Buxton aim for play-off place with win on final day
John McGrath says his Buxton side are fully focused on securing their National League North play-off place as they prepare to face already-relegated Leamington at the TSS on Saturday.
The lunchtime kick-off will see Buxton start the game in seventh place and a win will guarantee they’ll stay in the top seven, with the potential for them to finish as high as fifth depending on results elsewhere.
Leamington are bottom of the table and were the first team to be relegated from the division this season, but McGrath is taking nothing for granted.
He told the club’s media: “They’re all big games but this is the one that is magnified because of the great performance today [the 4-0 win at Curzon Ashton last weekend] and we said on Tuesday night that the point at Alfreton may be a really good point and it’s great to be in the play-off places going into the last game.
"We’ve gone a little bit better than when we did last year when we were waiting on results. Today the results went for us and this time it’s in our hands which is what you want when you’re at home.
"Hopefully we’ll get a massive crowd coming to support us but we know we have to do what we have to do.
"I won’t allow the lads or my staff to deviate from what we’ve normally done because it’s a league game the same as any other league game in August or October, November or December.
"We want to take all the pressure off the boys. They know themselves what’s at stake and there’s a real buzz in the tunnel and I hope there is the outside noise too.
"It’s a great achievement for the lads again this season to be in and around the play-offs and we’ll take care of what we can take care of Monday to Friday and then roll on Saturday.”
AFC Fylde and South Shields will battle it out for the title, Fylde being two points clear and visiting Merthyr Town who are one of two clubs that could overtake Buxton should they lose to Leamington.