St Albans City need players who will give "everything for this club" as they prepare for a make-or-break Easter weekend.
A 1-0 loss at home to Eastbourne Borough means they are still three points from safety in National League South with just three games to go, and only Salisbury and Enfield Town left to catch.
It is the north London side who are up next on Good Friday before a final home game of the season against Hemel Hempstead Town on Easter Monday.
And if they are to take their survival chances into the final weekend, away to Truro City, they have to secure as many points as possible.
"It's now a massive Easter," said manager Ian Culverhouse. "We'll regroup in the week and all attention is on those two games.
"It's all or nothing. We tried to get a tempo and intensity into us against Eastbourne but it was hard because it was so stop-start.
"But these games over Easter, we've got to play them at a real high intensity and we have to give everything we've got for the shirt. We really have.
"I've got to pick the right players who will go and give everything for this club because that is the situation we are in."
Eastbourne arrived still very much in the title picture and the victory, secured by Kai Woollard-Innocent's 31st minute goal, means they are two points behind Truro in third, although the top six are all still in contention.
Boro were helped as well by a straight red card for City's Jack James three minutes after the winner and while there were moans from the Saints boss towards the officials, he begrudgingly admitted the visitors to Clarence Park were the better side on the day.
Culverhouse said: "We weren't good enough in both boxes again. They were the better team and managed the game really well. They looked bigger and stronger than us at times.
"When we did get into crossing areas, their defenders always got there first and that was frustrating.
"But they kept coming back too easily. Every time we put it forward, their back three came through our forward line. We have to be better at that.
"The sending off killed us but the game was lacking quality anyway. The ball was never on the floor.
"The referee was very quick to dish the red card out. I not blaming him but it doesn't help when you have a sub-standard one and I thought the officiating was poor, all over.
"We had a couple of [penalty] shouts, a barge in the back of Shaun Jeffers which was clear.
"He thought 2,000 people had come to see him. It spoils the game [when it's stop-start], they should let the game go and let it be free.
"It was a poor game but Eastbourne managed it better than we did and they got the win.
"They go onto something better but we have to react."
Saints currently have 41 points and a goal difference of minus 15. Salisbury are three points ahead and with a better difference.
Enfield are a further three points ahead.
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