Clough: Don't let up

Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough has urged his side to hold their nerve in their bid to make the play-offs.

The Blades are currently in fifth position, five points clear of seventh-placed Barnsley, who they visit on Saturday, following a last-gasp defeat to lowly Crewe at the weekend. Clough's men are still well-placed to reach the end-of-season showpiece, where they have failed to emerge victorious in seven previous attempts, and the boss knows nothing will be decided just yet. "We have got seven games left, we have got to hold our nerve and make sure we get in the top six," he stressed. "It makes it more difficult, even a point against Crewe would have made it better, now we have got tricky local games against Barnsley and Doncaster. "No doubt we have blown it now, we were in them before Saturday, we were out of them a week ago and now we'll be out of them again. None of that is true, until the end of the season we won't know where we're going to finish." United follow-up their visit to Oakwell with another South Yorkshire derby against Doncaster next Tuesday. Rovers are also in the chasing pack for a top-six berth and Clough reckons both games are no longer about local rivalry. "It's got nothing to with bragging rights now, all it means is points and getting in the play-offs," he added.