Battle for the top four headlines pivotal Blackmore-Bolden Shield round 17

Only two rounds are left in the regular season of the Blackmore-Bolden Shield, with the race for top four positioning truly hitting its climax as several teams finals aspirations will be snuffed out this weekend.

In what has been one of the tightest competitions in recent memories, lets give you a rundown of the critical fixtures taking place on Saturday.

Without a doubt, this is a huge game for both teams if they wish to play finals football.

Milton have obviously been struggling in recent times due to a variety of factors, but if their luck is to turn then it'll definitely be on their home ground where they have been sound all season.

Coming off a heartbreaking draw against Culburra the Panthers will be coming into the weekend determined to flip the script.

Basin have had a nice fortnight to prepare for the clash, but without the services of Fraser Macqueen it'll be even harder to grab those three points.

The Dragons have been very solid all year but quite shaky on the road, with two wins, one draw and four losses, it will be a challenge against a hungry Panthers team.

Get ready for a truly hard fought and gritty performance as both teams strive to put their best foot forward at Lighthouse Oval.

The minor-premiership is on the line for the Sharks in this weekend's clash against the Cougars, which they will look to win on their home ground.

Culburra would have secured a place in finals football with a victory against Milton last week but the end result dictated otherwise.

Earlier this season the sides met for a draw at 1-1, if this were to happen again Heads would go to 36 points and if Huskisson claimed a win over Manyana, they could also grab the minor premiership.

Heads have been rock solid all year and it would be a rare sight to see them drop two in a row so Culburra will definitely have their work cut out for them.

It is a game the Cougars have to grab if they want some breathing room heading into the final round next week.

Passion may drive tempers to flair in this clash of two strong sides.

This is a massive fixture in the race for the top four as both sides seasons hang in the balance.

Both teams are coming off big wins with Illaroo dispatching Manyana while Bomaderry were able to overcome the streaking Sharks with one of their best performances of the year.

Illaroo went down in their last meeting but have been strong all year at Sharman Park, having only dropped one game so far but the side must win their last two matches to reach the 30 point mark and secure a finals berth.

Bomaderry have experienced a rejuvenated second-half of the season and have been playing some electric football in recent times.

This has the feel of a clash that will come down the closing minutes to be decided and you can be sure the tensions will be high between the two sides looking to keep their seasons alive.

Manyana do notoriously have a home field advantage with their unorthodox side providing more than a few upsets in their time as club, however going up against the well-oiled machine that is Huskisson may prove too difficult.

It was a close affair last time with Manyana leading 2-0 at halftime before the Seagulls pulled off five goals in the second frame of play to break the hearts of the Wanderers.

With the chance of the minor-premiership still in reach, I think Huskisson will put together a true 90-minute performance which could spell bad news for Manyana.

Manyana will also have to play both grades on the weekend which will make the task of a win even harder as fatigue is sure to catch up with them.

Huskisson may be in for a big one.

The Shoalhaven United Bears have the bye this week which halts their chances at striving for the finals.