Win our home games and a play-off place is assured.

That is the message from midfielder Liam Blakeman today as AFC Telford United get ready to welcome Harrogate Town to the New Bucks Head tonight.

Telford have seven Blue Square North games remaining and five of those are at home.

“We’ve got to look to win all the games, but make sure we win all our home games – that’s a big thing because if we can do that we will be guaranteed a play-off place,” said Blakeman.

“Harrogate are always a good side so it will be hard, but all the games between now and the end of the season are going to be difficult because people don’t really like AFC Telford.

“We’ve just got to be ready for the fight and come away with the three points.”

Tonight’s clash marks the start of a daunting five games in just nine days, with the Bucks playing every other day until Wednesday next week.

That schedule might seem intimidating to some players, but Blakeman – a summer recruit from Southport – relishes the prospect.

“It’s better than training, that’s the way I look at it,” he said. “I hate training so I’d rather play a game.

“It’s good, because if we can get on a little run and keep picking up wins it will give confidence to everybody.

“It’s going to be good for us if we can go into the play-offs on a winning roll like we were earlier in the season. There’s no reason why we cannot go unbeaten until the end of the season.”

Blakeman goes into tonight’s game in high spirits, having scored the winner in Saturday’s 2-1 success at Gainsborough Trinity.

“At first, when I put it in, I thought it was offside to be honest,” he revealed.

“I had a look over at the linesman and there was no flag so I was made up to get the winner.

“We really needed the win, especially after last Tuesday’s defeat, because that was a massive disappointment.”

Tonight’s match is followed on Thursday by the Setanta Shield final at Forest Green, a match that will be broadcast live by the Irish satellite broadcaster.

That is an occasion to which everyone at Telford is looking forward, though Blakeman insisted: “You’ve just got to forget about that.

“We can’t let the Setanta game get in the way of our main objective.

“We’ve just got to get three points tonight and then we can look forward to the final. If we don’t, then the final will be a bit disappointing.”