GARETH Davies is refusing to give up on Fairford Town lifting the Hellenic League Division One West title - although the Cinder Lane boss accepts his side are going to need a significant helping hand to do it.

Town conclude their league campaign with a trip to Letcombe tomorrow before hosting fellow bottom-half side Shortwood United Reserves next weekend, as they remain level on points with Cheltenham Saracens at the top.

Maximum points from those games are all Davies’ men can deliver before sitting back and watching what Saracens, who have three games in hand, third-placed Carterton (five games in hand) and Hook Norton in fourth (four games in hand) do.

With the number of teams promoted into the Premier Division still to be decided, the manager is primarily focused on a top-three finish to give Fairford a chance of stepping up.

“It’s out of our hands,’’ he said. “It’s just a case of trying to get the next six points and then we will be looking for a few favours.

“To finish where we have, or within the top four, is a massive achievement for the club and the lads we have at the club have done a fantastic job to get us where we are.’’ An intriguing element in the mix is Fairford’s Bluefin Sports Supplementary Challenge Cup quarter final clash at Cheltenham Saracens on Monday.

Davies added: “I’m not sure what sort of team they (Saracens) will put on the field for that one. They have a league game (with Clanfield) on the Wednesday so it may be that the rest players (for the cup tie).

“We’ll be putting out our strongest side for our three games and we’ll see what happens.”

Striker Lee Smith misses tomorrow’s trip, but Jack Ellis returns after a hamstring injury and Nathan Gambling and Danny Hale are also back.

Elsewhere in Division One West, second-from-bottom New College can close the gap on Shortwood United Reserves a place above them with victory at the Webb’s Wood Stadium.

Purton, in sixth, also face the side a place above as they host Easington Sports.