The fat lady is warming up but she isn’t actually singing yet.

We are probably in the last chance saloon and can’t afford any more slip-ups in the remainder of our quest for Betfred Championship survival.

The Swinton game followed a similar script to many games during the season; periods of strong pressure that didn’t result in points, lack of composure gifting field position, crucial referee calls that didn’t go our way and some serious-looking injuries as long-lasting damage.

We have to keep on fighting. If we don’t believe then who will?

As we dropped the players off the bus on Sunday I could see the disappointment etched over their faces but we can only allow a Sunday evening of painful reflection and then we must concentrate on the job in hand.

We have to lift ourselves for the challenges ahead. If we are not good enough, then so be it, but we really have to have a cup final mentality for all the remaining games and try our very best to overcome the long odds.

No-one’s job becomes more difficult than mine if we fail to achieve Championship survival.

I am very much a novice in this role and my first year has been a massive education, but it is me that will have to estimate who we can retain and with what sized contracts with massively depleted central funding.

As I said last week, we may be better off than some of the League One clubs due to our off-field work, but it will still be a painful experience.

The season obviously hasn’t been as anticipated but I feel the need to thank the fans for all their support.

Obviously, there has been disappointment and, as I have said previously, I’d be worried if there was no criticism but on the whole our fans have been tremendous.

To get around a 15 per cent increase in crowds compared to last year when we have been fighting a constant relegation battle shows how much our fanbase are loyal.

I just sincerely hope that everyone connected with the club can reward that loyalty.

There is now a week’s break. We must get that well-earned rest and then produce the most committed six weeks of our lives.

We must not leave anything out there because there isn’t another day. The day is here and now and we must produce.

If we go down, we must go down fighting. Starting with York at Craven Park in a fortnight, we must give them a battle they never thought was coming in their wildest dreams.