DESPITE a dip in form and results, Stockport manager Jim Gannon is still targeting a top 10 finish for his young side.
County were looking a decent bet for a play-off push until just before a current run of just one win from their last eight games, with financial woes off the field finally appearing to have taken their toll.
Gannon said: "We were fifth in the table at Christmas, but since then, with everything that has gone on and the loss of several players, form has been indifferent.
"We've had some good wins in that period, but they just gloss over form that isn't really good enough for us to be making the play-offs.
"I'm disappointed that the season has eroded in the manner that it has.
"People will say that mathematically we're still in with a chance, but given the form that will be required to get into the play-offs - i.e. one and three-quarter to two points per game - then we haven't achieved that for quite some time.
"We're just taking one game at a time now, we'll play as best we can and pick up as many points as we can.
"Even to finish in the top 10 would be an incredible achievement for this club.
"We'd all have been pleased with that at the start of the season, but as we acquitted ourselves well early on, we were confident that the season might still be alive now with hopes of the play-offs.
"That optimism grew towards Christmas, we had a strong squad and people in good form. "We also had people like Craig Davies and Stephen Gleeson supplementing a good group of our own players.
"We were up to fifth and there was optimism that we could keep that going and kick on into the New Year, but sadly, because of off-field matters, the scenario has changed completely and that's unfortunate and very disappointing."
After two consecutive away defeats, Stockport return home this Saturday as they welcome struggling Yeovil.