Sam Denly has warned Hythe of the consequences if they try coasting through their last four games of the season.

The Cannons won’t make the play-offs but are comfortable in the top half of Bostik South East.

However, with three of the top four and a resurgent Whitstable left to play, Hythe are going to find April far from easy.

They lost 5-2 at East Grinstead last weekend and are now nine points adrift of the top five.

Denly said: “We had a conversation in the dressing room after the game and it was a bit of an open forum. The second-half performance wasn’t acceptable.

“We’re sitting seventh and the team below us is going to do well to catch us but we haven’t been good enough this season. We’ve been too inconsistent.

“We’re not a million miles away but the second-half performance really did sum it up. It wasn’t acceptable and it won’t be acceptable.

“We still want to be competing and we’ve got a big local derby against Ashford on Saturday so we’ll be working hard to put that loss to East Grinstead right.

“There’s no easy games in our last four. We’ve got three of the top sides to play and Whitstable are now one of the in-form teams in the league. They’ve made a couple of good signings and they’re flying.

“There’s a lot of connections with Whitstable and myself and Scott Porter and Hythe so we know that game’s going to be anything but easy.

“We can’t rest on our laurels, we can’t take it lightly in any of those games because if we do, we’ll get well beaten.

“The players are fighting for shirts now, whether it’s for the last four games or places in the squad for next season.”

Fourth-placed Ashford arrive at Reachfields on Saturday unbeaten in five and having won 13 of their last 18 games under boss Tommy Warrilow.

Denly said: “Tommy’s been a great manager, he’s been around the block a few times and he’s done fantastically well since he’s gone in there. They’re going to be a very hard team to beat.

“We’d be stupid to take them lightly because they’re a great force now but it’s a derby and they beat us first game of the season so we want to put that right as well.

“We’re at home and despite our inconsistency this season, our home performances and results have been excellent. We need to maintain that.

“It’s our penultimate home game of the season so we’ll be looking to carry on our good form there.”