Salford City winger Kelly N’Mai insists they want to win the League Two play-off final at Wembley to get over their “anger” at missing out on automatic promotion.
Salford could only draw 0-0 at Crawley on the final day to miss out on promotion by one point to Cambridge United and N’Mai says “everyone was down” on their return home from the game.
The Ammies are well positioned going into Friday’s semi-final return to make it to Wembley after beating Grimsby Town 2-1 at Blundell Park on Sunday and N’Mai says it would be the perfect way to go up.
The Dutch midfielder told Radio Manchester: “It’s been a long season and the lads have worked really hard, and to miss out on the final day, where we had loads of chances, everyone was angry.
“So to do it at Wembley would probably be better than finishing third, but you’ve got to do it.
“The coach ride back [from Crawley] was really quiet, everyone was down. But as soon as that day went by and the skipper put a couple of messages in the group chat, saying ‘that’s done, we’ve got to restart and go again’ and we’re doing the work to do that.”
After the excitement of the first leg, N’Mai says he would gladly settle for a boring, goalless draw at the Peninsula Stadium on Friday.
“For anyone watching the first leg, it was entertaining,” he said. “But as a player, I hope it’s the calmest game and I wouldn’t mind a 0-0.”
N’Mai, 22, made his first start in two months after injury on Sunday.
“I think I played 60 minutes and it was the hardest 60 minutes – I couldn’t breathe,” he said.
“I think that’s with the atmosphere there as well. It’s obviously a tough place to go, but to leave there a goal up, we’re confident.”