ERNIE Howe has told his Basingstoke Town side that nothing less than six points will do from their two Easter weekend fixtures.

Town face Hitchin at the Camrose tomorrow and on Easter Monday travel to Bognor Regis Town.

Positive results in the brace of matches are vital for Town as they chase the top-13 finish that will ensure they make the new Conference South league.

Howe said: "We have got to win them both and hope some of the other teams slip up. If they lose their positions above us, it puts the pressure back on them.

"Every game is important now and they're going to be hard, but we've got to focus on one game at a time.

"As soon as you start planning too far ahead, things come back on you, as we saw on Saturday with Scotty's (Tarr) red card.

"Our run-in may look easier than others near us after the 13th place, but we are playing teams battling to get into the play-offs below the cut-off point.

"They still have something to play for, so it's not going to be easy. We've got to be fully focused if we want to achieve our goals."

Goalkeeper Tarr is available for the Easter fixtures, after which his ban will rule him out for the final three games of the season.

Howe said he would still be picking Tarr for this weekend's games because of the lack of alternatives, making his dismissal all the more of a blow.

The visit of Hitchin tomorrow is the penultimate game of the season at the Camrose.

Howe said: "With it being the Easter weekend, it would be good if we got a bigger crowd to support us tomorrow in what is an important game and time of the season for the club."

Howe has no injury concerns for the game.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Town striker John Dyer is in the England Schools (ESFA) under-18 squad playing New Zealand at AFC Newbury's Faraday Road Stadium next Friday (7pm).

Ticket information is available on 08705 321321.