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Triple British Touring Car champion Matt Neal believes he has to support team-mate Gordon Shedden's title bid after another difficult event at Croft.

Neal arrived for round five of the 10-round season 67 points behind leader Colin Turkington.

He finished fifth in the first Croft race, but was excluded from race two after his Honda Civic Tourer failed the rideheight test.

A retirement from the finale following contact with Rob Austin and Warren Scott has left him 101 points off the top of the table.

The 47-year-old now believes supporting 2012 champion Shedden, who is just seven points off the lead, is the most sensible tactic for the Honda squad.

"I've still got to score as many points and wins as possible for the teams' and manufacturers' championships, but the focus has got to shift to Gordon," Neal told AUTOSPORT.

"Never say never but you've got to be realistic."

Shedden added: "He's the best wingman you could have. I think the two weekends Matt has had at Oulton Park and Croft show how you can lose so much ground through no fault of your own.

"It's such a competitive championship it's hard to come back."

MID-SEASON BTCC STANDINGS

1 Colin Turkington 228

2 Gordon Shedden 223

3 Andrew Jordan 200

4 Jason Plato 179

5 Rob Collard 170

6 Mat Jackson 136

7 Matt Neal 127

8 Sam Tordoff 121

9 Aron Smith 86

10 Fabrizio Giovanardi 69