News of other results filtering through at full time on Saturday provided another great example of why it’s important to heed the message that’s been repeated by manager Paul Simpson in recent weeks – concentrate on doing our job and let the rest take care of itself.
“Saturday is a great example of why you have to focus on what you can control,” he said. “There were some late goals scored, red cards, but it’s about us, we have to do ours right.
“I know if we win the game at home next Saturday, that knocks Salford out of our way, they can’t catch us. There are games on Tuesday, and the following week, but we just have to deal with our games.
“If we do that properly, there’s enough for us still to be in the mix, and hopefully that’s the case. It’s a great week to look forward to and credit to the fans who made the journey.
“What a noise, what an atmosphere, and it was brilliant to see the players celebrating with them. They’ve enjoyed the moment and let’s hope we have more of that to come.
“The others, we can’t do anything about that. Teams are up at the top of the table for a reason. We just have to win our games, and if we win enough we could get automatic, if we don’t we’ve got to make sure we get enough for the play-offs, then what a fantastic thing that would be to be involved in.
“There’s so much to play for still and we’re really looking forward to what comes.”
With two scheduled game left to play, he added: “Saturday is another huge one, but we’ve had quite a few of them over the last 15 games.
“It seems a long time ago where we were talking about the first game of the season and maybe that wasn’t as huge, but those three points we picked up might be really important.
“It’s a big game, it’s the biggest game because it’s the next one for us and it’s one we can all look forward to.
“Stevenage and Mansfield play on Tuesday and it won’t be one where I’ll sit biting my fingernails as the games are going on because we can’t do anything about it. Everybody has so much to play for but the only thing we can do is concentrate on us.
“That’s the top and bottom of it. If we do our job right next weekend we make it so that Salford can’t catch us, but there are other teams who can and it’ll be a real shame if we do miss out.
“Let’s keep working to earn the results that will keep us up there and see what it brings.”
And another big crowd at Brunton Park at the weekend could certainly help the cause as the squad looks to finish the job off.
“We’ve got a week now to get prepared and hopefully get loads and loads of energy into us, get a fantastic crowd at home, and let’s see where it takes us,” the gaffer commented.
“The crowd have done really well for us. If you’re going to ever come and back us, now is the chance, we’ve got a great opportunity, and we’ve got to be prepared to go and do our job in that.
“That’s the only thing we can concern ourselves with. We do it right, hopefully the fans will be celebrating at the end, and that’s something we have to work towards.
“The players have also done really well for us. They’ve given themselves a really good chance and we’ve just got to keep going. I was wrong about the number of points needed to get in the play-offs but we just have to keep going.
“To get 75 points and 20 clean sheets in a season is fantastic and whatever happens that is some achievement. Let’s take the positives, let’s keep our heads and go into what will be a tremendous game against a team who are scrapping for their lives at the top end so we need to be right for it.
“If we’d been offered this with two games to go that we’d have a chance of automatic or play-offs we’d have certainly snapped somebody’s hand off. We’re in a good position, we’ve done alright, we just have to keep going and finish it off right.”
