DIRECTOR of rugby Neil Shillingford has challenged his Dudley Kingswinford players to prove they are good enough to be at the club next season.

The coach is determined not to let the current Midlands One West campaign fizzle out despite the club's promotion ambitions hitting the buffers with back-to-back defeats.

DK lost to 22-17 at home to second-placed Burton last Saturday as they failed to hit back following the previous weekend's loss at third-placed Bournville.

The Heathbrook outfit had worked hard to get in contention for a top two finish but have fallen short since the turn of the year.

Shillingford now wants his side to better last season's sixth-place finish with a positive end to the campaign.

He also says he'll be looking at the areas that need to be improved to turn his side into title challengers.

"The top three will now be fighting it out for the top two places," he said.

"Our new target has to be to show we have developed since last season by finishing above sixth.

"We have a tough run-in so will need to be at our best. We can't let the season just peter out now.

"We want to build a side that is not only good enough to get out of this league but also good enough to hold its own in the level above.

"The players need to show that they want to be here and show me that they have their individual position covered. I know the areas that need to be strengthen and it is up to the players to show what they can do with a good end to the season.

"We have been talking about the play-off place recently but it wouldn't take long for us to get dragged back into the melee in mid-table, which is what we don't want to happen."

Shillingford felt losing individual battles cost his side dearly against Burton.

He said: "It was very frustrating because it was a game we could have won.

"When you play these good sides the one thing you have to do is win your individual battles. You also have to have a mental toughness to break teams down.

"There we two or three areas where we didn't win our battles and just made it hard work for ourselves and made taking the win easier for them."

DK will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to take on Crewe and Nantwich this Saturday (2.15pm).