NEIL Mitchell admits it's win or bust for Stourbridge when promotion rivals Sale visit this Saturday.

Last weekend's disappointing defeat at Harrogate has left the Stourton Park outfit with no room for error in their quest to bag National Two North's play-off place.

They have now slipped 11 points adrift of this weekend's visitors with just 10 games remaining this campaign.

The director of rugby said: "We have to beat Sale. Anything other than a victory will mean we will face another year of hard work to try and get out of this league.

"It will be a big disappointment if we don't get the win because I really think we have the playing staff for it and really did think this could have been our year.

"We have to get the win and then go on and win all of our remaining games as well if we want to get second place. Every game will be like a play-off game for us.

"The players have put themselves in this position and they have no choice to but to show everyone and themselves that they have the mental strength needed when the pressure really is on.

"Every season there will be stages where you need to show you can handle the pressure. We didn't do that last week and there will be harsh words. We must react to that now."

After the euphoria of the previous week’s performance, Stour fell strangely flat at Rudding Lane with a 19-12 defeat. Defensive lapses were clinically exploited by the hosts whose discipline denied the visitors the opportunity to keep the scoreboard ticking over through the boot of Luke White.

Another score for loanee Dan Rundle and a try for Stef Thorp, one of which was converted by White, meant the visitors did come away with a losing bonus point, but that was all they had to show for a disappointing afternoon.

"We choked under pressure," added Mitchell. "We went there thinking it was going to be a walk in the park and with false confidence.

"They controlled our set-pieces and we had parity in the scrum rather than dominance. They smelt blood and went for us and we couldn't react to that.

"Before that game I thought we had everyone in ours sights still, but now we can only make the play-offs. But Sale are still there for us."

Meanwhile, Mitchell also said that he will waste no time in reevaluating his squad should they fall short at the weekend.

"I did the same last year once there was nothing to play for and I will start to look at what we are missing again," he added.

"I do want to keep the majority of the players we have but I may look at some of the young players we have at the club as well.

"How well Dan (Rundle) has done for us, even though he isn't needed in the league above, shows you the gap between us and the league we are trying to get to. It may even be too early for us anyway.

"But the players have to show they have the right attitude for a promotion fight if they want to be part of the club moving forwards."