WE all know it’s a huge game at Torquay United this weekend but I actually think we’re going there under no pressure whatsoever.
Victory over AFC Wimbledon on Monday has virtually made sure of at least a play-off position for us and to have 73 points like we already do is a great achievement.
The league is very strong this season so I think we’ve done well but now is not the time to be patting ourselves on the back because there are still games to be played.
The old cliche of taking each one at a time is very much true at this stage of the season and I’ve always felt 80 points would be enough to secure a top-three finish.
That’s certainly the target I’ve always had for us but if that doesn’t turn out to be enough then I think you have to turn round and take your hat off to the teams who have finished above you.
We’re certainly not giving up on automatic promotion and if we do beat Torquay, who are second in the table, then we will only be three points behind them.
We also have a much better goal difference so us winning could make things very interesting for the final few matches.
But, on the other side of the coin, Torquay will see this as a chance to get nine points clear of us and virtually secure their promotion.
That’s why it is a really big game and we will need to get back to the solid away performances we produced when winning at both Burton and Hereford United.
We certainly don’t want to play like we did at Bristol Rovers or at Bradford City on Good Friday, where we were very poor.
I thought we lacked desire at Valley Parade and the work ethic you need to win matches just wasn’t there.
Bradford, in contrast, had the hunger because they are fighting for their lives and we just couldn’t match that.
They were first to all the second balls and it just showed that if you don’t work hard enough then you’re not going to win matches.
Any hope of us getting back into the game went with the red cards and it was a real shame for Sean Clohessy to be sent off.
He had been an ever present in the side all season and the dismissal which ended that run wasn’t really even his fault.
Individual errors cost us as well and the first half against AFC Wimbledon wasn’t the best either.
There was an end of season feel to the match and there wasn’t the urgency or tempo we needed.
Nobody was driving us on either but half-time enabled the manager to say one or two things and we raised our game by 10 per cent or so to get the result we needed.
Again it showed that you need all 11 players working hard and if you have that at this level then you always have a chance of picking up points.
* Freddy Eastwood has been in goalscoring form and thankfully he’s much better at football than he is at singing.
He had to sing at our pre-match meal before the Bradford game and was absolutely abysmal.
Fred went for “I Swear” and was obviously quite nervous but fair play to him for doing it.
Music also plays a part in our preparation for matches and Mark Phillips and Anthony Grant are normally in charge of what’s played.
Liam Dickinson was quite involved before he got injured but to me it’s just noise!
I certainly don’t ever choose the music either because I don’t think Queen or Elton John would go down that well with the rest of the lads!
*HARRY Crawford is someone who will always give his all and it was great to see him come on against Wimbledon.
He’s worked his socks off in the last three or four months to get back from injury and it’s great to see him being involved with the first team again.
Harry’s a fantastic professional and a very popular member of the dressing room because he acts like a senior pro.
To top it all off he went and scored four goals for the reserves against Stevenage in the week and I’m sure he will show his talent if he gets games.
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