Canterbury Hockey Club captain Tom Richford says his side face the biggest weekend of their season with a double-header which could decide their NOW: Pensions national Premier Division fate.

The city club recorded a vital 3-1 win at Cannock on Sunday to keep their hopes of a dramatic escape from relegation alive, though they remain bottom, with their goal difference meaning they are effectively nine points from safety with four games to play and seven points short of the lone relegation play-off spot.

In 2011, Canterbury managed to close the gap in similar circumstances and a final day win earned them a place in the relegation play-offs. However they suffered back-to-back defeats to condemn them to Division 1.

Richford recalled: “We were in a similar situation a couple of years ago and we managed to pull it out of the bag and get into the play-offs, although we weren’t able to see it all the way through.

“I have no doubt we are a better team this time around and are better prepared if we were to do it again.”

Fifth-bottom Brooklands MU visit Polo Farm on Saturday (1pm) with Reading, two points and a further place ahead, travelling to Canterbury on Sunday (2.15pm).

Richford said: “It’s definitely the biggest two games of the season. It is obviously a vitally important weekend, but we won’t start thinking about the second one until after the first game is taken care of.

“We are grateful for any and all support we can get. It makes such a difference having a crowd behind you.

“Brooklands are down that end of the table and will be fighting too, and Reading still have a lot to play for.”

He added: “We only have ourselves to blame for being in this situation. We played well in the first half on Sunday and though we weren’t quite as good in the second, we managed to grind it out.

“Hopefully it’s the turning point for us. We are fighting, we’re not just going to let this happen, we are going to keep fighting and do everything we can to stay up.”

New arrivals, Craig Boyne and Paco, were both on the scoresheet at Cannock and Richford added: “If we’d had the new signings all season we’d comfortably be higher up the table.”