Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley is demanding an instant improvement when Moors face Brackley in their fourth v third clash at the Brewery Field on Saturday.

Moors suffered one of their worst defeats in several seasons when they lost 3-0 at Ashton United last Saturday, a result that left them fourth in the table, three points behind today’s opponents having played a game more.

Now that a place in the top two is now well out of reach, Moors’ focus is now on ensuring that they remain in the play off positions – they currently have a seven-point cushion on eighth placed Blyth Spartans.

Ainsley wants two wins from his team’s last four matches – they have York away on Good Friday, Chorley at home on Easter Monday and Curzon Ashton on 27th April to play also – and said; “This game against Brackley is massive for us, because I believe that we need two wins from the last four matches to clinch a play off place.

“But we have to be much better than last week. That really was one of the worst ever defeats I’ve experienced in my time at the club, but now we must forget about it and concentrate on getting three points today. We can’t rely on the clubs around us slipping up, we must win this play off place for ourselves, just as we have been doing previously this season.

“A great run of form put us in this position until we had this blip. There are plenty of other clubs who would like to be in this position, look what’s happened to Alfreton and Chester in the last few days.

“We have got four huge games between now and the end of the season. Brackley will be very tough -- they’ve got three players in the league’s team of the season—and our players need to make sure that they put in a performance that makes up for last week’s horror show. We need a reaction, they owe it to themselves.”

Midfielder Jamie Chandler is suspended after being sent off last week, but there could be good news on the injury front with strikers Mark Anderson and Andy Johnson both returning to training this week, while Stephen Brogan has recovered from illness. Midfielder Lewis Hawkins will have a fitness test on a foot injury.

Brackley, meanwhile, have steadily climbed the table in recent weeks, and are top of the league’s form table. Brackley won the reverse game 4-1 back in October.

In the EvoStik League Premier Division, second placed South Shields are at home to Basford, and Whitby face Stafford Rangers.

In the EvoStik East, Marske are away to Ossett United, and Morpeth, who are in touching distance of the title, are at home to Pontefract.