MANAGER Andy Liddle says the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) promotion race is not over, despite trailing the Division One front-runners by six points.
Cleethorpes Town are currently third in the table, and can cement that position with victory over fourth-placed Knaresborough Town tomorrow (3pm).
And while the Bradley Community Stadium clash is realistically a shoot-out for third, Liddle is refusing to give up hope of landing a Premier Division place.
He told the Telegraph: "We are like every other team we want to finish on a high.
"We have to win these last three games. Finishing in the top three would be a good achievement for us.
"It is slightly disheartening, because we have been in the title race all season. We have just not been able to take that opportunity.
"But mathematically, there is still a chance we could go up. We are not giving up, we will see what happens."
Fresh from a hard-fought draw against Hallam on Tuesday – when goals from Johnathan Oglesby and Luke Mascall earned a point for the Owls – Clee head into the Knaresborough clash with a full-strength squad.
Unbeaten in three games, Town will also be able to rely on good form – though boss Liddle understands the challenge ahead.
He added: "It is going to be a tricky fixture for us. They are a good team and are very hard to beat. They have been up there with us all season.
"The spirit is there for us. Although we haven't been showing top quality, we are digging in there and we have a fighting chance tomorrow.
"We know we are one of the best sides in the league. I'm confident, and we will be going into the game at full pelt.
"It's a game we have to win, and will be going out to do exactly that."
Unlikely as it may be, Clee can still even lift the NCEL Division One title – they are currently seven points behinds leaders Albion Sports, who have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, against Hallam, the Owls started and finished the match brightly to claim a 2-2 draw in South Yorkshire.
From the kick-off, Cleethorpes put their hosts under immediate pressure as they attacked downhill in the first period.
And after eight minutes, Liddle's visitors took the lead when Oglesby beat the last defender and slotted the ball under Frank Bant in the Hallam goal.
It was the perfect tonic for Town, who continued to dominate throughout the first half – until the home side began to force their way back into the contest.
After the break, as Clee kicked uphill, the visitors piled on the pressure – indeed, Marc Cooper could have twice extended their lead.
Hallam then equalised from the penalty spot, before going one up with four minutes to play when Craig Getliff finished well.
Substitute Nathan Emson came close to levelling soon after, but the Owls eventually netted an equaliser through Mascall in the 88th minute.
The striker was first to react to an initial striker – which hit the crossbar – and duly headed into an empty net.
After the match, manager Liddle said: "If you give yourself a chance going into half time, then you can always get something out of the game.
"We changed things up and took the game to them. It was all us, and we looked comfortable for the first time in a while.
"The referee gave them a strange penalty, and that gave them a way back into the game. But, we came back and threw everything at them.
"We kept pushing, and after a quality strike from them, we got a deserved goal at the end – we needed three points, but our performance was good and we showed good spirit.
"It was a game that could have gone our way, but it didn't – like all season we didn't seem to get that rub of the green."
