Winless Kings coach Marvin Lewis has thrown down the gauntlet to his under-performing team who are struggling to make the play-offs this season.

The 2007 Island Soccer League (ISL) champions have dug themselves into a massive hole to reach the much-coveted play-offs with only two games left in the regular season.

And coach Lewis is demanding his side stop punching below their weight and begin playing the attractive football they are known for.

"My team right now needs to pick up this win in order for us to have any chance to make the play-offs," said Lewis.

"This year it seems we have lacked heart and discipline, everyone knows how to do everything already.

"Anything can happen right now and we are still hoping to make the post-season, but right now we haven't done ourselves any favours.

"If we win we put pressure on the other teams, everyone has lost one match in our division so we can still make inroads.

"We can get back in it but they will have to want it."

Tonight Kings play the Union, the side that beat them in this season's curtain raiser.

Lewis isn't on a revenge mission, however, and wants his team to keep things simple.

"It is important to win for the simple fact that the Kings won it the first year and we want to let everyone know that we are still the Kings and we play attractive football, albeit if we are playing in spurts.

"We have to play for the whole game and not just in five minutes pieces.

"But if we get a win tonight it can energize the players, but we have to stop letting in goals.

"We have scored first in most of our games but have always had a lapse and conceded goals and come out on the losing end.

"So it's either a goalkeeping problem or defensive mistakes."

The first match of the double header sees Royal taking on Arsenal at 7.15 p.m.

n Bermuda Hogges go in search of their first away points of the season tonight when they take on basement dwellers Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Hogges will be looking to bounce back from their six-goal humbling at Charlotte Eagles last weekend – their fourth consecutive away defeat of the season.

But they have been boosted by goalkeeper Nigel Burgess' return to fitness while midfielder Keston Lewis is also able to travel.

Trinidadian Lewis missed last weekend's back-to-back defeats against Wilmington Hammerheads and Eagles due to work commitments.

Club secretary Paul Scope said Hogges hadn't played that badly despite losing both matches.

"Believe it or not we actually played some nice football in patches despite the scoreline against Charlotte Eagles," said Scope.

"I think the players were probably mentally and physically drained after losing against Wilmington Hammerheads the previous night.

"A point would have been a terrific result from that game and to come that close and get nothing probably knocked the stuffing out of the players.

"But we have another two away games this week and it's a chance for us to get some points on the board."

Hogges play Riverhounds tonight at Chartiers Valley High School and Harrisburg City Islanders at Skyline Sports Complex on Saturday.