THE end of a long season is in sight but we're still focused on winning our remaining two games to end on a positive note.

Tonight, weather permitting, we can lift the Worcestershire Senior Cup, by overhauling Sutton's 2-1 first leg advantage and then on Saturday hopefully clinch fourth place in the Dr Martens Premier Division.

After Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Grantham, the players are out to make amends. I've spoken to a few managers in our league and they said people would just put it down as one of those games with nothing on it but there was something riding on it -- three points and we threw them away with some awful defending.

We wanted to win but how can you expect to do that if you surrender goals like that. I don't normally blow up and get angry unless it's necessary and on Saturday I thought it was.

However, judging by the atmosphere in the dressing room on Monday night, the players are raring to get at Sutton and put it right.

Unfortunately due to the torrential rain there was little option other than to call off the game but we started well and it was a great goal by Mark Owen. Hopefully we can repeat that tonight.

We've had a little bit of an up and down period of late but we're desperate to round off the season on a high. If we can take fourth place I think that, everything considered, that would be a decent achievement. It has been an extremely competitive league and any team that finishes in the top six can consider themselves to have done a good job.

Of course, you set out with the aim of winning the league but when you see the fixture lists come out, hear what clubs have been spending on the grapevine, who's signing who, you do end up thinking 'bloody hell, where are we going to pick up points from?'

But the fact is we've done OK. We've qualified for the new Conference set up and, having spoken to two managers who are still fighting for a place in next year's revamped league, I'm glad we haven't got such worries.

The club is steering a steady path, and in between what the board has tried to do and provided and what we have done on the playing side, I think we have got value for money from our budget.

Of course players have good and bad games and when they have bad ones that is sometimes interpreted as though they can't be bothered and as if they are not trying but that is not the case. Players just have different degrees of performance.

By and large they have done us proud and that has been vital because we can't go out and do what Crawley and Weymouth do and spend pots of money, it's impossible. We want to make sure there is a City in two years time so we have to prudent.

The supporters have been living the dream for the last 20 years, yearning for fresh success, and I don't want them to think we are not living the dream either.

But since returning to the club I've been at pains to rein in those expectations a degree. We all know what we want -- a return to the Conference and success -- but you have to lay the foundations and slowly and surely we are doing that.

I've got my own views on what is needed to win this league but I think each year since I've been here we have made progress.

As the season draws to a close, I've already got an eye on next year and strengthening the squad.

I've done my homework and got my targets but that's the easy part - the endless round of phone calls, meetings and contractual situations is the next hurdle to get past.