Darren Hepworth is urging his AFC Emley players to keep believing
Darren Hepworth is not writing AFC Emley out of the promotion race, but concedes that his team needs a bit of luck.
Pontefract Collieries can cement their place in the Premier Division with a win at Lincoln Moorlands Railway tomorrow afternoon, while Clipstone only need six points from the last possible 12.
Recent defeats to Hemsworth Miners Welfare and Louth Town have knocked Emley back.
Whilst chasing the top two, Hepworth is demanding that Emley secure third spot – which can be done if they beat Selby tomorrow and Hallam on the last day.
“They’re still alive,” Hepworth told Non League Yorkshire about his side’s promotion aspirations.
“The maths still believe we can do so we believe we can.
“We need a few favours though. We had our chance to take it on and we didn’t take it.
“Whilst the maths tell us we can, we’ll keep going.
“We lost critical ground at a critical time. You go back to games like Rossington which was a set back.
“Hemsworth was an opportunity and that’s the difference in this league. Pontefract went to Hemsworth and won on Tuesday.
“Those back-to-back defeat knocked us back really, losing to Hemsworth and then going to Louth and losing.
“We still believe and we will keep fighting for the remaining six points.
“Eighty-nine points at the end of the season has been more than enough to take teams up before.
“The other thing I’m looking at is that if we don’t make the top two, who knows, third might be good enough.
“We don’t want to lose any ground and make third worst-case. Then if there is any restructuring then we are in a good position.”
Hepworth was speaking for the first time since Ash Flynn grabbed the national headlines.
Flynn’s ‘Paneka’ penalty against Hemsworth Miners Welfare on GroundHop Day has been seen by millions of people.
Flynn has also spoke to some of the national newspapers.
Hepworth said: “He is now an Internet sensation.
“I was fuming about the penalty and I spoke to Ash about it and that will stay between me and him.
“As daft as it sounds on the day it would have not changed the result, but it would have brought the goals difference in.
“Who knows if it comes down to a goal or two, things like that could matter.
“There is a thing like there is no bad publicity, but we certainly had a lot of interest from the national media.”
Goalkeeper Adam Lawlor is expected to return to Emley said tomorrow after a holiday.