Skipper Stuart Whitehead has rallied AFC Telford United for a late Blue Square North play-off push, insisting: “We know what we have to do.”

The Bucks head to Ilkeston Town on Easter Saturday for the first of five big games that will decide their fate.

They host Gloucester City on Easter Monday, then travel to Workington before entertaining Corby Town and finishing the campaign away at Vauxhall Motors.

And Whitehead, who has just forced his way back into the side after a lengthy stint on the bench, is setting the bar high over the next four weeks.

“We all know it’s against us because we’ve played more games than everyone else and we’ll probably have to win all our remaining games to have a chance,” he declared.

“But we’ll take it game by game and see where it takes us. If we start worrying about it then it adds more pressure to us.

Whitehead made just his third start of the calendar year last Saturday, helping the Bucks to a 4-0 demolition of Hyde United.

That was a perfect reversal of fortunes on his last outing, a 4-0 defeat at Blyth Spartans four weeks earlier.

The 33-year-old has largely had to play second fiddle to the young pairing of Shane Killock and Adam Dugdale.

He only got another opportunity after a reshuffle forced by left-back Sean Newton going down with a stomach bug.

But, having finally forced his way back into the reckoning, Whitehead is determined not to give his place up without a fight. “It’s been a long time for me, but the defence have done quite well  so I’ve just had to bide my time,” he said.

“Newts was ill all week, so it was probably a forced change, but it was just nice to come in and help the team get a win.”

By Chris Hudson