PLYMOUTH Argyle can seize top spot in Sky Bet League One today – with Tom Cleverley insisting his side are desperate to keep their momentum going when Burton Albion arrive at Home Park (3pm).

The Pilgrims have stormed up the table after winning their last three league games and four of their last five, turning a difficult opening to the season into a promotion push which has suddenly gathered serious pace.

And with both Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday sitting above Argyle unavailable this weekend because of the international break, victory over Burton would send the Pilgrims one point clear at the top of League One.

Cleverley admits the opportunity is providing his players with extra motivation – but insists nobody at Home Park is getting carried away in September.

“It’s certainly motivation,” said the Argyle boss. “It’s an accumulation of a lot of good training, good performances, good mentality, but also we’re not getting carried away, it’s the end of September.

“It would be significant for how far we have come as a group together. This time last year we were at the wrong end of the table.”

Argyle’s dramatic improvement comes after they collected just one point from their opening two league matches. Since then, they have won four of their last five, with a 2-0 defeat at Leicester City the only blemish.

Now Cleverley wants his players to keep their foot down.

“We are preparing the team to win on Saturday and hopefully go top of the league,” he said. “There is 11 players in front of us that will be doing everything to stop that.”

The Pilgrims have also been given another boost by the depth of their squad, highlighted by Tuesday night’s 5-1 EFL Trophy demolition of Crystal Palace Under-21s.

Cleverley changed his entire starting XI from the 4-2 league victory at Blackpool, giving opportunities to fringe players and academy prospects.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Cleverley. “I was excited to see the 11 players that were going to play, I was excited to see the academy players.”

Argyle, Burton and Reading are the only League One clubs playing this weekend and next, meaning Cleverley’s side have the chance to build further momentum while much of the division pauses.

“We want to play. We want to stay in the rhythm. We want to get points on the board,” he said. “We are desperate to play. I see that every day in training.

“We have got 18-20 guys who are desperate to be in the team, to have an impact if they come off the bench, to make sure that standards are high on and off the pitch.

“We are in a good rhythm, we are in high confidence and we have to work as hard as we possibly can to keep that momentum.”

Cleverley has also had to deal with speculation linking him with the vacant manager’s job at Championship club Preston North End.

But the 37-year-old was unequivocal about where his attention lies.

“I’m completely focused on my work here,” he said. “I’m really focused on my work here, enjoying it more than ever and the feeling of building something is really strong at the minute. Flattered to be linked although there has been nothing formal.”