Lewes have made it their target to not finish bottom of the table.

Caretaker boss Steve Ibbitson believes his side still have plenty to play for despite becoming the first side in the top five divisions in England to be relegated this season.

And catching Northwich, who are four points ahead of the Rooks having played two games less, is a realistic target for his young squad.

Tomorrow Lewes head to Forest Green – one of only four sides they have beaten in the league this year – on the back of 17 straight Blue Square premier losses and having been relegated on Tuesday without playing.

However, the mood is slightly more upbeat following the club’s decision not to go into administration, coupled with the arrival of a new player and Michael Standing’s return to fitness.

Luke Rooney, a central midfielder signed on work experience from Gillingham, goes straight into the squad for the trip to Gloucestershire while Standing is fit again after missing three games with a back injury.

Ibbitson is trying to add two more work experience signings to his squad and is hopeful the fresh faces can help them finally end their losing run.

He said: “Steve Eke (coach) and I were talking about things on the way back from the reserve game on Wednesday. We are both ones for setting targets and catching Northwich is one target we are looking at.

“I can’t say we won’t finish bottom but you have to set targets and you have to look for continually improved performances. This is one tangible target because if we start picking up points we are not far off Northwich.”

The attack-minded Rooney, who is a second year apprentice, is the leading scorer for Gillingham’s youth team this year and a regular for their reserves. He was also an unused substitute for the first team in an FA Cup second-round replay at Stockport.

Ibbitson said: “We have seen Luke play on a number of occasions. He is a very good player and a good addition to our squad.”

The Lewes manager spent yesterday trying to further strengthen his squad as well as making a decision on the future of 18-year-old striker Rhys Henry, whose month-long loan from Southend is up.

Ibbitson was unsuccessful in signing two players on work experience from Albion but has two more such signings in the pipeline. Work experience signings are not governed by yesterday’s 5pm loan deadline.

Ibbitson said: “I would love to say we have signed three or four experienced players which is what we need badly but we haven’t got the money to do that.

“The club’s finances do not allow us to look at people who we will have to pay reasonable amounts for. I am not complaining about it because I knew the situation when I took over.

“We are looking at work experience signings because that is the market place we can afford.”

The club have lost experienced loan signings Guy Butters and Shaun Wilkinson in the last seven days as well as striker Chamal Fenelon.

They are without David Wheeler, who plays for English Schools under-18s against Northern Ireland at Macclesfield tonight, and the suspended Chris Breach for the trip to Forest Green. Sam Fisk is also doubtful with an ankle injury which has troubled him for the last three weeks.

Ibbitson will again have to make up his squad with youth-team players such as Grant Hall and Ryan Storrie, although he is wary of over-playing them.

Louis Bell, who left Lewes in December after making one league appearance, played for the reserves at Gillingham in midweek.

Forest Green, who played Ebbsfleet in the Setanta Shield last night, welcome back striker Andy Mangan from suspension.

Lewes: Banks, Barness, Hall, Cullip, Fisk, Keehan, Standing, Cox, Foreman, Rivers, Henry, Rooney, Storrie, A.Wilkinson, Sutton, Osborn.

Forest Green: Burton, Lawless, Jones, Ayres, Preece, Stonehouse, Lloyd, Fowler, Smith, Platt, Mohamed, Mangan, Brown, Rigoglioso, Ashford, Baldwin, Palmer, Robinson.

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