ASKAM United enter a crucial Easter period as they look to avoid the drop.

The relegation-threatened side face a tough double header starting tomorrow at neighbours Hawcoat Park, who sit sixth in the West Lancs League Division One table, while on Bank Holiday Monday fifth-placed Tempest United head to Duddon Road.

Askam sit second-bottom in the table above Dalton United, who are nine points adrift of the rest. And joint boss Ben Shirley knows his side need to win at least one of the games, and hope Turton and Poulton do them a favour when they both go to Mill Hill St Peters, another threatened side, over the bank holiday weekend.

Shirley described the importance of getting a reward at Hawcoat as ‘mega’, adding: “The main thing is that we come away with something from Hawcoat to take into the Tempest game. It is just important that we don’t lose on Saturday.

“We go into every game to try and win it but we want to take something positive into the game at Tempest.

“If we win our home games and get what we can away, we should be okay.

“We have only got six to go, it’s looking bleak, but it is not impossible and looking at Mill Hill’s fixtures they have got Poulton and Turton to play, and they’re good sides so we are hoping they can do us a favour.

“In a round about way it is still in our hands, it is down to us, we’ve not been cut adrift yet.

“Come five o’clock Monday afternoon it could be a completely different picture.

“We are hoping we’ll get two positive results, we have got to win at least one of the next two games and if we do that and other results go favourably for us we are in a much healthier position going into next Saturday.

“But it’s one game at a time and the first game to focus on is Hawcoat on Saturday.”

He added: “The most important thing to us is that we come away with something and that we’ve got to win one of the two.”

Askam will be looking to men like Callum Rayner and Kyle Jefferson to find the target, with other experienced players like Chris McLean, back from injury, and Craig Moore to rally the troops.

“We will be turning to these sort of lads to rally the troops and for everyone to pull together to get a result.”

Asked what he would say to his side before facing Hawcoat, Shirley replied: “Do not lose, as simple as that. We do not lose. We fight for everything.

“Many a time we have had to dig deep to grind a result out. They have got great spirit so if they apply themselves properly the quality is there and with the right level of desire and the right attitude they can get something.

“We believe that we can, it is not impossible. We have not given up, so fingers crossed we can get what we want.”