Clough happy with underdog role

Clough says the pressure is now off his side (Getty)

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough wants his side to make the most of their underdog status in the play-offs.

The Brewers host Exeter in their final league match on Saturday but are already assured of a play-off spot.

Clough said he hopes play-off rivals Cambridge, Torquay and Exeter struggle with the high expectation levels.

"All the teams in there are ex-Football League clubs and bigger clubs with bigger support than us so we know we are very much the underdogs," he said.

Interview: Burton manager Nigel Clough

"Torquay are desperate to get back up, Cambridge get crowds bigger than a lot of League Two sides and Exeter get six or seven thousand as well.

There are a lot of much bigger clubs with bigger budgets than us who would expect to be challenging for the Football League Nigel Clough

"It's one of those where we expect the worst - that we'll be in the Conference - but you hope that we might be a Football League club."

And Clough believes his side will have had a fantastic season even if they fail to gain promotion from the Blue Square Premier.

"There are a lot of much bigger clubs with bigger budgets than us who would expect to be challenging for the Football League," he told BBC Radio Derby.

"We can regard it as nothing but a success at the moment and it would be lovely to let everyone have a trip to Wembley."