MANAGER Tommy Saunders wants Chippenham supporters to help lift his side out of the doldrums when relegation-haunted Cambridge City visit Hardenhuish Park on Saturday.

The Bluebirds' confidence has been dented by their worst run of results for 18 months and Saunders believes the best way forward is for the players, supporters and staff at the club to unite for the final seven games of the season.

The Chippenham boss faces his first trophyless season since 1998/99, but has now set his sights firmly on a second placed finish in the Dr Martens Premier Division.

He said: "It has been easy to follow Chippenham Town over the past couple of years, but every club has a bad run. I'd just urge all the fans to turn up on Saturday, support us all. We have got our tails between our legs and we just need a lift.

"Our aim now is to come second, it's as simple as that. If we come second or third then it will have been a fantastic season.

"Anything below fourth will be a disappointment because of what we've done."

Saunders held a dressing room inquest on Tuesday night and admitted his side's morale is at its lowest ebb at present.

"We are just having a disappointing run over the last four or five games. Look at Bath City, they couldn't win for ten games and football is 99.9 per cent confidence.

"Both myself, Nobby and the players have got our heads down and are very low on confidence. We have got to stop speaking to the papers and whoever, get on with our jobs and let our football do the talking."

Saunders was unhappy with his side's second half showing at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium on Tuesday night. He said: "I thought the first 45 minutes were really good. We did ever so well and should have been 1-0 up. Adie (Mings) should have scored, there is no question about that.

"In the second half we gave them a stupid chance with the penalty when there was really no danger there and, once we went 1-0 down, we completely lost the plot.

"We were using long balls and were a bit of a shambles for the last 20 minutes. I've told the players that. All of the confidence has drained out of them and what was said in the dressing room will stay in there."

Although his side had been well below-par, Saunders felt the performance of referee Steve Habgood had hardly helped the visitors' cause.

He said: "The players said the challenge for the penalty was a yard outside the area and I don't think the referee needed any persuading to give it. The referee's performance was poor but the players' performance in the second half was worse."