by JAKE NUTTING

Everything seems to be coming up green and gold at the moment.

Along with the 11 points they’ve taken during their five-match unbeaten run, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have received a helping hand from around the league with a handful of favorable results to pull within one point of Minnesota United FC for the fourth and final playoff spot.

Travelling fans in last Saturday’s 4-1 win against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were the eager messengers of Minnesota’s third straight loss after the final whistle.

“Yeah, I was really happy with that one,” said head coach Stuart Campbell. “I was obviously focused on our performance first and foremost, and then at the end when Ralph’s Mob told us the result I was absolutely delighted because I had heard early on that Minnesota had gone up. It’s a great result for us.”

This time last month things were looking a little bleak for the Rowdies, as three straight losses had placed their postseason hopes in jeopardy. Since then, though, the team has hit all their bench marks to put themselves in their current favorable position.

“About four or five weeks ago Lee Cohen and I sat down and we set a target of points, and we got a little graph set up to focus on the amount of points required to get into the playoffs. So that’s what we’re focusing on. Obviously it’s good that we’re in good form and it’s important that we continue that form and finish the season well.”

With Miami FC and Minnesota coming to Al Lang in short succession, the Rowdies can play their way into sole possession of fourth place if they take care of business. Miami is tied on points with the Rowdies in the combined standings, but the Rowdies have a match in hand on and another head-to-head match with Miami following this weekend.

The NASL newcomers are no pushovers. Several notable signings over the course of the year have transformed Miami into one of the most consistent teams of the Fall Season, trailing only the New York Cosmos in the fall title race.

“We’ve approached the last four or five games almost like a cup match where we want to win,” said Campbell. “We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We’re not looking two or three games down the road. It’s great we beat the Strikers, but it was right back to work at the start of the week to start focusing on Miami.”

The Rowdies should be brimming with confidence following last week’s decisive win over the league’s other South Florida club. The four-goal tally was just the second time all year that the Rowdies have recorded more than two goals in a match. Finishing scoring chances has been a frustration throughout the year for the Rowdies, but Campbell thinks the team might finally be turning a corner.

“I just think the team as a whole is growing. It was sort of a new team at the start, and as the season has evolved we’ve had some ups and downs. That kind of stuff builds character. I think we’ve got that character. We’ve got a good team spirit, good chemistry on the pitch, good chemistry off the pitch, so now they’ve got their non-verbal communication. They know what each other are going to do without telling each other. They’ve built relationships within the team, so they’ve grown as a team.”

Tampa Bay cannot officially secure a playoff spot in their upcoming homestand, but they can bring home a meaningful piece of hardware. Last week’s win over the Strikers placed the Rowdies in prime position to claim their first Coastal Cup since 2013. A win this weekend would lock up the cup, which would make Campbell the first to do so as a player and a head coach.

“We’re desperate to do win it because we know how much it means to the fans, Ralph’s Mob in particular,” he said. “It’d be great if we can clinch it for them. All season they’ve been fantastic for us. At my time at the club, it’s been the best atmosphere I’ve known week in, week out. The way the fans get the behind the team, the amount of noise they’ve generated this season, they’ve been a big part of why we’ve been so good at home. We definitely want to clinch it for the fans.”

IMAGE, PATRICK PATTERSON/UNUSED SUBSTITUTES