Moving Goalposts

THE battle for survival at the foot of the Football League makes it hard to predict what points total will be required to avoid relegation to the Blue Square Conference, thinks John Sheridan.

With the season ending on April 27, Argyle are currently one of eight teams covered by just four points, with two clubs to lose their Football League status at the end of the current campaign.

“I don’t know what the target is because all the teams at the bottom are fighting for their lives, taking points every week,” said John. “It’s very tight.”

The Pilgrims remain right in the mix after a 2-0 Easter Monday defeat at fellow relegation candidates York brought to an end a run of three successive wins.

John said: “We were playing a team we could have got away from a little bit but they wanted it more than us and I’ll hold my hands up – I’m disappointed.

“We’ve lost a game and we’re right in it again. I’ve said all along it’s going to go right to the wire. All the teams at the bottom are fighting for their lives and getting results.

“We have got to try to win games. If we don’t, we will find ourselves in a very precarious position.”

Lee Cox missed the Bootham Crescent reversal with a shoulder injury, letting Luke Young in, while Paris Cowan-Hall was recalled for Andres Gurrieri.

“Obviously Coxy’s been part of what we’ve done of late,” said John, “but I expect players to come in and do as well as him.

“I made one or two changes. I was going to make more changes and I probably made the wrong decision – I probably should have made more changes because we looked shattered.

Captain Conor Hourihane picked up his tenth yellow card of the season at York and is now suspended for next Saturday’s visit of Cheltenham to Home Park and the subsequent trip to Burton Albion.

John said: “I have got to try to get them up for the game against Cheltenham, which is another massive game, another must-win now.

“I won’t accept the performance. I don’t mind losing football matches, but it was the way we lost it.

“It gives me food for thought and I’ll concentrate on what I have to do which is to keep the club in this division. That’s all I’m thinking of.

“Once we’ve done that, I’ll come out with how I feel and what my thoughts are.”