Sam Denly admits Herne Bay now require a miracle to make the Ryman League, Division 1 South play-offs but doesn’t want the season to end with a whimper.

Back-to-back defeats – 2-0 at Whyteleafe on Saturday and 3-1 at home to newly-crowned champions Folkestone Invicta 48 hours later – saw them drop to ninth and out of the top five for only the second time in the last three months.

Reflecting on a pointless Easter, boss Denly faced up to the prospect of missing out on the play-offs, admitting: “We need nothing short of a miracle and have to win at least four of our last five games.

“We still have an outside chance but it is out of our hands now. We want to return to winning ways as quickly as possible and still try to improve on last season when we finished ninth.”

He added: “We have missed having that little bit of quality in front of goal.

“Other teams have gone out and spent money on players to score the goals and it’s paid dividends.

“I haven’t got that luxury but I am pleased with what I have got and proud of my players because they have been outstanding.

“Whyteleafe was a glaring example.We had chances and on another day could have won the game.

“We didn’t do enough against Folkestone to deserve to win the game. We were poor in the first half but better in the second.”

Denly remains concerned about midfielder Lee Browning, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being knocked out in a horrific clash of heads with Ramsgate’s Nick Treadwell at Winch’s Field earlier this month.

The collision put both players in hospital, with the match abandoned at half-time.

Self employed carpenter Browning was due to see a neurologist yesterday (Wednesday) having been unable to work since the incident.

Sam Hasler returns after a five-match ban for the trip to Walton Casuals at Merstham on Saturday, before Bay face Ramsgate in the re-arranged fixture on Tuesday night (7.45pm).