Rangers boss wants to finish eighth

Stafford Rangers manager Greg Clowes today revealed he's set his players a target of finishing eighth in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.

Clowes' men are three points off their desired placing going into tomorrow night's trip to face a Buxton side still threatened by relegation.

Three games in six days brings takes them to a side in the drop zone, Whitby, on Saturday before an Easter Monday clash at Marston Road.

Rangers will host a Nantwich side harbouring similar ambitions and they will also play Buxton again, at home on April 14.

Their last fixture of the season sees them go to another team in danger of the drop the drop, a trip to Frickley the following Saturday.

And Clowes today spelled out exactly how he wants the season to end, especially after Saturday's 1-1 draw against rock-bottom Burscough.

He said: "I am looking for a response, I don't want to finish on a bad run of form against teams in the relegation zone.

"I want more than that and I have told the players that I want to finish eighth, that's my target with five games to go.

"That's realistic, we are going to have to pick up quite a lot of points to do it but it's not beyond us.

"That said, there's probably another four or five clubs who will be thinking the same way as me.

"But, if you look at the table, a win or two could put us well on course."

The Rangers boss is likely to ring the chances to keep the team fresh for all of the match action over the next week.

That could mean recalls for defender Luke George and winger Peter Heler, who were both on the bench on Saturday.

Only Jon Sheldon and Jon Patrick are on the injured list, while Kevin Street could return to the squad after a knee injury.

Rangers will be looking to keep Buxton on tenterhooks tomorrow night, with the hosts only a point away from the bottom three.

Clowes said: "Buxton have got a lot of work to do to get out of the relegation zone and we have to play them twice.

"We are going to have a say in who survives in this league and who doesn't, that's another impetus for us.

"There are six teams who could potentially go down and we have got four games against three of them."