DARREN Perrin has challenged his Chippenham Town players to show more passion if they want to keep their shirts at Hardenhuish Park.

The Bluebirds manager has hinted he may axe some of his current squad to make way for new signings in a bid to win promotion to the Nationwide Conference South.

Perrin refused to name those currently under threat but said he would monitor Thursday's training session closely to determine the players not pulling their weight.

Speaking after Tuesday night's shock defeat to Bromsgrove Rovers in the semi-final of the Errea Cup, Perrin said he wanted to see more fight from his players over the course of the next few weeks.

He said: "We need more passion back in the side. It's almost certain that we will recall Wayne Thorne from Mangotsfield United. Wayne is a lad who really wants to play for Chippenham Town."

With new signings Steve Winter and JP Mills already added to the squad, and winger Darren Wheeler extending his loan from Conference South club Weymouth until the end of the season, it now seems certain that some heads will roll.

Said Perrin: "We may need to off-load a few players before we can bring any more in. Like any club we have to try to balance the books. We have a budget to work to here at Chippenham.

"Depending on the injury situation, the time to try to freshen things up is now. I'm not necessarily questioning my players' desire, but maybe we have been a bit complacent and a little bit stale in recent weeks."

Chippenham have lost three of their last four matches, with league defeats to play-off rivals King's Lynn and Bedford Town casting major doubts over their promotion credentials.

While the Bluebirds were culled by plucky Bromsgrove on Tuesday night, Salisbury City and Bath City both recorded impressive wins to leapfrog Chippenham in the Southern League table.

Said Perrin: "It's easy to play and it's easy manage when the team is winning all the time. But all of a sudden we are not in a good run of form.

"There's nothing I can do about Bath or Salisbury. All I cared about tonight was getting Chippenham into the final of this competition. Every competition we enter while I am manager we will try to win."

Perrin is keen to allay fears around Hardenhuish that his side have blown their chances of winning the league and is determined to prove his doubters wrong.

He said: "It's my job to get Chippenham Town out of this division. We have not given up on the title but if we have to go up through the play-offs then so be it.

"Everyone wants to see their side win every week but I believe a few people are panicking and jumping on the bandwagon. People tend to forget what we have achieved this season.

"I will stay strong and I won't panic. I will take whatever criticism comes my way. It will take a brave person to write our season off and I'm still confident that we will have the last laugh come May."

Perrin has set his players a target of at least four points from tomorrow's home game against Hitchin and the clash with Team Bath at Hardenhuish Park on Tuesday night.