SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts has not given up on his side gaining promotion from National League Two North despite their fourth defeat in seven games at fourth-placed Caldy on Saturday.

With promotion rivals Chester also losing to Harrogate, the Tigers are just five points adrift of third place in the table, a position Roberts believes his team could reach before Christmas if they can remain focussed, something the Tigers have failed to do in recent games.

"The league table is so tight that with the right results you could be in third place within a week, so we've just got to keep fighting," he said.

"It's a bit frustrating because we don't seem to be able to compete and keep switched on for the full 80 minutes of a game. That is something we need to sort out if we are to mount a serious challenge."

The Tigers made the perfect start when Christopher Wilkinson opened the scoring with a try in the first minute, which was converted by Steve Collins.

The number 10 also added a penalty as the Tigers raced into a 10-0 lead before Caldy ran in six tries – five of which were converted – to take control of the game.

Benjamin Eaves twice went over in the first half and there were further efforts from Dominic Kohler, Craig Smithson, Benjamin Jones and Stuart Cross.

Jones added four conversions and Andrew Soutar was also on target with another as the hosts led 40-13 after 76 minutes with Collins penalty the Tigers’ only points in a frantic 51-minute spell.

However, a 21-point haul from the Tigers in the final four minutes of the match saw the visitors close to within six points of Caldy with tries from Collins, Matt Lamprey and Matt Riley. Collins kicked all three conversions as the Tigers came agonisingly close to claiming the win.

"We set off like a house on fire playing some really nice rugby at times but we switched off in the middle of the game before an absolutely electric finish saw us tear them apart in the last few minutes," said Roberts.

"You felt that if the game went on for another few minutes we could have won it.

"The really great thing about it is we got two points out of the game after being 40-13 down with minutes to go, which is real bonus."

After a run of difficult matches against the top teams in the league, the Tigers play lower table opposition in Hull and Stockport as well as a derby game against Otley before the festive break, and Roberts knows victories in those games will see his seventh-placed side put themselves in a great position to take advantage of any potential slip ups at the top.

"Otley always pose us a threat so that will be a tough day out but the other two games are against bottom of the table sides, which we should be winning," he said.

"I do feel we have been a touch below where I'd like us to be but our form was showing against Caldy and hopefully now we can start ticking again and the performances will come.

"I keep saying one of these weeks someone is really going to suffer from us. It would be fantastic to get back into that third spot and then we will have to wait for the two top sides to slip up."