TROUBLED Bromsgrove Rovers teeter on the brink of only the third relegation in their 116-year history.

Weekend defeats to already relegated Paget Rangers and then Racing Club Warwick leaves the Greens perilously close to crashing out of the Southern League -- alias the Dr Martens League -- to which they first won promotion in 1972.

Thursday's home match against Atherstone United could be their curtain call into the Midland Alliance if results affecting relegation rivals Cinderford Town and Sutton Coldfield Town go against them.

It's a disasterous situation for the Victoria Ground outfit, who revelled in Conference football against Kidderminster Harriers only four seasons ago.

And Rovers' fans may be wishing it was magician Paul Daniels at the helm, rather than caretaker manager Steve Daniels, as the club attempts a miraculous houdini escape act.

But Daniels remains defiant: "In no way have we thrown the towel in -- we're not going to give it up," he rapped. "Everyone's positive, we have to be, and hope Sutton and Cinderford slip up.

"We've hit a bad patch at a critical stage of the season but I want us to still have something to play for when we face Bilston Town on Saturday."

Rovers' cause wasn't helped when first-choice goalkeeper, Northern Ireland under-18 international Elliott Morris, was rushed to hospital to have his appendix removed.

That left the Greens without a recognised man between the sticks, with reserve team 'keeper Jimmy McGettrick forced to play over the weekend carrying a knee injury. McGettrick then dislocated his finger in the Warwick defeat.

Daniels also has a message for supporters who vented their anger towards himself and chief executive Pat Bannister over the weekend.

"I know the fans are absolutely devastated. I'm as livid as they are.

"All I want to say is that when they start hurling abuse at us, remember if I hadn't come on board and Pat hadn't put his money in, the club would have folded, period.

"That's the bottom line."