Evo Stik Division One North
Ossett Albion manager Richard Tracey
Ossett Albion’s season will be a massive success even if they don’t clinch a play-offs spot, Richard Tracey insists.
Surprise package Albion are currently one place below the top five, but the teams around them have games-in-hand.
The situation sets up an exciting climax and Tracey believes his side can still write history by claiming the club’s highest ever finish. But if they don’t, Tracey won’t rate the campaign as a failure.
“I think I will be frustrated if we don’t get in the play-offs, but if I’m honest everyone at the club is delighted about where we are,” Tracey told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have punched above our weight, despite what people think our budget is. The budget is still very limited.
“We are working incredibly hard to recruit players of the quality we want and we are desperate to get in the play-offs and show everyone that this is a club going forward.
“Underneath all that we are delighted that the club is making progress and we’re not in a relegation battle. We’ve come away from that and hopefully it is something we can sustain for a few years.
“I have been in charge for three-and-half years. We stayed up the first time, second time we got a reprieve, last year we finished 16th and this year I’m hopeful we will definitely finish above 16th.
“It shows progression and that we are moving forward and that’s the most important thing.”
The defeat in midweek to struggling Radcliffe Borough was a blow, but Tracey insists the fight is not over.
“It leaves us in a tricky position,” conceded the Albion manager. “Teams like Radcliffe, Ossett Town and Harrogate Railway are fighting for their lives and they’ll upset a few along the way and hopefully they’ll do that to teams in and around us.
“It is in our hands. We have Spennymoor, Mossley and Clitheroe which will be a tough games, but the others are games we can win.
“If we want to get in the play-offs enough we can, but I tell you now if we were perform like we did against Radcliffe then we have no chance.”
Albion are due to be away at Lancaster this weekend.