Garry Wilson refused to wave the white flag after Eastbourne Borough failed to win again but he admitted the odds are now stacked against his side.

As injuries and suspensions pile up for Borough, their titles hopes are fading.

They remain a point behind Lewes, who have a game in hand, but the matches are running out for Wilson's men.

So too are the players which is the Borough manager's most pressing concern.

A 2-2 draw with lowly Weston-super-Mare made it one point out of nine for a side that started the day top of Blue Square south but the extent of the damage was not confined to the result.

Borough lost four players to injury and another two to suspensions.

Scott Ramsay and Allan Tait left the ground on crutches due to ankle injuries, Marc Pullan suffered a recurrence of a thigh problem and Matt Smart sustained medial knee ligament damage. With Nathan Crabb (back) and Robbie Kember (Achilles) also sidelined it is not looking good.

In addition Neil Jenkins, who missed the game due to flu, has a suspension coming up - as do Andy Atkin and Ben Austin who were sent off.

Atkin's straight red card means he will miss three of Borough's five remaining games while Austin will have to sit out one after being dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Ironically, Lewes had the same problems earlier this month will a long list of players out injured. The difference now is that the clock is running down on the season.

Four of Borough's five remaining games are away from home, including trips to Newport County and Braintree. The only remaining home game is against another play-off hopeful, Bath City.

Those games all look tough - even with a fully fit squad.

Wilson said: "We won't go away without a fight but it is going to be difficult for us now.

"We will say to the players don't give up, keep the great spirit we have had at the club all season. They will be dejected but we have got to keep going. I am sure the ones that are left will rally together and give it their best shot "If I am realistic I can't see us coming back from this, not with the injuries. We have some difficult games coming up without a squad.

"You can get away with it with one or two out but with six or seven out at one time and a small squad anyway you cannot compete at this level. But we won't give up."

Saturday's draw was a real missed opportunity to get back on track after defeats to Bromley and Welling over Easter.

Already 1-0 behind, the odds were stacked against them as they lost three players - Ramsay, his replacement Tait and Pullan - by the 42nd minute but they finished the half with a flurry of chances, then dominated the second period.

Having gone 2-1 up with 11 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Paul Armstrong and Pat Harding, three points should have been in the bag but Borough fell apart in the closing stages.

Austin was sent off with four minutes remaining and the visitors took advantage with Wilfried Domoraud, a striker on loan from Yeovil, scoring his second of the game with Weston's first real chance of the half.

That was two minutes into stoppage time and there were seven more to come but the game was up when a moment of madness saw Atkin sent off for violent conduct after clashing with Ian Herring.

Wilson said: "Andy being sent off will not help us now with so many injuries.

"If you are a top striker in this league players will get round about you and he has got to learn. That is a huge learning curve for him and we will pay the price because our other three forwards are all out and he will be out for three games now.

"If you have these injuries at the start of the season you can go and get replacements but the deadline (for signings) is up. We have not got the biggest squad and now we have probably got seven major injuries all in the space of a week.

"It is really frustrating for the club when we are in such a strong position. It has all happened at the wrong time but it has happened and we have got to face it."

Eastbourne Borough: Hook, Baker, Lovett, Smart, Austin, Pullan (sub Ballard 15), Harding, Armstrong, Atkin, Ramsay (sub Tait 5 (sub Wilde 43)), M.Crabb. Subs not used: Budd, Lightwood.

Weston-super-Mare: Sawyer, Green, Bell (sub McConnell 61), Ujah (sub Hopkins 54), Robertson, Herring, Wilson, McGregor, Domoraud, Powell, Holgate (sub Rand 69). Subs not used: Grubb, Willshire.

Referee: Mr G. Jerden (Hampshire).

Attendance: 813.

Can Borough bounce back?