SLOUGH Jets head coach Craig Moran believes his side has the right attitude to secure a place in the end-of-season play-offs.

Jets suffered consecutive defeats against Bracknell Bees and Swindon Wildcats last weekend, leaving them ninth in the English Premier Ice Hockey League.

With just six weeks of the regular season remaining, Moran admits it was an opportunity missed, but he could not fault his side for their efforts.

Speaking to the Observer, he said: “The guys we’ve brought in have worked so hard it would be unfair on them if we didn’t make the play-offs.

“The young kids we have got at Slough now haven’t given up, you can’t want much more from the team.

“It’s definitely going to take a lot of grit and determination, and these boys have got that.

“It’s just going to be a battle down to the last weekend and we will not give up until the final buzzer of the last game, that’s when our season finishes. I believe it’s us or Bracknell because Peterborough (Phantoms) are not having any luck at all.

“We can still make the play-offs, five points sounds a lot but it’s only three games and I don’t think Bracknell will win too many more this year.

“I just hope some god is looking down on us and thinks we deserve it.” Jets were stung 4-0 by fierce rivals Bracknell at The Hangar on Saturday and Moran bemoaned his side’s wastefulness in front of goal.

He lamented: “The performance was not what it should’ve been. We all know that, as a team, we didn’t play well enough.

“We did not take our chances whereas Bracknell did, so it’s a massive upset for us. We should’ve buried a few chances and definitely won the game, but if you do not come out and play, you don’t deserve to win.

“It was just one of those games and maybe Bracknell will be our bogey team this year. Hopefully we will have better luck against others.” A miserable weekend for The Hangar club continued with a 3-2 defeat at Swindon on Sunday, where Moran hailed the performance of Wildcats goalie Stevie Lyle.

He said: “Everyone in the league would want Stevie as a starting netminder and he stood on his head against us.

“Swindon has a great team with an excellent calibre of players, but I think we deserved a point at least.” Jets now face a crucial weekend in the race for the play-offs when Sheffield Steeldogs visit The Hangar tomorrow (Saturday, 6.30pm) followed by a trip to Basingstoke Bison on Sunday (5.30pm).

Moran warned: “Sheffield are never an easy team to play against with their strong physical presence. We have only lost once to them this year, but they’re going to play hard to make sure they do not drop down the table.

“The players are doing something right on that team having won at Manchester (Phoenix) last weekend.” He added: “Basingstoke is always a tough place to go, they play well at home on a big ice pad.

“It’s definitely going to be a hard weekend and there are no easy games now.

“You can’t guarantee two points against easy teams because there are none in this league.” **PICK up a copy of the Observer, out now, for all the latest sports news and action** **Follow the Observer on Twitter at @Observer_sports**