A brace from top scorer Jonathan Margetts followed James Blunden's earlier header to record a 3-0 victory over Yaxley while events elsewhere also transpired in Stamford's favour. With third-placed Halesowen being held to a home draw by Sutton Coldfield, Stamford leapfrogged the Yeltz and are now in the driving seat to secure home advantage for the play-off semi-finals.

League leaders Ilkeston were also beaten by Shepshed Dynamo and second-placed Chasetown were held at home by Sporting Khalsa. It means that if Ilkeston lose their final game of the season at Wisbech on Saturday and Chasetown fail to beat Spalding then Stamford will be crowned champions if they beat Carlton Town with the Daniels having a superior goal difference to the top two.

They were made to work hard for Monday's success on the 3G surface at Yaxley who frustrated Stamford for large parts of the first half. Manager Graham Drury had made four changes to his starting line-up as he continues to keep his full-strength squad fresh for the promotion run-in. Dan Wallis returned in goal with Dan Haystead unavailable while Blunden, Mike Armstrong and Rob Morgan all came into the starting line-up for Sean Wright, Jake Duffy and Margetts.

Yaxley defended in numbers in the first half as Stamford struggled to find a way through the home rearguard. Morgan flashed an early chance wide before Jack Duffy saw an acrobatic effort go just past the Yaxley goal. The frustration continued throughout the first period with Yaxley taking their time to wind down the clock and disrupt any momentum that Stamford tried to put together.

However, that all changed after the break as Stamford came out on the front foot and created several early opportunities. Marshall Willock went close with a header from a corner before Morgan burst clear down the right only to lift his shot over the home goal.

A goal looked to be coming though and it arrived in the 50th minute as Blunden marked his first full game in seven weeks by heading home from Connor Bartle's corner. The opening goal forced Yaxley to come out of their defensive shell but they rarely threatened the Daniels goal as Stamford kept their seventh clean sheet from the last eight games.

The returning Wallis got down well to hold onto a shot from Matt Sparrow in his only serious save of the afternoon. The contest was then put beyond the hosts as Margetts marked his introduction just past the hour mark with a timely goal double.

He showed all his striking instincts with eight minutes of the contest remaining as he reacted first to tap home a rebound after Bartle's free-kick had been spilled by Yaxley goalkeeper Harry Hogg. The stand-in Cuckoos custodian had been jubilant in front of the Stamford fans when Yaxley recorded a 2-1 win at the Zeeco Stadium in December.

But he was grasping at thin air again in the first minute of injury-time as Margetts arrowed a perfectly struck free-kick into the bottom corner of the home net to seal Stamford's success. It has been a season of twists and turns for the Daniels and all eyes are now on the final day of the campaign to see which destination the league title is heading for.