Diss Town manager Garth Good wants players to grasp ‘unexpected’ promotion opportunity ‘without fear’ as they head to Thurlow Nunn League First Division North runners-up Stanway Pegasus

Garth Good has not hidden from the fact his Diss Town side have made the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North play-offs by exceeding season expectations – but he wants his players to now grasp their promotion opportunity by playing ‘without fear’.

The Tangerines will head to a Stanway Pegasus side who finished 17 points ahead of them in the final league table for tomorrow’s play-off semi-final (3pm) .

But Diss, who managed to hang on to fifth place despite missing six regular players for their Easter weekend double header, will go into the game buoyed by having taken four points off them in the two league matches. A 1-0 home win on the opening day of the season was followed by a 4-4 thriller in Essex in November which saw a hat-trick from Liam Jackson.

Of what is their first play-off match since relegation to Step 6 a decade ago, Good said: “I think it's got to be a cup final mentality as you've got the one game opportunity.

“You've got to be disciplined, you've got to be hard working, you've got to have the right mental attitude and resilience, because they're not going to be an easy side.

“But I think you've got to try and approach it without fear. And you've got to have a belief that actually we're here on merit and we've got to make Stanway worry about us as much as we worry about them - that’s got to be our mentality.”

He added: “We believe it's a great opportunity for us. I think we achieved the hardest thing, which was getting in there.

“If you look at the assessment at the start of the year, I don't think anyone had us finishing in the playoffs. I don't think anyone expected that. We didn't expect that.

“We thought we might be closer this year, so that was a pleasant surprise for the lads.

“I think the boys have got to have the mentality of, actually, you know what, let's make the most of this experience and let's make sure we go out there and give it everything we've got to try and produce a result.”

Fatigue after a long season is not set to be an excuse on Diss’ radar if they come up short in Essex. For they will make the trip boosted by the return of four key players as well as the 2-0 home win against Wivenhoe Town on Saturday - with Myron Abodunde’s opener followed by a goal from sub Toby Woods - giving Good the luxury of resting some senior players for the 1-0 away loss at champions Haverhill Rovers on Monday.

“With six players out .for those games some of the under 23s had to step up and play,” said the Diss boss. “It could have been a scenario where it all went a bit Pete Tong and went wrong.

“But credit to those young lads who stepped in. They performed really well above expectations, I would have said, for some of them. And we managed to get the right outcome, which was massive for us.

“And then, of course, with the situation with Peterborough and their unfortunate situation losing to Whittlesey, it allowed us on the last game of the season to rest people.

“We requested most of our seniors because they're all carrying knocks.”

Centre-forward Charlie Webb is back from a four-game suspension while captain Kyle Baker, who has been dealing with some personal issues, is also set to return alongside full-back Alfie Sandon (unavailable) and attacker Ollie Williams (injury).

However, centre-back Kehan Whitby remains away with work while central midfielder Harry Gagen is recovering from appendix surgery.

Fram in bid to halt semi-final heartbreak

Elsewhere inthe division, Framlingham Town will be out to avenge three consecutive years of Thurlow Nunn League First Division North play-off semi-final heartbreak tomorrow (3pm) – against the club that ended their promotion dream in a penalty shootout.

Their painful 5-4 exit on spot-kicks came following a 1-1 draw at home to Harwich & Parkeston two years ago.

But this time around Liam Abraham’s side will make the trip down to the Essex coast to face a side that finished in third, one place ahead of themselves.

Having fell to back-to-back defeats with Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to fellow play-off qualifiers Stanway Pegasus, they returned to winning ways in their regular season-ending fixture by a 4-2 scoreline at Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers.

Josh Lucraft, made skipper for the day, opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Max Willett quickly doubled their advantage. The hosts scored either side of a Kye Jay goal for 3-2 at half-time before Kian Wilson’s goal wrapped up the three points.