DEFIANT Trowbridge manager Neil Kirkpatrick believes his side can still win promotion to the Hellenic League Premier Division despite a double setback over the Easter weekend.

Kirkpatrick has all but conceded second place to rivals Headington Amateurs but is confident that Trowbridge can stave off competition from five other sides to clinch the vital third place.

He said: "As long as it is still mathematically possible for us to go up, I will not stop believing in my players. "It's been a roller-coaster ride all season and you could almost brush us off and say we are no longer favourites to go up. But there's still three games to play and I believe we can win those three games."

A 1-1 draw against fellow promotion hopefuls Harrow Hill on Saturday was followed by a goal-less draw with Pewsey Vale Reserves on Easter Monday as the Bees lost ground on their rivals.

  • Full story and pictures in Friday's Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News.