Making play-offs would be a new high
MARK Hughes reckons a top-seven finish this year would surpass last season’s achievement of a fourth-placed finish.
The Reds defender scored a brace on Saturday to help Stanley overturn a two-goal deficit to clinch a 3-2 win against Crewe at the Wham Stadium.
Victory left John Coleman’s side just four points from the play-offs with five games to play, the first of which comes today with the trip to Blackpool.
“Making the play-offs from where we were at the start of the year would be a bigger achievement than finishing fourth last season for me,” he told the club’s official website. “Possibly last season it was a disappointment to be in the play-offs and Wimbledon were happy to be there. We’d have that mentality now if we were to make it.
“It’s still difficult, we still have a lot to do to get there but we have a huge game coming up and if we can win it we can make a big stride towards that top seven. We have to believe that.
“This run is similar to when I came in last year to be honest. I got a bit of luck with a couple of injuries to other people, I played the last 15 games and I think we went unbeaten until the end of the season.
“It’s all about momentum and when you have it you just have to keep it going. It was a massive game to win but you immediately look at the next one. Friday could be the make or break game for us.
“Fair play to Crewe. They came and had a go at us and we hadn’t really encountered the kind of system they played and it worked for them. There were a few harsh words at half time and we could’ve either gone one way or the other. You don’t go 12 games unbeaten for nothing and we showed that and responded.”