Dejected Michael Farrer has issued a call to arms to his Canterbury players as they seek to bounce back from defeat to Reading in time for a trip to East Grinstead.

Farrer’s side allowed a 3-0 lead to slip before losing 5-4 in the dying seconds to lose ground in the play-off race on Sunday and make it back-to-back defeats in NOW Pensions National Premier Division.

One small consolation is that each time the city club have lost consecutive games in the league this season they have responded with a big win, although it will be a tough ask at a title-chasing East Grinstead who beat them 9-1 at Polo Farm early in the season.

Farrer said: “We were disappointed after Sunday but we have to get over it. EGs will certainly be expecting to beat us but we can go there and grab a win.”

The defeat left Canterbury sixth, six points behind fourth-placed Surbiton who occupy the final play-off spot.

Ross Gilham-Jones’ recent illness has seen him miss out on the England under-21 squad for the Junior World Cup in India.