by Alex Hoad

Chatham boss Alex O’Brien says his squad are playing for their futures at the club as their season looks set to fizzle out into mid-table obscurity.

O’Brien (pictured) has already pledged to give youth a chance in the final weeks of the season but he hopes performances are boosted in the final 10 games by senior players playing to earn themselves their place next season.

He said: "In pre-season you work hard to get into the side and then you work hard to try and stay in the side. When the season starts to tail-off as a player you think,‘what am I going to do next season, where am I going to be?’

"That might give them a little spring to work hard and try and get themselves here for next year."

He added: "If the players can’t work hard, then we won’t want them back next season. Everything we do is based around hard work."

Town lost 3-1 to promotion-chasing Godalming Town on Tuesday despite O’Brien feeling they were the better team.

He said: "The best footballing side on the night lost. They were strong behind the ball and quick going forward and we got caught with three goals that were scored in exactly the same way. It was disappointing.

Town face another promotion-chasing side in the form of Fleet Town at Maidstone Road on Saturday.

O’Brien said: "All the pressure is on them, we’ve got nothing to worry about. It would be a big boost for us to beat a promotion-chasing side."

"I’m not setting points targets but want to finish as high up the table as possible and I would hope we could try to win more games than we lose in the final 10 games."

American goalkeeper Dean Ruddy could after being laid low by a virus.