Keeper Johnson says Town believe they can upset the odds in play-offs
TOWN KEEPER Sam Johnson says The Shaymen go into the National League play-offs “full of belief” that they can upset the odds. Of the six teams competing in the play-offs, Halifax are the 16/1 outsiders with the bookies to earn promotion into League Two.
But Johnson, who is about to embark on his second play-off campaign with the club after being part of the side that saw off Salford and Chorley in the 2017 Conference North playoffs, insists Halifax are confident of success.
“We’re expecting a very tough game, they beat us 2-0 at our place so we know what they’re capable of,” he said of Boreham Wood. “They’ve got four very good strikers who we’ve been made aware about but hopefully we can contain them and then go from there.
“I don’t think anyone other than our fans and ourselves in the dressing room are expecting a lot from us, especially looking at the odds from the bookmakers.
“So from that perspective the pressures off, but we’re going into it full of belief.
“I don’t think the nerves have kicked in yet, that might happen leading up to the game.
“But I think they’ll be good nerves. I’ll certainly be a bit nervous myself, especially (considering) last time in the playoffs with Halifax. They were the most nerve-wracking games I’ve played in. But hopefully we have the same result.
“We’re not under any illusions. It’d be three games at Boreham Wood, Harrogate and then either Barnet, Yeovil or Notts County, they’re three tough games. But we’re going in believing we can do it.”
Johnson says even being in the play-offs at all is a “massive achievement” for the club.
“Hats off to everyone that’s been involved,” he said. “At the start of the season not many people would’ve expected us to get where we did but that seems a long time ago now.
“For a long time we’ve built up (the belief ) in ourselves that we could make the play-offs.
“I think it’s a bit of an underdog story. We’ve played pretty consistently all the way through the season and the play-offs is a lottery. We go in full of belief and hopefully we can cause a few upsets along the way.”