MIDDLEWICH Town may need to win all of their remaining matches to keep alive their hopes of a return to the Cheshire League’s top tier.

That’s the view of co-manager Ross Speight, who told the Guardian the Witches will likely need a favour from rivals to be promoted even if they do collect maximum points.

He said: “A dozen points gives us a fighting chance.

“We set out to finish in the top two this season, and that hasn’t changed.”

Town are fourth in League One, two points adrift of second-placed Wythenshawe.

Leaders Billinge are eight points clear, but only have one game left to play.

“Our fate isn’t in our hands,” admitted Speight.

“We have to do our bit, which is to win the four games we have left.

“None of them will be a 'gimme', which is something we’ve learned this season – an off-day can cost you points.”

Middlewich, without a game last weekend, will host promotion-rivals Altrincham reserves at Seddon Street on Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Speight said: “We’ll be upset if we don’t go up.

“We believe we’ve assembled a talented squad, one that’s capable of playing at a higher level."

“If we don’t achieve that by the season’s end, then we’ll need to sit down and work out why.”

Middlewich were relegated from the top flight two years ago.

Last season, they finished third.

A six-match sequence without defeat, between September and November, propelled the Witches into the promotion race.

However they did not play again in League One until the end of January.

“That killed us,” added Speight.

“We were in form, and won cup matches too in that run we went on. But we lost that momentum.”

The Witches host Lostock Gralam tomorrow, Tuesday, in a winner-takes-all group-stage clash in the Cheshire League's JA Walton Challenge Cup.

Kick off is at 6.30pm.

Altrincham reserves await the victors.

That means if Middlewich progress, they will play their League One rivals three times before the end of the campaign.