Seven Up

SEVEN to go. Seven games of Argyle’s Sky Bet League 2 campaign, during which the Pilgrims seek to qualify for the end of season play-offs; to enter the top seven.

Whether the seven turn out to be magnificent, or whether they will be filled with deadly sins of the sporting variety, is now the pervading question. Will Argyle be the wonder of the football world – or simply have their achievements dwarfed by their League 2 rivals? We find out in the seven games.

John Sheridan, keen readers will be unsurprised to learn, is not thinking that far ahead. He even refuses to look to Tuesday night’s game away to Newport County. John’s eyes are only focused on the Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent.

“It will be a tough game at Burton,” said John. “I went to watch them last week at York and they are a good team; well-organised and they’ve had lots of 1-0 results. They go about their business well.

“They are organised, 4-4-2 everyone knows what their jobs are. The front two are a threat – they play well off each other. They’ve got Sharps at the back who has always been a decent player at this level and in League 1. I think he’s doing an excellent job there, Gary Rowett. They know how to see a game through.

“They are in a healthy position and will be looking to get three points. I am sure that they are expecting a tough game and hopefully we will give them one.”

The Brewers, fifth in the table, are five points away from the magic dotted line denoting the automatic promotion places. They have only lost two of their last 13 games – although seven of those have been draws.

Sheridan is, as would imagine, focused on Argyle’s eventual finishing position, not Burton’s, but did cast his eye over the entire top of the league table as the season well and truly enters crunch time.

“If you look at the top five, I think the top three (Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Chesterfield) will go up, and I think Burton and Fleetwood look quite secure in the play-off places.

“But you can look at Dagenham, and other teams, and if they win five or six they could believe they could get to the play-offs. We’ve got to be one of them and can just look after ourselves. We know we’ve got to try to win as many games as we can.”