Manager Andy Welsh backs Ossett United to reach promotion play-offs

Alex McQuade will miss the next six games after picking up his third red card of the season.

Welsh’s charges have enjoyed one of the best starts to 2019, winning four and drawing one of their five league games since the turn of the year.

That run has saw them rocket up the table into sixth, just one point outside the play-off positions.

And Welsh believes – if Ossett’s current run of form continues – that his side will break into the top five before the end of the season.

Ossett United beat Gresley FC in their latest outing.

“I do think we will make the play-offs and if we do make the play-offs I think we will win it,” said Welsh.

“I think we have got too much in our squad now."

Ossett have lost just one game on their home patch this campaign, something that Welsh feels will benefit his side in the run in.

He continued: “We always perform very well at home and against the teams at the top.

Andy Welsh felt the referee was wrong to dismiss Alex McQuade last weekend.

“And we have got all the teams at the top still to come to Ingfield before the end of the season. We have got Mansfield and Gresley at home in our next two games.

“We will be very, very tough to stop. If anyone has any sort of dip we will be hot on their tails without a doubt.”

Second-bottom AFC Mansfield are the visitors to Ingfield this weekend.

The strugglers have not won a league game since January 1 when they beat Lincoln United 3-1.

The sides drew 1-1 when they met earlier in the campaign, something that Welsh wants to put right tomorrow.

He said: “We went to Mansfield and went 1-0 up but we didn’t really force the issue after that. I know we were missing a few personnel that day and I remember going there with quite a few injuries.

“I felt that we didn’t give a great account of ourselves, even though we drew the game.

“We have drawn 10 games, and lost five, but in my eyes I would rather not be losing games. I am happy we picked up the points even though we should have won some of those games.”

Ossett will be without captain Alex McQuade for three games, after he picked up his third red card of the season in the 5-0 win over Gresley last weekend.

Welsh says the club are unlikely to contest the decision, as a rejected appeal could lead to an extra game being added onto the suspension.

The United boss expressed his frustration at the dismissal: “The problem I have got now is, we are looking at a three-game ban for Alex.

"We have 13 games left and he will miss nearly a quarter of them now.”