JOHN Still believes that keeping Dagenham and Redbridge in the Football League this season would be the biggest achievement of his managerial career.
Daggers - promoted so convincingly from the Conference last season - have endured a tough first season in league football and defeat at Rotherham on Saturday leaves the club lingering just one point above the bottom two with just two games to play.
But boss Still admits that, given the club's minimal resources compared to others in the division, it will be a fantastic job done just to keep the club in League Two.
"If we stay up this year it would be like a Ford Focus winning a Formula One race - a much much bigger achievement than getting promotion," he said.
"Everyone knows that this club has massively over-achieved.
"So if I keep Daggers up this season it would be by one million miles my greatest achievement as a manager."
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Daggers' task was eased slightly when rivals Wrexham became the first side to slip out of the division following defeat at Hereford last night.
That leaves the east Londoners in a straight scrap with Notts County, Chester, Macclesfield and, perhaps more prominently, second-bottom Mansfield.
"Our future still being in our own hands is the most important thing for me"
- John Still
However, it is Daggers alarming slump which will most concern Still - a situation that once looked promising has now become perlious.
Nine games without a win, coupled with a resurgence in form by Mansfield has seen the Stags close the gap to just one point. Enticingly, the teams meet at Victoria Road on the last day of the season in what looks likely to be a deciding fixture.
However, still shrugged off the importance of the clash.
"We knew what the challenge was at the start of the season, we know what the challenge is now," said the 57-year-old.
"There is no more pressure than last week, no more than next week. The way I look at it we've got to go and play the games.
"If it comes down to the last day of the season, we go and play the last game of the season.
"I always say the same thing, you can't worry about other teams."
He added: "Our future still being in our own hands is the most important thing for me."
Dagenham first go to sixth-place Darlington on Saturday.
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