Lordswood take on Tower Hamlets as they continue quest for survival in the Southern Counties East Premier Division

It’s a huge weekend ahead for Lordswood in their battle against the drop.

Lords sit second from bottom in the Southern Counties East Premier Division but emerged from a chaotic ending to last weekend’s fixture with three points to give themselves renewed hope of survival.

Richard Dimmock’s side were leading Bearsted 2-1 and on course for a much-needed three points when a penalty was awarded against them with five minutes left.

Mehmet Piro was sin-binned for protesting before goalkeeper George Bentley saved the spot-kick. They then overcame eight minutes of stoppage time before the whistle went and the points were theirs.

“It was a thoroughly deserved win and a big relief,” said Dimmock, who was appointed in December to try and save Lords from the drop.

“Had they nicked an equaliser all of that hard work would have been for nothing.”

Whoever finishes bottom of the Premier Division this season will be relegated while the team finishing second bottom will have their fate determined on a points-per-game basis, with the four worst performers from 16 step five divisions going down. Lordswood are currently one of those four.

Dimmock’s task is to try and pull them clear of the bottom two and this weekend could be crucial.

While Lordswood face bottom side Tower Hamlets at home, third-bottom Rusthall host title-chasing Sheppey United.

Lordswood will hope to have reduced the four-point gap between themselves and Rusthall down to one by 5pm on Saturday.

Dimmock knows that they’ll have to battle just as hard as they did last weekend in their remaining seven games to stand a chance of survival.

He said: “It is do-able, I said to the boys after the game, that is the kind of hard work you have to put in for the remaining weeks.

“You