"The belief's definitely there" - Defender Ryan Galvin on his season so far, Town's form and the race for the play-offs

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Ryan Galvin says the belief is there among the Town squad that they can finish in the play-offs.

Halifax have stumbled in their last two outings, losing at Hartlepool and then drawing at home to York, but still have their fate in their own hands.

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They are one place and two points behind seventh-placed Aldershot in the National League table, but have played a game less.

"I think it's good that it's still in our hands - if we win our games, we'll be in the play-offs and then we have to take it from there," Galvin told the Courier.

Ryan GalvinRyan Galvin
Ryan Galvin

"It's not in anyone else's hands, if we win our games, that's all we need to worry about.

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"The belief's definitely there, everyone's focused on that and only that.

"We're just focused on ourselves. Because it's our position to lose, you're not really bothered what anyone else does.

"Other than Barnet we don't play anyone else in the top seven, so it's not like we can do anything to affect them."

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Town have been below-par in their last two matches, and only salvaged a draw on Tuesday night against York thanks to Rob Harker's last-gasp goal.

"We haven't played our best but to bounce back and not lose the game on Tuesday was still good and it could still be a good point," Galvin said.

"If we were to have lost that game and then you look back and think 'we should have won there', well, we've dropped two points but we haven't lost.

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"It's hard to keep the momentum going when you have games cancelled and you don't know what's going on.

"It affects momentum when you're not sure when your next game is going to be, that's always going to be hard.

"When you're getting yourself ready for a game and then it's cancelled it can take a lot out of you mentally, and then you've got to be ready to go again."

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Galvin says the average age of Halifax's squad could work in their favour in the run-in.

"We're a very young group. If you look at the bench yesterady, the oldest player was 23," said Galvin, who is also 23, and joined Halifax on a one-year deal with an option last summr after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.

"Not everyone's done it before but no-one's really worried, there's a bit of fearlessness.

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"That can be a good thing or a bad thing but I think if we use it in the right way, we just play our game and we're not worried about 'if we lose, this might happen', everyone just plays how we play normally, instead of feeling any pressure.

"Personally I don't feel any pressure, I can't speak for anyone else. Maybe towards the last two or three games then you might, if it's really going down to the wire.

"But I've not felt any yet, I'm just taking each game as it comes."

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On his season so far, the left-back said: "I'd have liked a few more assists and I'm yet to score this season, which is annoying.

"I feel like I've done alright defensively and it'd be a good first season if we make it into the play-offs, I'd be very happy with that."

Only four outfield players have started more games for The Shaymen this season than the defender.

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Galvin, who was on loan at Maidstone in the National League last season, feels he has developed as a player since arriving at Halifax.

"I played in this league last season but it wasn't for as good a team," he said.

"Coming into games now, you've got way more confidence, knowing what I'm coming into and who I'm playing alongside.

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"Stotty has made me learn so much because he's played a lot at this level.

"He really helps you understand the game a lot easier, all the little things he'll say to me which I'll improve on, just the little details he'll give me because he's a lot more experienced than me, have helped me a lot, like with the gaffer and Coops.

"Stotty will say to me 'stay next to me sometimes, you don't need to go anywhere' or to get little blocks on your strikers when they challenge for the ball so it makes it easier for him."

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