CHESHAM United have four games to turn their season around.

The Generals' are on the slide after losing 6-0 and 3-0 to Salisbury and Bedford in the past week, and manager Dennis Greene has identified the next month as vital to the club's survival hopes.

He said: "I've been here four games and we've already played all of the top three.

"It's not been a fair reflection but the next four or five matches are against teams that are around us. You can judge us then."

Starting today, home games against the teams immediately above them, Gloucester and Aylesbury, provide an opportunity to kick-start the revival which must continue into the new year with a trip to basement side Northwood on Monday, January 2.

In between, is another home fixture in the Southern League Premier Division, against Banbury United on New Year's Eve.

Greene said: "It's not a crisis because of the team's we've played, but it's a must we turn things round now.

"We've got an inexperienced team of 18 and 19-year-olds so we don't want to be in a relegation position with ten games to go."

That inexperience was evident on at home to Bedford on Tuesday.

Looking to bounce back from a 6-0 loss at Salisbury that was every bit as one-sided as the score suggests, Greene's side made a confident start and should have been in front after half an hour.

With the keeper grounded and the net gaping, Daryl Wilson hit the bar from four yards after 15 minutes and shortly afterwards, Leon Callender failed to convert a one-on-one.

Instead, Bedford went 1-0 up after 30 minutes when a straight, long ball over the top caught the home defence flat-footed. An almost identical goal made it 2-0 after 35 minutes and the game was effectively over by half-time.

Greene said: "We still ran and competed, but with no belief we were ever going to get back into it."

A penalty near the end made it three and left Greene and assistant coach Keith Scott, both former Wycombe players, contemplating desperate measures.

At 38 and 40 respectively, the pair might have to play again.

Scott has already been on the fringes of the squad and against Salisbury was an unused substitute, while Greene will test himself with a run-out for the reserves next week.

He said: "We've got no leaders. If we had two or three out there we'd be a different team overnight."