WHEN it was suggested to Alan Sheehan that Notts County could still get to Wembley this season, after their Johnstone's Paint Trophy exit, his response was rapid.
"Hopefully not! Hey, we're still looking at the top-two. If that's impossible, we'll take Wembley," he said.
Automatic promotion in League One is clearly the aim for the Magpies' left-back, reaching the final of the play-offs a last resort.
Maybe it is because he has already lost twice in the League One play-offs in his career, with Leeds United and Swindon Town.
Notts have already hit the top of the division this season and are currently in fifth place ahead of facing Coventry City, who are languishing in 20th, away tomorrow.
There is only one question mark still hanging over their promotion credentials – their inconsistent form at Meadow Lane.
While they are impressively unbeaten on the road, they have won three and lost three on home soil in the league – and have also lost to League Two Bradford City in the Capital One Cup and Sheffield United in the JPT.
"We've made a good start, but at the same time some of the points we've dropped are disappointing so we could be even higher up the table," added Sheehan.
"There are going to be ups and downs and a lot of twists and turns before the end of the season.
"We've got to stay positive because we've got a good bunch of players."
Sheehan was at Meadow Lane last season when Notts made a superb start under former boss Martin Allen, winning eight of their first 13 games.
But they then suffered a big dip in form, winning just three of 17 league games to slide down the table before Allen was sacked.
The Magpies then won ten of their last 16 games under Keith Curle to surge back up it, but missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.
Sheehan thinks Notts are better than last season and hopes they can sustain a challenge for promotion into the Championship over 46 games this time.
"We've just got to try and be consistent," he said.
"We've got a bigger squad than last year and we've got a stronger squad so hopefully we can keep it up."
After starting the first five league games of the season, Sheehan's season has been interrupted by an injury and suspension.
The Irishman was sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury and in his first game back he was sent off.
He made his first start in five-and-a-half weeks against the Blades in the JPT on Wednesday night, captaining the team, but Notts lost 4-1 to their League One rivals.
"We let in four very soft goals which is annoying," he said.
"We only got playing in the last 20 minutes when the game was all over.
"You wonder why the hell we didn't start like that.
"It's disappointing, but at the end of the day that's us out of the JPT so we will shut up talking about it now and get on with the league.
"I was happy to come back and get my first 90 minutes and I felt good.
"It's been very stop-start for me recently. You can't do anything about injuries.
"I'd played something like 52 games in a row before that so I'd had a good run in the team.
"You have just got to be positive when you're out and now I'm back and hopefully back in the team to stay."
While Sheehan was out, the Magpies signed his former Leicester City team-mate Jordan Stewart on a short-term deal.
Stewart played at right-back against United because of injuries to Julian Kelly and Carl Regan, but when they are fit he will battle it out with Sheehan for the left-back spot.
"There's obviously competition for the left-back spot because Jordan has done well so who knows, it's all up to the manager," said Sheehan, who did not lose any sleep about exiting the JPT.
It is bottom of the Magpies' list of priorities this season, with promotion at the very top.
He believes Notts have three big games in eight days starting at the Ricoh Arena.
They then face Bournemouth and Doncaster Rovers at Meadow Lane.
"Our focus has shifted straight away to the league," he said.
"The league has always been our priority, obviously.
"We're looking at Coventry, Bournemouth and Doncaster and it's a very big week for us because they are three teams that will be up and around it at the top so we need to take points off them."
Notts are unbeaten in their six away league games this season and going all the way back to February they have gone a record 13 away league games undefeated under Curle.
Sheehan says the Magpies feel almost invincible away from Meadow Lane.
"I don't know if I can put my finger on it," he said.
"When we're at home teams sit back with two banks of four and make it hard for us to break them down, but away it's the other way round.
"Teams come at us to try and break us down and we're good enough to hit them on the break, we've got players that suit that way of playing.
"We'll be confident going to Coventry because of our away form and we'll be raring to go in that one, looking for three points."
