MANY of us felt the fight against relegation would go down to the final game, and so it has proved. Bristol Rovers visit Plainmoor on Saturday and we now know a point will be enough to keep us in the division.
For manager Alan Knill, however, he will be striving for all three points and asking his players to perform with the positive attitude that such an occasion deserves.
‘’You can’t play it down or play it up,’’ he said. ‘’It is what it is and a game where you have to go in feeling positive.
‘’If you go in looking for a point, that situation often backfires. We’ve said to the players that we think we can win and Bristol Rovers are probably saying the same, so we prepare for them to be at their best and I know that we will be as well. Even if we were safe, we would still want to win the game and the mindset doesn’t change.’’
The positive intent has combined nicely with the work ethic that has summed up the two months we have enjoyed under the stewardship of Alan Knill.
It was never going to be easy for him to come in after Martin Ling was struck down by illness but the right result tomorrow will complete a job well done.
‘’My job is to make sure we stay in the league and I’ve loved the majority of my time here,’’ said Alan. ‘’It’s good to have a change of environment and a change of players. I only knew Aaron Downes from the squad and working with different people has been really good.
‘’When I took the job, it was all about keeping us in the league. I’ve done it at other clubs and it was an easy decision for me to say yes. You work with the players and I think they’ve got better. If you’re a coach or a manager, that’s what you look at.
‘’It’s about working hard and if you have a work ethic, it gives you an unbelievable chance. That has been the most important part and everybody is working for everybody else.’’