TLEY chairman Paul Jaques feels that the next few weeks will make or break his club's season.

Languishing third from the bottom of the National One table Otley have yet to play the two sides below them starting with Moseley this weekend.

With a crippling injury list Otley have sunk from the comfort of mid-table to a perilous place hovering just above the two relegation spots.

Otley play fellow strugglers Moseley and Waterloo in the next two weeks and with another winnable game against Coventry to follow, Jaques believes that Peter Clegg's men have time on their side in the battle against the drop.

He said: "It is a key month for us in which we play away games at Moseley and Waterloo, who are the two sides below us in the table, and then Coventry at home.

"It means the next few weeks are very important for us. But it's a long season and there's still a long way to go.

"If we can win our next two league games and then pull off another victory against one of the top sides, then we should be OK," said Jaques.

"What would help us is if our injury situation could be eased but we've been hit by an unbelievable amount of them, most of them long term.

"With no gaps in our fixture schedule that means it's getting more and more difficult give players rest. It's been an unbelievable time for us, the like of which I've never come across in the game before. They are all long-term injuries as well, not just short-term niggles.

"We brought in Jon Benson from Doncaster to cover for Simon Binns who might not play again, while the two lads from Newcastle Falcons have also helped us in our situation.

"But trying to build a whole new side in the middle of a season is very, very hard and it's just a matter of survival for us now," he said.