The top five prospects of TTU, Churchill, Heyfield and Rosedale are on the line this Saturday in North Gippsland Football.

The Kangaroos and Blues are equal on wins and will meet in what will be a classic showdown at Heyfield Recreation Reserve, with the victor to be handed a small amount of breathing space as the race for a prized finals berth enters the final month of the home and away season.

It's a mouth watering round of matches, with the competitions top two sides to face one another in one of the biggest clashes ahead of finals.

Premiership contenders SALE CITY and GLENGARRY will be eager to claim bragging rights in the top of the table showdown.

Undefeated and poised to claim the minor premiership title, Sale City coach Nick Hider knows the challenge that awaits his side if they are to extend their winning streak beyond 20 matches.

The reigning premiers have conquered all before them in the past two seasons, with their last loss coming at the hands of Gormandale in round 16 of 2010.

Since that day the Dogs have dominated the competition but Hider isn't getting too far ahead of himself.

"We have been travelling along well, our strength this season has been built on the back of strong performances from a number of reserves players who have been performing very well in the absence of players such as Joel Brayshaw and Justin McLay who haven't played for the past four weeks," said Hider.

"People think that it is our top players that get us over the line each week, but it has been the strength of these second tier players which has laid the foundations for us this season.

"The guys have been carrying some good form over the past weeks, but we still have some that are under the pump to improve their performances in coming weeks as we look to regain Matt Lutze, Brayshaw and McLay which will put pressure on all to hold their spot ahead of finals."

Meeting second placed Glengarry ahead of an interesting month which will see the Dogs contest two matches in a month will provide coaching staff with an opportunity to fine tune game plans.

"We're really looking forward to the match, we managed to get the jump on them early in our first encounter but they kept with us there after in a fairly even contest.

"They certainly hang around and we didn't have it all our way, we need to ensure that our back six are on their game against their key forwards while their on-ballers are as good as anyone going around its going to be a big test."

Glengarry coach Josh King is keeping coy re his side's chances of coming away with the points.

"Its going to be a tough ask if we are to be any sort of hope we can't afford to perform nothing short of our best.

"We are really looking forward to having another crack of them, we didn't think that we had a good shot last time, they restricted our ability to play our game and full credit to them they were very impressive.

"I have been happy with our efforts over the last few weeks we have really turned a corner and need to continue to step up as we move towards finals.

"We will need to pull together a four quarter effort to roll them, if we can claim the prized scalp coming into finals it would certainly give our players confidence ahead of finals," said King.

With four rounds remaining, it shapes to be a thrilling climax to the home and away season with HEYFIELD and ROSEDALE among four sides vying for the final positions in the five.

Aiming to secure their first finals appearance under coach Adrian Cox, the Kangaroos will have to dispose of last season's Grand Finalists Rosedale to maintain their strangle hold on sixth position as they close in on TTU and Churchill who sit one game clear in the five.

Returning to finals action for the first time in a number of seasons it was the Blues that ironically squashed Heyfield's chances of defending their title in 2010, with the Kangaroos now appearing poised to halt Rosedale's finals ambitions.

COWWARR will return to the field after the weeks break, with the third placed Saints all but guaranteed the prized double chance week one of finals.

The Saints will play host to STRATFORD with the Swans coming off the back of a heavy 71 point defeat at the hands of Rosedale.

In their current form it is hard to look past Cowwarr to seal their eleventh win.

GORMANDALE's Wayne Henry will run out in his 200th club match for the yellow and black with the Tigers to meet a hungry CHURCHILL line-up in the battle of the big cats.

Coming off the back of what may be a season defining victory over TTU last Saturday, Cougars coach Tim Darby is fully aware his chargers destiny is in their own hands.

"We are basically in a position now that if we win the next three we will play finals it is that simple," said Darby.

The Cougars coach isn't getting too far ahead of himself but is confident a turn around in the side's attitude and mindset will continue to serve his team well.

"We can't afford to take any of the coming results for granted, we were tested first time round against the likes of Gormandale and Stratford so we cant afford to look too far ahead to the clash against Heyfield," said Darby.

"Throughout the season we have suffered five to 10 minute lapses in all games against the top sides through to the bottom where our lose of concentration have proved costly with opposition scoring quickly against us.

"This is reflective of the side still adjusting to a totally new game plan and structure this season, which isn't second nature yet. We tend to slip back to what we have done in the past, that's when it costs us.

"To be honest we have dropped three where we have been in winning positions, on paper you would like to think that we should have beaten those sides.

"If we can stick to what we are trying to achieve then we will do well, the ball is in our court and it is up to us."

TTU has one of the toughest runs home with clashes against two of the top three Glengarry and Cowwarr in the final fortnight of the competition.

With a tough month ahead the Bombers can ill afford to drop the points against their name sake the BOISDALE/BRIAGOLONG Bombers if they are to secure a finals berth for the first time in seven seasons.

Occupying a position in the top half of the ladder for the majority of the season, plenty hinges on TTU claiming the points and with so much at stake the Bombers should rise to the occasion and confirm their hold on fourth place.

WOODSIDE has the BYE.

By Lauren Carey