Rangers boss re-evaluates targets

Stafford Rangers manager Greg Clowes today admitted the club's end-of-season slump has forced him to re-evaluate his targets for the next year.

Clowes has a three-year plan for Rangers and expects to be in charge for that tenure, after joining as boss from Newcastle Town last summer.

But, going into tonight's Evo-Stik Northern Premier League trip to Buxton, the Rangers chief admits a play-off challenge could be another year away.

Last Saturday's 2-1 win at Whitby and Monday's 1-1 draw with Nantwich left Clowes' men 13th in the table, with three games left to play.

The manager had set a target of finishing eighth but they are six points off the pace and have taken two draws from their last four games.

And Clowes admits that the more they fall away, the less realistic a chance they will have of making up lost ground next season.

He said: "It's not an overnight fix here and, for a play-off spot next season, we have got to make up 20-odd points, that's nearly seven wins.

"I am not lowering my standards just to save face, I am just being realistic. If I had to sum our season up, we have stablised.

"How many times have you seen a club endure two relegations and they drop again? We have never been in any danger of that all season.

"We have got to improve but we came in here with a three-year plan and I think this first year has gone to that plan."

On form alone, Rangers face a Buxton side tonight who, despite lying 16th in the table, are comparable to champions Chester in terms of results.

They have taken seven wins from their last nine games and play Rangers again on Saturday, in the corresponding fixture at Marston Road.

Tonight's game is the re-arranged match from last Wednesday night, which was called off after heavy snow in Derbyshire.

But Karl Espley and Peter Heler are free to play tonight, despite red cards at Whitby and against Nantwich respectively.

Their suspensions kick in after a two-week period, with Espley banned for Saturday week's finale and Heler for the first three games of next season.

So it's the last game of the season for Espley, as he is unavailable through work commitments for Saturday's return game.

Clowes said: "We are coming up against a team who are absolutely bang in the middle of a hot run of form and we play them twice, which is not ideal.

"But I am hoping to pick up points and I want to win both games, as we have proved we can compete against the sides in this league.

"I just can't put my finger on why we have been so inconsistent."