Five more wins will satisfy manager Mansell

LEE Mansell is targeting five more wins to ensure Gloucester City’s National League North survival.

Last week’s late 2-1 win away to Curzon Ashton means the Tigers’ unbeaten run has extended to five games ahead of today’s meeting with table-toppers Gateshead at New Meadow Park.

“If you don’t think these boys are fighting for this club then you need to give your head a wobble as they are giving absolutely everything and they do that every single day,” said Mansell. “The last five games have shown that if we have the belief we can get out of this situation.

“I think we still need another five wins to secure safety, so the pressure is still on. I don’t want to fail and the boys know the pressure is still on to keep the club in this division, so we need to keep going.”

City are now eight points clear of the sole relegation place and in better form than all the teams below them in the standings.

At the opposite end of the table, eighth-placed Hereford have a fourpoint gap to make up on the sides in the play-offs and they have played more matches. Today the Bulls play away to mid-table Leamington.

In the National League South, Chippenham are in a similar position to Hereford, outside the play-offs with those inside having games in hand, and this afternoon Dartford, in fourth, are the visitors to Wiltshire.

Bath City, meanwhile, are away to Welling – one of only two sides below them in the league standings. The Romans are currently two points above today’s opponents and eight clear of bottom side Billericay.

Yeovil Town are marooned in midtable in the National League and today they have a home match with Grimsby, who are just outside the play-off spots.