Stoney column: The players know what's required

Just three games remain, and every team we face between now and the end of the season will be looking to spoil the party. Dean Davenport's Crystal Palace will be no different this afternoon. 

We know Palace have a bit of pace that could cause us problems and it will be a different game to the away fixture we played on an artificial pitch in November, compared to the grass at Leigh. 

Palace have had an inconsistent season but we know that if we execute our game plan, we will win. 

As cliched as it sounds, we haven't been looking too far ahead into the maths and permutations of certain results in recent weeks, though I was told. 

Obviously, we know that if we do our job, we will be crowned champions. 

The players know what's required and it's my job to make sure they remain focused, which I know they will. No matter who we're playing, we're not only preparing for in the moment but for the future as well. 

This year, the first year in our plan, it has been about promotion and winning the league in the right way. It has always been our aim to play exciting, attractive football and keep as many clean sheets as possible. 

That's been the message, and we want to keep up the momentum to the end of this season and beyond. 

The team might say I'm a bit of a nightmare to work with because, even when we win, I'll still be critiquing the things we can do better. That's what it's like being a professional team. 

There are always things we can improve on; it's about maintaining our very high standards and our winning mentality to make sure we're the best we possibly can be. 

We'll be looking to show you our best on Saturday afternoon to get the three points we need.