Director of rugby Mike Schmid has warned Esher cannot afford to lose at Plymouth Albion on Friday, if their Championship destiny is to remain in their hands.

Indiscipline cost Schmid’s men dear as they crashed 20-16 at home to London Scottish on Saturday when the relegation play-offs kicked off.

The two teams scored one try a piece, but fly half Dan Mugford’s five penalties for the Exiles proved decisive at Molesey Road.

Esher started the pool C campaign two points adrift of safety, but a losing bonus point at the weekend has closed the gap on Plymouth – who lost to Moseley on Friday – to just one.

And Schmid has told his men that cannot widen.

"Every team is capable of beating anyone and all we can do is worry about what we are doing," he said.

"You never want to fall too far behind because you don’t want to be needing results elsewhere to help you out.

"We don’t want to go to the last weekend needing a result or hoping someone else can do us a favour.

"A win on Friday will go some way to making sure that doesn’t happen."

Esher had trailed 17-9 at half time, before a Luke Daniels try got them back to within a point of Scottish – but they could not edge their noses in front.

The Molesey Road men beat Plymouth 41-17 at home the last time the two teams met in February, but Schmid expects a different kettle of fish come tomorrow night.

"Not many teams get a result down there. It is a tough place to go, but if we execute our game plan the way we know we can, I have every confidence we will win," he added.

Schmid is sweating on the fitness of centre Arran Cruickshanks as he recovers from the head injury that forced him off against the Exiles.