SHIPSTON-on-Stour RFC head coach Jez Rance has issued his injury-ravaged squad with a top-three finishing target, starting with a win on Saturday.

The Mayo Road side travel to bottom-placed Coventry Welsh (ko 2.15pm), looking to break into the top half of the Midlands Three West (South) table.

Shipston are currently in seventh place on 18 points, with three wins from their first eight games.

Pre-season, Rance set a promotion target for his side but has since been forced into a re-think after being plagued by injuries to key players.

Matt Corby (broken hand), Rich Savage (eye), Tom Rance (ribs) and James Wootton (shin splints) have all now returned after being on the treatment table so far this term.

Rance says his side will not take Coventry lightly on Saturday as they bid to bounce back from a narrow 13-10 defeat at leaders Upton-upon-Severn in their last clash two weeks ago.

After the Coventry match, Shipston face a derby when they host Evesham on Saturday, December 11.

Rance said: “I can’t believe how many injuries we’ve had this year but most of the players are coming back now.

“Last year we had 18 players to choose from, this year it’s more like 26 to 28 which has helped us.

“We have lost a couple of games that we shouldn’t have. We lost to Upton, we dominated and lost by three points.

“We should have won, we were in total control. We did not get at them enough in the last 10 metres.

“Our pre-season target was to go up and be in the top one or two places.

“We now have to win every game and get maximum points. I think a realistic aim now is third or fourth place.”

“I think a realistic aim now is third or fourth place.

“Everybody is a much of a muchness in this league, apart from Upton. We had three players come on against them that had not played in the first-team before.

“Some of our star players are coming back from injury now.

“We had a team meeting recently, as I felt we had started to take it all too seriously.

“We have gone back to basics. We only play on a Saturday, so they need to start to enjoy themselves.”