Rosebud are one of four sides in a battle to avoid relegation.
They sit in 10th place on 17 points, ahead of Kahibah on goal difference, and are three points clear of Charlestown Azzurri.
The Buds also have extra game to play.
Newcastle Olympic are ninth on 21 points, but with only two games to play, are not safe.
The 12th-placed team drops to League One next season and is replaced by the premiers of the second division.
The NPL team in 11th faces a play-off with teams placed second to fourth in League One.
Adamstown meet Valentine (22 points) in a catch-up game at home on Saturday (2pm) before three games in seven days against Cooks Hill (home), Weston (away) and Belmont Swansea (a).
"We are just taking it one game at a time," Moylan said. "I know it's a cliche, but we'll get through the weekend's game first.
"Then we will worry about the following weekend and see where we sit.
"The way the competition is, if you win two games, you jump three spots.
"We could finish anywhere from eighth to 11th.
"We are obviously confident that we are going to survive. You have to have that level of confidence.
"But we are also realistic enough to know we have to play out our best for the next two weeks. That puts added pressure on the players."
Adamstown accounted for Valentine 3-0 at Croudace Bay in their previous encounter.
"We beat them last time. If we can again, that eases the pressure," he said. "Then we have a big grudge match against Cooks Hill."
Charlestown Azzurri are bottom of the ladder on 14 points and face the toughest assignment. They need to win at least two of their games against top-four clubs Maitland (a), Edgeworth (h) and Broadmeadow (a).
Kahibah (11th on 17 points) meet Maitland (h), Broadmeadow (a) and Cooks Hill (h).
Olympic are four points above the relegation zone on 21 points but only have two games remaining against Valentine (h) and Lambton (a).
The promotion-relegation pyramid was introduced in 2024.
Rosebud won a play-off against Toronto to stay up in the first season.
Though stressful, Moylan is an advocate for format.
"The stress is enormous," Moylan said. "The players feel the pressure. As soon as we're in the dressing sheds after a game, they have all got their phones on. They are all watching games.
"As a coach, it's one of the hardest things to do is to get them to perform at their peak without feeling the pressure.
"Most people who have played the game or are coaching are in favor of promotion and relegation."
At the other end of the ladder, Magic only need one more win to secure the premiership. They played Cooks Hill on Friday night and meet Kahibah (h) and Azzurri (h).
Cooks Hill (29 points) are the only side capable of forcing their way into the top five.
Cookers are a win behind Belmont Swansea and Edgeworth. They would need to win two of their three games (Magic, Rosebud and Kahibah) and have other results go their way.
Lake Macquarie are the frontrunners for promotion from League One.
They are on 34 points, equal with Wallsend, but the Roosters play the bottom three teams Singleton (h), South Cardiff (a) and Toronto (h).
The Gunners are last on 11 points, two points point behind the Stags.
The bottom-placed team is relegated.
THE RUN IN
Olympic (21 points): Valentine (h), Jaffas (a)
Rosebud (17 points): Valentine (h), Cooks Hill (h), Wesron (a), Belswans (a)
Kahibah (17 points): Maitland (h), Magic (a), Cooks Hill (h)
Azzurri (14 points): Edgeworth (h), Maitland (a), Magic (a)
Pointscore: Magic 43, Weston 36, Maitland 33, Belswans 32, Edgeworth 32, Cooks Hill 29, Jaffas 22, Valentine 22, Olympic 21, Rosebud 17, Kahibah 17, Azzurri 14.
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