BILLY STELLING believes East Lancashire have to win every game now to stand any chance of winning the Lancashire League.

With eight games to go the Alexandra Meadows side trail Haslingden by nine points and Stelling knows that one more slip up could cost them the title for the second year running.

He said: "The run in starts here and if we lose another game we are going to struggle. We are already in the position of having to rely on Haslingden slipping up so we have to pick up as many maximum points wins as possible and wait and see."

The South African all-rounder admitted that the high expectancy that the club could go one better than last year's runners-up spot has effected team morale.

He said: "We were installed as favourites at the beginning of the season and looking back it was probably a pressure we could have done with out. There was a stage when we thought all we had to do to win was turn up on the day but that is obviously not the case."

Stelling said the club could end up regretting last weekend's defeat against Ramsbottom - who they face again this Sunday - and said that could eventually cost them the title.

"We were very bad in the field on the day and it cost us the game. We are still in with a shout of winning the title but have to make a big improvement if we are going to catch the leaders." Fixtures: Sunday, Accrington v Rawtenstall, Bacup v Todmorden, Burnley v Colne, Church v Enfield, East Lancs v Ramsbottom, Haslingden v Rishton, Nelson v Lowerhouse.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.