WHEN we had six matches left to complete the season we set ourselves a testing target of ten points -- and after winning our last two games we could well hit the bullseye.
The first two ended in 1-0 defeats at Macclesfield and Chesterfield, but now we've picked up six points thanks to two great wins over Plymouth and Cheltenham.
To hit the target we've now got to collect four points from our last two games against Hartlepool at Aggborough on Saturday and at York City the following week.
The task, of course, is difficult particularly as Hartlepool are pushing hard for a place in the play-offs.
Obviously, the last two games have been good, although there are still a lot of things about the season that don't please me, but if what we are seeing now is the progress we've made then I can live with that.
We always felt it was going to be a difficult first term for us in the Football League.
At stages throughout the campaign we've been disappointed with one or two things, but if what we have shown in the last two games is somewhere near the consistency we can produce next season I'll be quite pleased.
It does seem that one or two of the players have learned a lot in the last seven months playing in the Third Division and if that's the case then it's all be worthwhile.
There's always players who wont learn or get better, but there does seem to be a bulk of the squad that's improved.
The only thing that disappointed me at Cheltenham on Saturday was that it wasn't more than 3-1, but I've no complaints.
We changed three from the previous game against Plymouth but Thomas Skovbjerg, Neil Mackenzie and Andy Ducros had done nothing to deserve being left out. It was just that we felt we had to do that and the three that came in did exceptionally well.
I'm very pleased with the reserves as well as they have won ten of their last 11 games, so that's good because I think it's important too.
It shows those who are not playing in the first team are producing the right attitude in the reserves. And, of course, the three who came in against Cheltenham scored a goal each and did what I thought they were capable of doing.
Tony Bird was put in there to work hard. We intended to aim for him at goal kicks and it was very successful. I felt Paul Webb could compete against people like Mark Yates who is of a similar age and maybe lost a little bit of his pace.
Then up front Drewe Broughton was important to us to upset Mark Sertori and Chris Banks and he did that exceptionally well.
After the game I shook hands with Cheltenham's manager Steve Cotterill and wished them all the best. They have still got everything to play for. They are still very much there with regards the play-offs, but it was a big game for us.
There are one or two links with Cheltenham because of people who have been here at Aggborough and although Shrewsbury is closer in mileage I think it's the one we all feel is our local derby, so we wanted to do well.
We went there, we were big and strong and won the game, but now we are looking forward to Saturday's home game with Hartlepool.
As far as Ian Clarkson is concerned, he's now got over his virus which kept him in bed for the best part of a week and is back in training.
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