LEE CLARK insists Town’s League I play-off ambitions remain realistic – despite Stockport’s last-gasp leveller and Jim Goodwin’s two-match suspension.

The Galpharm manager looked on in agony as hopes of his first away win were wiped out by Nathan Clarke’s unfortunate 90th-minute own goal, which brought County a 1-1 draw at sand-strewn Edgeley Park.

While a win on Saturday would have made no difference to Town’s position of 10th, it would have put them four rather than six points off the top six.

And to make matters worse, a 10th yellow card of the campaign means Goodwin – a regular in central midfield under Clark – must miss Saturday’s visit of fifth-placed Millwall and the trip to second-placed MK Dons a week tomorrow.

At this stage, Clark is fully focused on tomorrow’s home clash with Colchester, who are 12th after Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Hartlepool.

“It was frustrating, but there were a lot of plus points and we have to take those into tomorrow’s game,” said Clark, who has now agreed a new contract with Tom Clarke after completing elder brother Nathan’s fresh three-year deal last week (see Page 37).

“The players stuck to our gameplan and executed it ever so well on a very difficult pitch, and it was one lapse which cost us.

“We should have been out of sight by that point because we created some good opportunities to go further ahead but didn’t take them, and that meant we put ourselves under undue pressure.

“But we will stay positive and bounce back in the two big home games coming up.”