Play-offs would hold no fears for Clark if Town are pipped by Saints

That is the extraordinary unbeaten run that Huddersfield Town boast going into tomorrow’s visit to newly-crowned champions Brighton & Hove Albion.

It is an amazing record since the turn of the year and one that everyone at the Galpharm Stadium is rightly proud of. Unfortunately, in this season’s League One, such an exhilarating run of form has not, as would normally be the case, been enough to book Town an automatic promotion place

Instead, the Terriers travel to the south coast for Brighton’s last game at the unloved Withdean Stadium knowing Southampton are the favourites to nab second place.

With both clubs level on 83 points going into the penultimate weekend, the Saints boast not only a superior goal difference but also a game in hand.

The upshot is Nigel Adkins’s men, who travel to Brentford tomorrow, can afford to lose one of their last three games and still finish as runners-up.

Clark, for his part, is well aware that the odds are stacked against his Huddersfield side and that they may have to settle for the play-offs. Not, of course, that the Town manager is in any mood to concede defeat just yet.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said the 38-year-old Terriers chief to the Yorkshire Post ahead of today’s trip south. “We are going to a team who are worthy champions and who play fantastic football.

“But we are also going there with a very big fighting chance of joining them (in next season’s Championship).

“Our job is to remain focused and get the win we need against Brighton. It doesn’t matter what is happening at Brentford.

“Whether they are losing or not makes no difference to what we need to do. It is of no consequence.”

After tomorrow’s games, the automatic promotion picture may be that little bit clearer. However, even if it is not, all eyes will definitely be on Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park come Monday afternoon when Southampton are the visitors.

If, following the Bank Holiday, the fight for automatic promotion has still not been settled then Town and Saints will go into their final-day home games against Brentford and Walsall, respectively, looking to take that last step towards the Championship.

Clark said: “It has been a terrific second half of the season in League One with many sides averaging two points a game. We have been on an incredible run.

“To go half a season without losing is something to be immensely proud of.

“When a team does that, usually it warrants promotion. But not this year. I have been in worse positions than this, though. Once, we finished with 93 points and still didn’t go up. So, this scenario doesn’t hold any fear for me.”

On the race for second place, he added: “We can only take six points from six and then see what Southampton do.

“The only time I will be able to at least think about Southampton is on Monday when we don’t play and they are up against someone for whom I have tremendous respect.

“What Peter Reid has been doing at Plymouth is unbelievable. So, he doesn’t need a pep talk from me. His team will be fighting, that’s for sure.

“In terms of ourselves, we do have a fantastic confidence and sense of belief that we will be celebrating, whether that be in eight days’ time or a couple of weeks after that.”

If Southampton, who have won 10 of their last 12 games, do go on to clinch second place come 5pm on May 7 then the Terriers will, for a second consecutive season, be looking to clinch promotion via the play-offs.

Twelve months ago, Millwall proved too good for Huddersfield in the semi-finals to book a Wembley date against Swindon Town.

The Lions then clinched promotion courtesy of a goal from Paul Robinson, in the process becoming the third side in four years to triumph in the play-offs after finishing third in League One.

Doncaster Rovers in 2008 and Blackpool a year earlier are the others to go up after just missing out on automatic promotion, a fact that offers hope to whoever out of Town or the Saints finishes third this time around.

Clark, for one, has total faith in his players, as he made clear when asked if there was a danger of being pipped to second could have a negative psychological effect on his team.

He said: “We won’t be flat, even if we end up in the play-offs. You don’t go into something flat after you have gone half a season unbeaten.

“That run has created a fantastic sense of belief. There is no doubt about that. We have always said there were three promotion places available and that we wanted one of them.

“I never shouted from the rooftops that we would take first or second because I knew how competitive the division would be.

“All I said was we wanted one of those three places and we still have a chance of getting two of those.

“It won’t be easy but we have fantastic belief we can do it.”

Ahead of tomorrow’s game, Gus Poyet’s side will be presented with the League One title. Brighton will also be afforded a guard of honour by the Town players ahead of kick-off.

Clark said: “Brighton will be presented with the championship so there will be a carnival atmosphere.

“The table does not lie. Brighton have been the most consistent team and Gus has been the best manager.

“They play the game the way I like to see it played. Brighton have scored a lot of goals so full credit to them. We will give them a guard of honour before the game. That is my way of doing it.

“I am an emotional guy on the touchline and, once the game starts, very competitive. But I also believe I am a fair man and when I see when a job has been done very well then I feel it deserves congratulating.

“However, after that, we go at Brighton to take the three points off them.”

[email protected]