FOR Town boss Mark Cooper, Saturday’s shock defeat to Yeovil means he can now switch all his focus on getting his team ready for the first leg of the play-offs.

Other results in League One mean Town cannot finish lower than fourth, a sizeable achievement in itself for the squad and the budget it was assembled on.

However, Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to the relegated Glovers all but rules out automatic promotion for the Robins. They are now seven points behind Preston and six behind MK Dons, although they do have a game in hand on both.

Even if they win all four of their remaining league games Town would be reliant on both their rivals to drop other points in order to bag second.

Cooper knows this is unlikely and is turning his attention to preparing for the play-off first leg.

Between now and Thursday, May 7, he will resting key players to ensure their fitness and looking to establish his first choice starting XI.

“I thought we’d win five games, I really did. It’s not to be, but we get ready now for May 7,” Cooper told the local media.

“We can plan now and make it a real exciting end to the season for the supporters.

“We’ve got to come back to training and make sure we get everybody rested and fresh.

“We go into the play-offs with two or three games behind us where we play the team we think is going to play in the first play-off leg. Go into it in real good spirits and perform.”

For Cooper, Town’s last four games now become a balancing act between making sure his players are not getting complacent and making sure they are 100 per cent fit come the play-off first leg.

Though do not utter the word ‘rotation near the Town boss, apparently it brings him out in hives.

“I don’t like that word, rotation, because I don’t think we’ve got enough players to rotate,” he added.

“We’ll certainly look at players who have got one or two knocks and make sure they are ready for the first play-off game.

“Massimo’s been carrying a groin problem for a number of weeks we need to make sure that’s fully cleared up.

“One or two other boys that need to can have a breather.

“It becomes for us a tactical game next week. Do we want to stop Preston getting in the play-offs?

“Or do we want to play Preston in the play-offs or do we want to play MK Dons? We have a lot to think about.”