Cove Rangers will try to secure the Highland League title by April 7 after requesting a fixture list that will see them play four games in a week.
John Sheran’s side will play four games in the space of seven days from March 31 to April 7 but league fixtures secretary Rod Houston insisted the league had not forced the issue.
Houston said: “Cove offered to play those four games within a week to try and help with the backlog, with games on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
“I had reservations about doing that, I’m not keen on it, but great credit to Rothes for agreeing to play Cove on Monday, April 2. They accepted that it would help the situation.” Cove will win the title if they win their six matches between tomorrow and April 7 but Houston has warned that Sheran’s players still face a congested finale.
He said: “We still have two Cove Rangers games, against Forres Mechanics and Nairn County, to pick up.
“But in a really serious situation they could still be worked into the equation before April 14.”
After announcing the latest tranche of fixtures Houston revealed that the task of identifying a league champion before the deadline of April 14 is a major challenge and has hinted that extending the campaign is a possibility.
Houston said: “Fixture rescheduling is a moving feast because the way the weather has been we are trying to get the League Cup completed in time and we also have to be aware of the deadline for the pyramid play-off.
“That still remains Saturday, April 14, and that is a challenge.
“It has been a challenging task.
“I was sitting down yesterday with a 52-game backlog for rescheduling after the League Cup semi-finals.
“Two things were certain. Firstly it was going to be desperately tight to identify the champions in time and, secondly, there was an inevitable overrun to the season, but I’m hoping to contain that overrun to the month of April.
“I am just taking it step by step but we have some clubs with very few catch-up games and other clubs with quite a lot.
“What is inevitable, however we choose to reschedule, it will be inconvenient for one club or another but we have had to try and make sure that the critical games which will allow us to identify the league champions are played by April 14.”