Chatham Town are up against it in their title chase and face a crunch game at home this Sunday.

Chats sit third in the Division 1 South East table behind second-placed Norwich City who are the visitors to the Bauvill Stadium.

Neither team can afford another loss as they hope to keep the heat on leaders Real Bedford.

Chatham were leading the way themselves until recently when a loss away to Norwich was followed by damaging draws against Dulwich Hamlet and QPR.

They have five games left and even winning them all might not be enough as leaders Read Bedford have a three-point advantage over them and a game in hand.

Manager Keith Boanas isn’t giving up on the challenge but knows they can’t afford to drop any more points if they want even a remote chance of retaking the lead.

Boanas said: “It’s not over although mathematically it looks tough now.

“It’s obviously not impossible but we have to beat Norwich in the next game now - that’s an absolute no-brainer.

“We went out last time with the message that we needed three points from every game and after adjusting the girls went out with that mentality.”

Chatham were on course for a win over QPR but conceded late on to draw 2-2 last time out a fortnight ago.

Boanas said: “I couldn't fault them at the end of the game, they were deflated enough, they knew what it meant. I was proud of the second half performance but it was just soul destroying to lose the win.”

Chatham had a weekend without a game as Real Bedford took over top spot with a 5-0 win over QPR.

The Chatham manager had a change of scenery to take his mind off their league frustrations, coaching the England Colleges national team in Italy.

Chatham were keen to win promotion back to the third-tier at the first time of asking following last season’s relegation. They may have to console themselves in cup competitions, as they remain in three of them.

Cup success won’t make it any easier for the manager, however.

“The Norwich game becomes absolutely as big as any game we’ve had,” he said.

“Forget the cups, this is bigger than any cup game, any competition we’re in, we have to win it.

“They did everything they could to win last time out and I have to say, we were robbed.

“I was really disappointed (after the QPR game) and the chairman pointed out that we’d had a great season, playing against EFL clubs, like QPR and Norwich, and we are who we are, but for me, I have been an underdog in many situations and back in the day at Charlton we were always underdogs to Arsenal and Fulham.

“I am used to be in those situations and it gives us an incentive. We are where we ought to be and I believe we should be higher and it’s those games (and dropped points) against Actonians and the like they come back and haunt us.”

Norwich come to the Bauvill in good form, without a loss since the turn of the year and having picked up three straight league wins.

Sunday’s game at Chatham kicks off at 2.30pm.