Struggling Chichester have warned their commuting players to knuckle down or expect to be dropped from the first team.

Skipper Declan Hutchings has set a target of seven wins to avoid the drop from London Four South East.

And one of his main priorities is to ensure a handful of players based outside the area commit themselves to turning out every Saturday and turning up twice a week for training.

The injury-hit West Sussex outfit were stranded on minus one point ahead of today's re-arranged home clash with Park House.

Even victory would not have been enough to lift them off the bottom of the table, but it would have closed the gap on their visitors to just one point.

And that would have proved quite a confidence boost given the talent currently on the sidelines at Oaklands Park.

Flanker Hutchings tops the list with tendon trouble while Sussex scrum half Simon Bradford has a cruciate ligament damage.

Richard Johnson, who can play centre or scrum half, has a shoulder injury and lock Nigel Turner has been ruled out all season so far by a knee injury.

Sussex prop Alex Knight-Barnard is among a prominent contingent of London-based players registered with the club.

Work commitments have restricted Knight-Barnard's appearances for Richmond and Chi hope to see him in their sky and navy hoops in the coming months.

Hutchings said: "We have got ground to make up and we are targeting seven games which we believe will bring us 14 points.

"The players' committee have pinpointed those members of the squad who they think can commit fully to the club and we hope to get a strong side out with some form of continuity.

"We have decided that, for the club to go forward, we need guys who are more local. They are the people we have really got to hold on to."

Hutchings is having physiotherapy twice a week and hopes to be back in the side, along with Bradford and Johnson, later this month.

Turner's injury appears to be more long term. He has not played since being ever present in the Sussex second row during last season's County Championship.

Hutchings said: "Nigel has had keyhole surgery and is now doing weights and trying to rebuild his knee. It would be really good for the morale of the club if we could stay up.

"On a good day we can compete with the top two or three in London Four South East but we are struggling because of injuries."

Chi's only point came from an 11-11 home draw with Heathfield but they were docked two points for fielding unregistered South African centre Selywn Brummer in their defeat at Eastbourne.

It is intriguing to speculate which games they reckon will bring those 14 points.

Home and away clashes with Folkestone and Park House would appear to be decent bets, plus the home clash with a Hove side who have not travelled well in the last couple of seasons.

The trip to Beccehamians and the home game with Eastbourne may also be viewed as potential wins.

Next week's league trip to Bognor looks a rather tougher proposition.

The sides also meet at Oaklands Park in the Sussex Trophy next month and Hutchings is determined his side will fare better than in the league match, when they lost 23-0 to their local rivals.

The skipper added: "That was very unsettling. We just didn't play that day."

Many more off days like that and Chi will be getting used to life in Sussex One next season.