DORCHESTER Town manager Glenn Howes told of the belief his players have in the fight to avoid relegation but insisted the Magpies must “earn the right” to safety.

With five Pitching In Southern League Premier South games remaining, Dorchester occupy the final safe position, one point above Kings Langley.

However, Dorchester were the only team in the bottom five not to secure points on Saturday, following a 1-0 loss to new leaders Met Police.

Hartley Wintney picked up a 2-1 win over Walton Casuals, while Kings Langley, Merthyr and Wimborne all drew.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 0-1 Metropolitan Police - match report

Dorchester also pushed title-chasing Farnborough close last Tuesday, losing 1-0 in the 92nd minute, and Howes has seen enough from his players to take encouragement in the run-in.

He told Echosport: “It’s keeping the belief, confidence and concentration that the performances are there.

“If we can keep producing, we’ve talked all season about the tide turning. We need to win the football matches that we need to win.

“They’re two tough fixtures, Farnborough and Met Police, they’re either going to win the league or Hayes – they’re good sides.

“We’ve penned these teams back and created chances. We go away to Wimborne (on Saturday) which is a local derby so it will challenge us in a different way.

“They picked up a good point and are fighting for their survival. We can’t feel sorry for any of these teams.

“We’ve got to have that ruthlessness about us and earn the right to be in this division next year.

“The players know there are five games to go and we keep talking about them being cup finals. It’s that energy that’s going to drive us on to secure these points.”