Slim chance is still a chance says Huddersfield Town’s Lee Novak

May 4 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Lee Novak

NEVER mind the play-offs – Lee Novak is excited about the prospect of taking on Exeter on Saturday.

Town head to Devon for a final game of the regular season which both sides are desperate to win for different reasons.

Lee Clark’s men still have a chance of automatic promotion, while Exeter need victory to be sure of escaping relegation.

Novak’s last-gasp winner against Colchester at the Galpharm, combined with results elsewhere, mean that Championship-chasing Town could be anywhere between second and their current sixth in the final League I table.

Because two of the clubs above them, Millwall and Swindon, meet at the New Den, taking three points at Exeter would ensure a finish of at least fifth.

Like his manager and teammates, Novak is keen on a minimum placing of fourth, thereby ensuring home advantage for a play-off semi-final second leg.

To go up automatically, Millwall and Swindon must draw, fifth-placed Charlton must fail to win at Oldham, and second-placed Leeds must be beaten at home to Bristol Rovers.

Town must also draw level with the Elland Road side on goal difference (Leeds’ figure is five better, but Town have scored six more than their neighbours in total so will finish above if the two are level on points and goal difference).

“It’s a slim chance,” admits Novak, whose 14th strike of the season, volleyed home more than four minutes into time added on against Colchester, sealed a 2-1 win, Town’s 23rd in the league this season and their sixth in seven matches.

“But we’ve scored plenty of goals this season, and we’ll prepare properly, go out there and try our best to win the game by as big a margin as possible, then see what happens in the other matches.”

Exeter, bossed by former Town loan player Paul Tisdale, must match Tranmere’s result at already-doomed Stockport to avoid the drop.

Leyton Orient and Gillingham aren’t yet free from danger.

And Hartlepool could come back into the mix at the foot of the standings if they are found guilty of fielding an ineligible player (Gary Liddle) in their Easter win over Brighton and therefore docked the three points they picked up, with the Football League making their ruling tomorrow.