As I sit in my cold university room writing this, I glance at my watch and realise that it is precisely 52 minutes until Swansea University’s finest footballers board the coach for their final league game of this season, a game of monumental significance. A game which will decide which tier of football our first team will be playing in next year. A game which will take the lads to a fine Glamorgan pitch against an undoubtedly skilled opposition, to do battle for the last 90 minutes of this league season. This game will be the biggest game of some of these players university careers, and although the nerves must be building, they should take heart from the fact that over 130 members of this football club will be tentatively waiting, watching and hoping that the team they have followed all year, the team that flies the flag of Swansea University football, will emerge victorious and secure another fine season in the highest tier of university football. We can’t make predictions on the result but the only thing for certain is that there will certainly be blood, sweat and (hopefully not too many) tears.

The team that coach Bowen fields tonight will almost certainly reflect the performance of his players this year, and the ones that do play will need to conjure up the performance of the season to emerge victorious in this relegation clash. A certainty to start will be the superb Luke Martin. A player who has been ever present this season and arguably the finest goalkeeper ever to play in the green and white, Martin has impressed his teammates, fans and pundits alike with some heroic performances. He may well be called upon at key moments tonight, and this writer is sure that he will come up with the goods when needed.

The back four, which has been inpenetrable all season, will most likely consist of the lightening-quick LB Hydes, lion heart CB Batley, Beckenbauer-esque captain Parsons and solid-as-a-rock RB Davey. The back four have produced some outstanding team performances so far this year and between the 5 players I have mentioned so far, a clean sheet tonight is well within their grasp.

The most likely formation Bowen will adopt includes three players in the centre; each of which has held an integral role to the success of the 1st team this season and all three have impressed in their individual way. Signing of the season Adam Price has brought an entirely new dimension to the first team with his creativity and sublime first touch – quite possibly one of the most complete midfielders in the league. His partner in crime Harry Tobin has mopped up magnificently in the centre all season, but he brings more to the game than just dirty work – his long range pinging has been magnificent and on several occasions this player has started dangerous counter attacks with his touch-and-spray technique. Joining them in the centre is Sam Rose-Miles, a player that brings a touch of class to the squad. The long-haired wizard has a thoughtful approach to the game, and his clever first touch has left many an opponent baffled this season, before he executes a serene pass through the defence to one of his well-positioned teammates.

Although it is unclear who Bowen will opt to start in his attacking line tonight, versatile and pacy attacking midfielder Jack McKenna is sure to start should he be fit. The midfielder has found new ways to amaze each week with his flair and ingenuity, and a big performance from him tonight could secure safety in the BUCS prem. Striker John Roberts is also a likely inclusion. Having been snapped up from the 2nd team early this season, Roberts has done nothing but impress with his dashing dribbles, quick feet and vicious shooting. Another option for Bowen tonight could be James Pickup, who has recently broken back into the squad and can be absolutely unplayable on his day. The target man provides unrivalled strength and aerial presence and should the team require some more direct play, he is your man.

Also included in tonight’s squad is former varsity hero Matt Hibbs, a player who is set to make only his second appearance this season for the first team, but will forever be remembered for his 2011 varsity screamer which brought Swansea level, from which point they went on to produce a famous victory in the penalty shootout. A big game player if we’ve ever had one. Another strategy for Bowen could be to deploy tireless midfielder Keefe in front of his back four, where he will no doubt turn in a typical tenacious display. Keefe is a player that the coach can count on to give everything in the tank no matter what the occasion, and what better game could there be for a player with such good work rate to make his mark on the game.

Second team players Dan Chalk and Morgan Norey have been called up too, and deservedly so. These players have impressed no end in training and are more than up to the challenge if called upon tonight.

So there’s your team news for tonight. All that is left to do is watch and wait on the spectacle of the season. Tonight is the game that the entire year has boiled down to. 90 minutes of football, the most important 90 minutes you will play in your university careers. First teamers, you know you are good enough, you know you’ve got what it takes to come back with the win tonight. Not because you have been handed it, but because you have earned it. The time is now, to get out there and show the entire league why you deserve to compete at the highest tier of university football. The time is now, to stand up and be counted.