THE field will be smaller in the race for the League Two play-offs come 5pm but boss Graham Coughlan is frustrated that Newport County AFC aren't in the mix.
The Exiles are one of five teams that are confirmed in the fourth tier for next season - Carlisle have been relegated from League One, Chesterfield are National League champions and Newport, Swindon and Tranmere can't go down or scramble into the top seven.
More clubs will join the quintet after this weekend but Coughlan is disappointed that his team haven't gone deeper into April with hopes of the play-offs.
County were two points off seventh on the live table when they led 1-0 at half-time in Colchester on Good Friday.
The U’s fought back to win 2-1 in the closing stages and condemn the injury-hit Exiles to the second of their five defeats on the spin.
They go into this afternoon’s round of fixtures 16th in the table and looking on as Crawley aim to take a big step towards securing seventh with AFC Wimbledon and Walsall nipping at their heels, while Doncaster are remarkably in with a slim chance thanks to a seven-game winning streak.
“People might believe I’m crackers, but I believe we would be in the play-offs if we had enjoyed the fortunes that Crawley and Barrow have had,” said Coughlan.
“They have had fully-fit squads to pick from all season and we haven’t. We’d be far better off [in the table] with a stronger squad.
“We’d be able to make changes, adapt and ride the waves, which we are just not able to do at the moment.
“I can’t recall how many systems that we have used over the last five or six games. It’s not a system or tactical issue, it’s got to be a personnel and fatigue issue.
“It’s not a footballing issue, it is deeper than that.”
County have three players who stand a chance of playing in all 46 League Two fixtures this season.
Midfielder Bryn Morris has started all 43 so far, and also started every cup game apart from the EFL Trophy trip to Cheltenham, when he came off the bench at half-time.
Defender/midfielder Scot Bennett has made one substitute appearance and forward Will Evans has come on twice.
Added to that, the Exiles have a batch of young loanees getting a first real taste of the EFL workload while other players are having to dig deep after returning from serious injury.
“We have an opportunity to park those five games and come out fighting to finish the season strongly. That’s all that I ask of the dressing room,” said Coughlan.
“I don’t ask them to perform miracles or put a 100-pass sequence together because I am a realist and know what we are.
“We have to summon up energy, fight and spirit to get through these last three games and take something from them.
“They will want to do themselves proud and you are always being judged. You’ve always got to prove the doubters wrong and this is the perfect opportunity for our boys to react.”
Saturday League Two fixtures: Crawley v Colchester, Crewe v Grimsby, Doncaster v Accrington, Gillingham v Barrow, Harrogate v Sutton, MK Dons v Mansfield, Newport County v Tranmere, Salford v Bradford, Stockport v Morecambe, Swindon v AFC Wimbledon, Walsall v Notts County, Wrexham v Forest Green.
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