The end of a long, hard rugby season is within touching distance for many clubs, but the reality for Cinderford is that it is still some way away.

It’s been a very rewarding season so far for the upwardly mobile Forest of Dean club, of course, but at this stage they are still short of achieving their goal.

That goal is the National Two South title and with it promotion back to National One, and they still need 12 more points from their remaining four games to be sure of realising that ambition.

Cinderford travel down to Redruth on Friday ahead of Saturday’s game nine points ahead of their only rivals for the title Chinnor, who themselves face a tough game at fourth-placed Taunton Titans.

Redruth are one place below Taunton and Cinderford director of rugby Paul Morris said: “This is a pivotal weekend. We’ve both got very tough away games.

“We’ve won 25 of our 26 games but they don’t give league titles out after 26 games, they give them out after 30.

“We’re working on the basis that Chinnor will take 20 points from their last four games so that’s what we want – 20 points from our final four games.”

Morris has refused to look too far ahead this season, preferring to concentrate only on the next game, but with the finishing line in sight he knows that the big prize is there for the taking.

However, playing Redruth in Cornwall is never easy.

“They’ve only been beaten once at home this season and that was by Chinnor,” said Morris. “So we need to emulate what Chinnor have done.

“We’ve already beaten Redruth once this season but we got hammered by them when we played them away last season.

“Mind you, we’re a very different side to last season.

“We’ve prepared well for this game and got no injuries. There are no excuses.”

After Redruth, Cinderford host Taunton Titans a week on Saturday before travelling to eighth-placed Bury St Edmunds on 21st April and hosting 10th-placed Canterbury on the final day of the season a week later.

Chinnor’s final three games are at home to Bury St Edmunds (14th April), away to Canterbury (21st April) and at home to 11th-placed Clifton (28th April).