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Cambridge United lost 6-1 at Peterborough in November [Getty Images]
The late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was once quoted as saying that even a documentary is a kind of fiction, but ahead of Saturday's derby against Peterborough United, Cambridge United fans are having to face a cold, hard fact.
Just days after the club announced it will be filmed for a CBS documentary series, they are running out of time to save themselves from having to play League Two football next season.
And although defeat by Posh might not be a terminal blow, being at least 12 points from safety with just nine games left would require an improbable escape act.
This season has not gone according to plan for Peterborough either – and perched just above the relegation places, they cannot afford to show any generosity to their county rivals.
The documentary plan was agreed before Cambridge boss Neil Harris returned to the club last month for a second spell in charge, so does he have reservations about potential distractions in the final weeks of the campaign?
"I think it's wonderful," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "It's the modern way, isn't it, trying to boost your football club around the world.
"It's a great opportunity to get Cambridge United's name out there. As I understand it, it's not going to overly affect the changing room, or me personally, on a daily basis - it's not fly on the wall with people in the changing room, it's not going to be that at all.
"Yes, there'll be some interaction with myself and the group at times but it's more based on Cambridge United as a football club, (owners) Paul Barry and Mark Green's involvement and also the wider community and how much we do as a club."
- Listen to full BBC Cambridgeshire interview with Neil Harris
- Full interview with Peterborough's Darren Ferguson
- Cambridge United to feature in TV documentary series
- Harris rejoins struggling Cambridge as head coach
Derby games provide a 'clean slate'
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Neil Harris replaced Garry Monk as Cambridge United head coach in February [Getty Images]
Harris' re-appointment a year after leaving the Cledara Abbey Stadium just two months into his first spell in charge to become boss at former club Millwall may have caused one or two eyebrows to be raised.
But it had the effect of an immediate 'bounce', with wins over Stockport County and Crawley Town giving U's supporters renewed belief.
It was only two years ago that Cambridge - then under former boss, now director of football, Mark Bonner - beat Forest Green on the final day of the season to save themselves from relegation.
And three defeats since those back-to-back wins have left them next to bottom and 10 points behind Peterborough, who are in 20th place.
Victory over their closest rivals, therefore, is surely a must.
"I have to get some decisions right, first and foremost, when it comes to the tactical side of it and team selection-wise," said Harris.
"You can't forget what's happened in the rest of the season for either team, but it's an opportunity for a clean-slate-just-for-one-game mentality.
"Whatever happened at their place earlier in the season [a 6-1 defeat] is all irrelevant. It's about bragging rights, about giving pride back to your fan base and it's an opportunity for us to do that individually and collectively."
Both sides have conceded 60 goals this season, but Peterborough have carried a greater threat going forward and their tally of 52 goals is by far the highest in the bottom half of the League One table.
"As always, Posh have got some really good individual players and real pace at the top end of the pitch. I saw them lose a couple of games before coming to Cambridge, but watching the last three games, there's been an improvement," Harris added.
"We know what to expect but I want to be a winning manager at the weekend. That's the important thing in my first derby. I have to make sure we're as good as we have been in the majority of games barring the Stevenage one and have the ability to come out on the right side of the result."
'We can't lay off for a second'
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Darren Ferguson is in his fourth spell as Peterborough United boss [Getty Images]
Having reached the play-offs in the last two seasons, Peterborough had to rebuild as a number of players left the club last summer and defensive frailties have left them facing the threat of relegation themselves.
They won successive home games 5-1 and 6-1 against Blackpool and Cambridge in October and November but after that lost six of the next seven games and won only once in 12.
But their form has turned around since back-to-back away defeats by Bristol Rovers and Charlton Athletic last month, with eight points taken from the last four unbeaten games - and they have also reached next month's Wembley final in the EFL Trophy.
"It's an unusual situation for us in League One, but all the same we're in it and obviously they're not in a great position themselves," Posh manager Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
"But whenever I've come up against Cambridge, in particular at their place, the league standings go out the window and never have a bearing on the game at all. Two years ago, they beat us comfortably 2-0 when their situation was the same in terms of the league standings.
"They'll be fighting like hell to get the points, they'll still feel they've got a chance of getting out of it, until they can't."
Ferguson insists his side are not yet out of trouble but four wins from their 11 remaining games would push them beyond 50 points.
"We've just got to keep our foot down and get to the level of performance and mentality that we've found, digging out results, fighting hard for each other - but it had to happen, and has to continue to happen. We can't lay off for a second."
A Cambridge statement last month said the documentary would "seek to capture the drama of the end of season on the pitch".
Results - starting against Peterborough - will decide whether it has a sad or happy ending.
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