SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts is calling for focus ahead of his side's crucial clash with fourth-placed Chester on Saturday.

Despite a credible performance, the depleted Tigers crashed to their second league defeat of the season at joint leaders Hull Ionians last weekend.

The Park Lane outfit, who were missing four key players, led 13-5 at half time but were overpowered in the second period as they fell to a 29-18 defeat.

The Tigers, who remain third despite the loss, are now six points behind the Brantingham Park men in National League Two North.

Fellow early-season pacesetters Ampthill & District's unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday with a 15-13 defeat at the Tigers' next opponents, Chester.

And with defeats against the top two already this season, Roberts knows the Park Lane outfit must respond at home to the fourth-placed side or risk slipping several places in the league.

"We've now played the top two sides, and although we've lost them both, we are in a similar position to where we were a few games ago in terms of distance between ourselves and the top," Roberts said.

"However the gap below us has got tighter, Chester have crept up on us, so Saturday's game is a key one.

"We really have to focus and everyone's got to do their job well to get the points.

"We have the home advantage so hopefully we can do it.

"Chester are likely to be quite strong up front. They are a team who play decent rugby and they are pretty good all-round.

"In the home game last year we blew them away in the first half. We need a repeat of that because it's going to be tough.

"It's so tight in the league at the moment, we could drop a place or two with a loss or open up a gap with a win," he said.

With Liam West and Billy Emerson both starting three-match suspensions following a dangerous tackle against Preston Grasshoppers last week, prop Ben Black sidelined and loanee Olly Parkinson recalled by Rotherham, the depleted Tigers struggled against Ionians.

Richard Wainwright opened the scoring for the Tigers with a try on 12 minutes but that was soon cancelled out by Stephen Johnson's effort.

A Steve Collins penalty and a try from Jamie Harrison restored the visitors' advantage as the Tigers led 13-5 at the break.

Sedgley's Rhys Davies' yellow card soon after the restart sparked a complete turnaround as the Hull side took control with tries from Stephen Slingsby, Alexander Campbell and Christopher Reakes. James Ferguson added a penalty and three conversions as the hosts fought back to lead 29-13.

George Hymes' last-minute try was scant consolation for the Tigers who crashed to their second league defeat of the season.

"We were four players down who had started every game this season, so it was tough," said Roberts.

"We were able to bring good players in but some of them lacked experience in the first team.

"There were a lot of positives to take from the game, and the performance was credible.

"In the first half we probably played the best we've played this season. The whole back line ticked and played better than in recent weeks.

"They had the edge in the scrum but certainly in the packs we were stronger.

"We've got a few things to work on but I think the personnel and the yellow card played a part in it, and we came out at the wrong end of it," he said.