CIRENCESTER Town's manager believes The Centurions will need to get at least four points from their two Easter Bank Holiday matches to give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation from the Southern League Premier Division.

Neil Hards spoke as his team occupy the relegation zone, one place from safety.

Cirencester have lost ten, drawn three and won one of their past 14 league matches. Five of Cirencester's first-team players have left since Christmas.

Lacking the means to buy replacements, Town have had to field teenagers from their academy.

On Saturday, they will travel to play the team one place above them, Tiverton Town, who have three points more and six games in hand.

On Bank Holiday Monday, they will host local rivals, Gloucester City, whose squad includes two of the players who left Cirencester earlier this year; striker Scott Griffin and midfielder Marc Richards.

Hards said: "We need to pick up four points from the two games to give us a chance to survive. ,We're going to try to pick the most attacking formation we can."

Defender Lee Molyneaux and midfielder Nathan Haisley will return from suspension, while centre-half Steve Leigh is expected to recover from a calf injury.

Hards, however, is happy with how the academy products have performed.

He said: "The youngsters have done exceptionally well. They are there on merit."

Hards said Town were unlucky to lose against league leaders, Bath City. He said: "We couldn't create that little bit of luck we need.

"Bath knew they had been involved in a game. We started with three up front and ended with four up front. We gave them something to think about. We had the best chances in the first half.

"It was just one lapse in concentration, in 90 minutes, that cost us. I've been pleased with the reaction we've had over the last four or five weeks. There's loads of potential here for the future."