In a week which saw Avenue climb back into the play-off places, assistant manager Clive Freeman has not ruled out a push for the title.

The club's 2-1 win at home to second-placed Stocksbridge Park Steels was their second on the bounce since the new year but they will be hard pressed to wrestle the initiative away from UniBond Division One leaders Buxton.

Former City boss Nicky Law's side are currently seven points clear at the top.

But that has not stopped Freeman aiming high.

He said: "We have faltered, especially over the Christmas period, but the other clubs hoping to go up have also had poor spells this season.

"I have been in this game an awful long time and I have seen many things that were considered impossible actually happen.

"There are enough games to go, enough points to play for, so until it's mathematically imp-ossible, we will push for it.

"That watershed may come soon. If it does, we will push for the play-offs and go for the highest place possible in the league.

"That will give us the best draw and hopefully home advantage.

"We are not saying we will do this or that but we do feel we have the quality if everyone stays fit and we don't have excessive suspensions.

"Everyone here is in the mood to get this club back up at the first attempt."

Freeman, a former Football League player and winner of BBC Match of the Day's goal of the month competition, is a key component in that bid alongside boss Phil Sharpe.

However, he was sitting in the stand during last Sat-urday's win because he had fallen foul of a referee in an earlier game and was serving a touchline ban.

The official for the Stocksbridge game made some strange decisions but Free-man would not be drawn on that particular individual's performance.

But the number two made his views clear on the standard of officiating in general.

"We dropped down from the UniBond Premier last season, when Sharps and myself were only in charge for the last few games," he said.

"We thought the standard of referees was poor then. Now we are down a division, we think it is even worse.

"But is that down to the individuals? For me, the people we have running the game are to blame, from Sepp Blatter down.

"It is those people who hand down the directives and that takes everything away from the man in the middle.

"There is no common sense allowed any more."