Toolstation NCEL Division One
Mick O’Connell has his eyes set on finishing third as Harrogate Railway attempt to clinch their play-offs spot this evening.
O’Connell, a definite manager of the year nominee, takes Railway to Nostell Miners Welfare knowing a win will book a place in the end of season lottery.
That is one part of the job as O’Connell wants his men to maintain their sacred third-placed position.
“It is an absolute massive night,” O’Connell told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have to go there and win the game of football.
“Saturday’s win put us on 76 points which equals Harrogate Railway’s all-time points tally.
“We have also gone one win ahead of their all-time wins record.
“The numbers are all stacking up so we have to keep going and winning games.
“(Finishing third) has to be our aim now and I’ve said to the lads that it is in our hands.
“If we win our games we’ll finish third.
“To get a home tie in a one-off game in the play-offs is like starting a game 1-0 up.
“It would be massive and brilliant for the club.”
In his first full season in management, O’Connell, formerly one of the top jockeys in the country, has carved out a reputation as one of the brightest young bosses in the league.
Some may have doubted his pre-season aims of a play-offs push.
But his players have gone above and beyond.
“We set our plan out at the start of the season that we wanted to get into the play-offs,” he said.
“Maybe we were a bit ambitious in saying that.
“But if you set your stall and say you want to finish in the top ten, sometimes when you get to 50 points you flatten off and peter out.
“We set our stall out to finish in the play-offs and the lads have all bought into the project.
“The work rate they have put in has been tremendous.”